Bush Concentrates Efforts in California
ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: Republican Senator John McCain won the endorsement of "The New York Times" today, but that wasn't the first thing on his mind. On a campaign swing through Ohio Sunday, McCain lashed out at negative campaign ads paid for by supporters of his rival, Texas Governor George W. Bush.</s>SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You've got to accepted a message on Tuesday. Say, Governor Bush, get your cronies out of this, get your money out of this, go back to Texas, and let us make up our own minds.</s>HALL: Asked if he would work to have those campaign ads pulled, Bush responded, why should I? In the race to Super Tuesday, the Texas Governor is concentrating his efforts on California. With 162 delegates for the winner, there's a lot at stake. CNN's Pat Neal explains.</s>PAT NEAL, CNN CORRESPPODENT (voice-over): George Bush feels confident California voters will crush John McCain's insurgent campaign.</s>GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Feels like victory in the state of California.</s>NEAL: Bush will work up and down this state until Tuesday. The latest polls here show he leads McCain by almost 30 percentage points among Republicans who can deliver the delegates needed to secure the nomination. But California also has a non-binding popular vote Tuesday, and McCain hopes he can win that, providing momentum so he can push on.</s>BUSH: Well first it's important to get the delegates. The delegates are the who determines who becomes the nominee. Secondly, I believe I have a good chance of winning the overall vote as well.</s>NEAL: So Bush focused his California pitch on education.</s>BUSH: Every child ought to have a first-rate education. There are no second-rate children and there are no second-rate dreams in America.</s>NEAL: The governor knows education is a top issue among moderates and women. Their votes are critical for him to take the popular vote. But some in this crowd had other issues on their minds.</s>PROTESTERS: Stop the execution -- moratorium now.</s>NEAL: Bush went on to tell Californians he's good for them, because his state, Texas, has a lot of similarities.</s>BUSH: This state reminds me of campaigning in Texas in so many ways. It's rich in its diversity, it's rich in its natural resources, it's rich in its value for the American values.</s>NEAL: Even with the wide lead among California Republicans, Bush wants to win that popular vote, too. But about 40 percent of all California voters have an unfavorable opinion of him, so Bush wants to make sure those who are with him actually vote. Pat Neal, CNN, Oakland, California.