McCain seeks independents' primary votes

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Sen. John McCain's campaign is mounting a stealth effort to change Republican presidential nomination rules in California to allow independents to vote in the Feb. 5 primary, party and campaign officials in the state have told The Washington Times.

The impact could be huge -- and potentially damaging to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, currently the most acceptable to traditional-values voters among the three top-tier Republican presidential candidates.

"If California changes its delegate selection rules to allow independent voters to participate in the Republican primary, it would be very helpful for McCain and for Rudy Giuliani, who historically have done very well among independent voters," Federal Election Commissioner Michael E. Toner said.

An official with the Romney organization in California said McCain supporter Duff Sundheim, the former state Republican Party chairman and an ally of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been trying to line up votes for the rules change.

Several other state officials and campaign operatives independently reported receiving phone calls from Mr. Sundheim seeking support for the change.

Mr. Sundheim late last night denied that he is affiliated with or backing Mr. McCain but refused to answer when asked whether he was lining up support for a rules change. He did admit he was having discussions with state party Chairman Ron Nehring.

Officials from all three campaigns declined to discuss whether their candidates are working to change the rules.

"This is a state issue, and we will abide by whatever is decided," McCain spokesman Danny Diaz said. "Reading anything more into it is simply inaccurate."

A spokeswoman for Mr. Giuliani's campaign agreed that it is a state issue.

"This ultimately is an issue for Californians to decide, and we will play by whatever rules the people of California decide upon," Maria Comella said.