Anti-McCain forces rally on Web

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The competition for anti-John McCain Web sites is so stiff that those looking to register new ones say the best names have already been snatched up.

"Virtually every one we thought of was taken," said Robert Shoemaker, who said his site RepublicansAgainstMaverickMcCain.com will go active this week. "The first one we wanted to do was Republicans Against McCain, just short and sweet. That wasn't available, and we worked all the way around different labels we could use none of them were available."

In the end Mr. Shoemaker, who held signs at last weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference protesting Mr. McCain's immigration policy, said he and his partners settled on the somewhat cumbersome name in order to preserve a version of the acronym RAM.

At last check StopMcCain.com, NoWayMcCain.com, ConservativesAgainstMcCain.com and RepublicansAgainstMcCain.com are all taken, as is IHateMcCain.com and the pointed VietnamVeteransAgainstJohnMcCain.com.

That last site was registered by Ted Sampley, a Vietnam War veteran who went after Sen. John Kerry during his 2004 campaign as the Democratic presidential nominee and has now turned his focus to Mr. McCain.

"The Internet itself has become an amazing tool. If you learn to work this thing and take the offensive with it, it becomes a very powerful tool," Mr. Sampley said.

David All, a Republican Internet strategist and co-founder of SlateCard.com, said the sites show the Internet is a leveling platform for those who have a message to get out.

"It just shows you the low barrier of entry the Internet provides to citizens who have a differing view on any number of issues," he said.

He said there are probably more pro-McCain sites than anti-McCain sites out there, and said it's likely the McCain camp has bought up some of the other possible anti-McCain site names to keep them from being used by foes.

Many of the names have been registered but not yet set up. Mr. Shoemaker said his site will be operational sometime this week, and said the goal was to give an outlet to voters angry that Mr. McCain is the apparent Republican nominee.