GOP to rally around McCain

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House Republicans yesterday said Sen. John McCain is the cure to what ails them and that they're essentially pinning their electoral hopes on his coattails and credentials as a straight-talking spending-cutter.

But even as the leaders of the party's caucus tried to show unity and downplay Tuesday's stinging special election loss in another conservative district, they were contradicting each other on a key spending issue.

Briefing reporters yesterday afternoon, Rep. Adam H. Putnam, chairman of the House Republican Conference, and Rep. Eric Cantor, Republicans' chief deputy whip, said they need to draw clearer distinctions with Democrats on issues such as spending and taxes — just minutes before they split with each other, with Mr. Cantor opposing and Mr. Putnam voting for the massive farm bill.

President Bush has promised to veto the bill for breaking the budget, but Mr. Putnam defended it, saying it's already smaller than the 2002 version Mr. Bush signed — in effect giving credit to Democrats who wrote the measure for paring it down from the Republicans' last attempt.

Mr. Putnam of Florida and the Republicans' whip, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, voted for the measure, along with 98 other Republicans and most Democrats. Voting against it were Mr. Cantor of Virginia, Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio and 89 other Republicans, as well as 15 Democrats.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the conservative caucus in the House, said it amounted to "less than a hopeful moment" as Republicans seek to regroup after a third special election defeat in six months.

"There's a difference between the two parties, but I don't think we've done a significantly good job of putting distance between us and the Democrats to where the American people realize it," the Texas Republican said.

"To some extent, still, after 2006, there are still too many members of the conference who are being complacent," he said.

Republicans dropped below 200 House seats with a loss in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District this week. Yesterday, they rushed to embrace their presumptive presidential nominee as the one thing that can save them from electoral disaster in November.

"We are very happy to be running alongside John McCain and believe very strongly that he will begin to shape the outlook for November in much bigger ways," Mr. Cantor said.