FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Friday night the GOP lost control of Congress in 2006 because of pork-barrel politics and losing sight of the party's values.
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The gathering took place at the home of a heart surgeon who raises money for GOP candidates. Dr. Eddie Floyd raised more than $100,000 for George W. Bush in 2000 and co-chaired the president's 2004 re-election bid in South Carolina.
McCain during his address also reiterated his support for the war in Iraq, although he said mistakes have been made.
"The war has been mishandled," he said. "Wars throughout history have been mishandled."
McCain is trying to position himself as the establishment candidate against his GOP rivals. That was the role Bush had in 2000 when he rebounded from a primary loss in New Hampshire to beat McCain here. The defeat derailed McCain's bid for the White House.
South Carolina hosts the first Southern primaries in the 2008 campaigns.
One of McCain's prominent South Carolina supporters, Sen. Lindsey Graham, said this time around looks much better for McCain. "We're getting the Bush financial support. We've got a majority of state House representatives," Graham said recently.
Graham, who supported McCain in 2000, said the senator now has institutional support and is a party leader.
Early polling has McCain trailing former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. McCain on Friday night shrugged it off. "This is spring training," he said.
Among those who attended the gathering were state Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman.
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