Former GOP presidential candidate and close McCain friend, Fred Thompson, is set to join the presumptive GOP nominee during his visit to North Carolina next week. Since losing the South Carolina primary on Jan. 18, Thompson has been absent from the limelight-even choosing to drop out of the race via written statement.

McCain is set to make a timely visit to the Tar Heel State, where primary voters go to the polls on Tuesday, and hopes to scoop up some media coverage. He is set to hit Charlotte on Monday and deliver a speech at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem the next day.

In recent weeks, McCain has campaigned with both Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. While there was a lot of VP buzz when the AZ Senator was joined by Romney and Huckabee, expect a lot less around Fred—the former TN Senator even told Fox News last week that a number 2 slot is “not in the cards.”

McCain is also set to attend a big $$ NYC fundraiser in New York City next Wednesday where yet another former rival–Rudy Giuliani–will be in attendance.

Little Rock, Ark — The Huckabees greeted the McCains at the airport in Little Rock this AM.

“We’re so glad to have you here today,” the former Arkansas Governor and GOP presidential rival said to McCain, as his wife Janet chatted up Cindy McCain.

“I’m so glad to be here,” McCain responded, as they boarded the Straight Talk bus.

McCain and Huckabee are set to spend the day together where they are scheduled to attend a fundraiser, make a pit stop at a local barbeque joint, co-lecture a class at Arkansas Baptist College and hold a press conference this afternoon.

Kansas City, MO — While some Washington politicos were buzzing Sunday about the possibility that Condoleezza Rice is actively campaigning for a vice presidential slot, Sen. McCain said any push by the Secretary of State is news to him.

“I did not hear that. I missed those signals,” McCain said aboard his campaign plane Sunday during a flight to Kansas City. “I think she’s a great American, I think there’s very little that I can say that isn’t anything but the utmost praise for a great American citizen, who served as a role model to so many millions of people in this country and around the world…I think her overall record is really very, very meritorious.”

While he praised Rice, McCain also noted that he believes she bears some responsibility for the early failures in Iraq–along with President Bush, Don Rumsfeld and Colin Powell. The latest Rice4VP speculation comes after former administration spokesman Dan Senor said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday that Rice has been campaigning for a VP slot–even speaking to a meeting of economic conservative leaders including Grover Norquist.

Given that McCain will either face off against a female or African-American Democratic rival, VP tea leaf readers are debating what role gender or race may play in McCain’s selection. But the presumptive GOP nominee made clear Sunday that he is not quite there yet–still focused on the big picture.

“That’s a consideration that you might…take into consideration if you were anywhere along in the process. We’re not in any point in the process…but I think that Americans overall want the most highly qualified person to serve anywhere in government,” McCain said, when asked if he would be comfortable with two white men heading up the GOP ticket.

After McCain told the Don Imus radio show last Wednesday morning that he was starting to compile a list of potential running mates, his aides have attempted to reign him in regarding any VP talk and McCain downplayed most of the running mate questions today.

“We’re not talking about the process because it just then gets into things that could easily to spill over into an invasion of privacy,” he said at one point. Asked later about Mitt Romney as a potential VP, McCain reiterated, “we are just not talking about it. When you mention somebody’s name as being favorably mentioned or somebody else then all of a sudden it really can unfortunately result in invasion of privacy so were just not really talking about it. But I understand the curiosity but I think there is a very large number of very highly qualified people and we are not in any point where we would say ‘this person is more favored than another’ and to protect everybodys privacy, I don’t think we would ever say that.”

But McCain did chime in on the anti-Romney4VP advertising campaign launched by some former Huckabee supporters, joking that he could “save them some money if they’d just e-mail me. But if they want to make that statement through a paid political advertisement, that’s certainly their right.”

Dallas, TX — It might have seemed nearly unimaginable only six months ago but Sen. John McCain officially won the GOP nomination Tuesday night after triumphant victories in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.

“Now, we begin the most important part of our campaign: to make a respectful, determined and convincing case to the American people that our campaign and my election as President, given the alternatives presented by our friends in the other party, are in the best interests of the country we love,” McCain said before about 500 supporters at a victory party in Dallas. “The contest begins tonight. It will have its ups and downs. But we will fight every minute of every day to make certain we have a government that is as capable, wise, brave and decent as the great people we serve. That is our responsibility and I will not let you down.”

While he used victory speeches in recent weeks as a launching pad to strike his Democratic rivals, McCain focused most of tonight’s address on his vision for the country.

“Nothing is inevitable in America. We are the captains of our fate. We’re not a country that prefers nostalgia to optimism; a country that would rather go back than forward. We’re the world’s leader, and leaders don’t pine for the past and dread the future. We make the future better than the past. We don’t hide from history. We make history,” McCain said. “I understand the responsibilities I incur with this nomination, and I give you my word, I will not evade or slight a single one. Our campaign must be, and will be more than another tired debate of false promises, empty sound-bites, or useless arguments from the past that address not a single American’s concerns for their family’s security.”

Campaign Manager Rick Davis told reporters afterward that he was ecstatic about the victory, noting that they were “smallest campaign in history,” to win the nomination. Though he was also realistic about the prospects McCain faces against the more energized, better financed Democrats, arguing that they face another uphill climb to win in November.

He was also split on whether the prospect of a prolonged Democratic fight was good for McCain. While Davis acknowledged that the campaign would be able to raise more money if they had one rival and the ongoing race keeps them out of the headlines, he added that “if they spend all their money beating each other up, that is pretty good for us.”

McCain heads to Washington Wednesday morning to receive the endorsement of President Bush at the White House and address the Republican National Committee. Davis said the campaign is energized to be “drinking out of the firehose” that the RNC apparatus now provides—including fundraising infrastructure, voter research and polling data as well as a rapid response shop.

Tyler, TX - Sen. John McCain made it clear today he has very little interest in a one-on-one debate with Mike Huckabee before next week’s primary.

“We have a pretty hard and fast schedule,” McCain said Wednesday, when asked today about a letter the former Arkansas Governor sent him yesterday. “We’ve debated 16 times so we’ll examine it…but frankly I doubt it.”

Annapolis, MD — Acknowledging that he has “a lot of work to do” to attract and energize the conservative base, Sen. John McCain said Monday he continues to increase his share of the conservative vote and is on pace to seal up the GOP nomination in the coming weeks.

“We are doing fine. We have 700 some close to 800 delegates. And the last time I checked Governor (Mike) Huckabee has very few…..we continue our movement in the right direction,” McCain said at a Monday press conference, when asked about weekend losses to Huckabee in Kansas and Louisana. McCain is well positioned to grab more than 100 delegates in the Virginia, DC and Maryland primaries scheduled for Tuesday, noting he believes “it’s important that we do well tomorrow”

“I have said we have a lot of work to do to unite the party…we are doing very well with conservative voters. We continue to increase our share of the vote with conservative voters and we will continue to work with them,” he added, when asked about President Bush’s weekend comments that the Arizona senator has some work ahead to unite critical conservatives around his candidacy.

The campaign is touting the endorsement of former Family Research Council president Gary Bauer. In a written statement released this morning, Bauer said he “admire(s) his consistent 24-year pro-life record and demonstrated commitment to the values that keep our families and communities strong. John McCain alone has the experience, character and credibility to lead as commander in chief on day one and defeat the transcendent threat of our time — radical Islamic extremism. I am proud to support John McCain for president.”

The Arizona Senator also denied that his campaign had any role in Governor Rick Perry’s phone call to Huckabee over the weekend in which the Texas Governor allegedly asked McCain’s rival to drop out.

Additionally, McCain said Huckabee is entitled to call for a recount into the Washington State Primary results, but added that he believes the state party had “sufficient evidence,” to declare him the victor. “I think it is pretty clear that we won,” he said.

Despite losses in Kansas and Louisiana on Saturday to Gov. Mike Huckabee, Arizona Senator John McCain is well on his way to sealing up the nomination. I discussed the state of the race and McCain’s appeal to conservatives with Weekend Live anchor Bret Baier on Sunday.

John McCain got some support today from the nation’s pundit-in-chief on Fox News Sunday.

President George W. Bush told Chris Wallace this morning that McCain is a “true conservative,” but added that the Arizona Senator “has got some convincing to do to convince people that he is a solid conservative.” However, 43 was reticent to endorse McCain before the GOP race is officially over.

The President is still considered an all-star among the party’s activist base and his words are helpful as McCain seeks to shore up his right flank going into the general election.

Relevant transcript below:

“FOX NEWS SUNDAY” HOST CHRIS WALLACE: Mr. President, I know you’re not ready to endorse yet in the presidential race, so I am going to ask you a non-endorsement question. This last week you talked to the CPAC conference and you said soon you will have a nominee who will carry a conservative banner.

Question: Is John McCain a true conservative?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Absolutely. I know him well. I know his convictions. I know the principles that drive him and no doubt in my mind he is a true conservative. Now I do want to make sure that you don’t rope me into getting into this primary before it ends because we have another conservative candidate in Mike Huckabee still running.

(more…)

Boston, MA—

Mitt and Ann Romney cast their votes today at Belmont Town Hall. Ann finished her ballot first while her husband seemed to labor over his a bit more. After they voted they got a sample ballot as a souvenir and Romney quipped, “That’s pretty fun. First time I’ve ever voter for myself for president.”

Media swarmed the Romneys as they left the town hall and ascended a small hill to talk to the press. He showed the ballot to the cameras and added that his wife, son, and daughter-in law are all on the ballot as members of the Republican town committee, “So we got to vote for a number of family members.”

Romney reflected on the experience of voting for himself and called it, “humbling”

“The opportunity to vote for yourself for president is really something I had never expected to be able to do,” Romney told reporters, “It was a great honor and very humbling to think that we’ve come to a point in life where our friends have rallied around us in such an extraordinary way that we have prospects of becoming the nominee of our party to be the President of the United States. We have a lot of work to do before that happens, of course.”

The former Massachusetts governor said it was good to be home for the first time since Christmas.

“It’s nice to get back and to scare the rodents out, and—not exactly—and open the mail. We have a lot of mail. And you know, a hot bath, what do you think Ann?”

Mrs. Romney replied, “Sounds good.”

They didn’t take any questions from reporters even though many tried to ask about his loss in West Virginia to Mike Huckabee.

Boston, MA—

Mike Huckabee has won the West Virginia Delegate Convention and has been awarded its 18 delegates—the first win out of Super Tuesday. This is a disappointing loss for Mitt Romney, who spoke at the convention this morning, and they are alleging that the McCain campaign cut a “Washington backroom deal.”

Fox News’ Jake Gibson reported that McCain delegates at the convention were “instructed by the campaign to throw their support to Mike Huckabee.”

Huckabee won in the second round of voting. Romney won the first round but did not secure the 50 percent needed to win on the first ballot. He got 41% and Huckabee received 33%. Gibson reported that the calls were made between the first and second rounds.

The Romney campaign responded sending out a statement from campaign manager, Beth Myers:

“Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain’s inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney’s campaign of conservative change.”

“Governor Romney had enough respect for the Republican voters of West Virginia to make an appeal to them about the future of the party based on issues.  This is why he led on today’s first ballot.  Sadly, Senator McCain cut a Washington backroom deal in a way that once again underscores his legacy of working against Republicans who are interested in championing conservative policies and rebuilding the party.”

The Romney campaign had an operation in West Virginia since July of 2006. Romney senior adviser in the state, John McCutcheon described the other campaign operations as “skeletal.” The camp had phone banks, radio ads, and events in 55 counties. Romney also had the most committed delegates going into today–280 out of 1,207, most of which are uncommitted—all underscoring what a searing loss it is for the campaign