Courted by Kerry, McCain Taking Major Role for Bush

[underpants]

:wow: Talk about a headline :wow:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/campaign_bush_mccain_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), once courted by Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites), is emerging as a major force in the re-election campaign of President Bush (news - web sites), who vanquished McCain in the 2000 Republican primary.

Republican officials said plans are in the works for McCain to appear with Bush on the campaign trail during the week of the Republican convention in New York that will nominate Bush for a second term. Then the plan is for them to campaign together immediately after the convention.

"It helps having him stand by my side," Bush said during a stop with McCain in Niceville, Florida, last week.

Just this week he voiced concerns about Bush's plan to bring home up to 70,000 U.S. troops over 10 years from bases overseas. "I hope as some critics allege this is not a retreat to 'Fortress America,"' he said.