For McCain to Win, He Must Embrace the 'Big Middle'

• By David Winston
• Roll Call Contributing Writer
• Feb. 19, 2008, Midnight

For the past couple of weeks, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has been getting lots of free advice from all sides about what to do with his “conservative problem.” Democratic operatives have argued that to appease his conservative base, he will have to move to the right. That, they say, will be his death knell in November with independents, whom he has always attracted and needs to win.