Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) -- John McCain won't attend a gathering of religious conservatives this weekend -- and the Republican presidential nominee won't have to ask forgiveness.
The Arizona senator's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate has appeased the evangelical and social conservatives who form his party's core voters. Now, they are letting him know that he doesn't need to further demonstrate his fealty.
Last year, McCain felt compelled to appear at the Values Voter Summit in Washington to woo the religious conservatives who have long mistrusted him. That's not necessary this time: members of the movement now ``know exactly what's going on,'' said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values in Ohio and a summit attendee.
``I understand if he thinks he's got us,'' said Burress, who led Ohio's 2004 effort to ban gay marriage. ``The Palin appointment guaranteed his base.''
McCain, 72, is now reaching out to other constituencies, including independents who may provide swing votes in a tight contest in November.
He also is trying to expand his Republican base. At his party's convention in St. Paul last week, he dispatched two emissaries to address the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay group. Former Republican Representative Jim Kolbe of Arizona said McCain has indicated that he would be open to a repeal of the military's ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy, which allows gay men and women to serve in the armed forces as long as they don't discuss their sexual orientation.
Changing Military's Policy
Kolbe, who is openly gay, said McCain has ``always said'' that he would change the military's policy with the support of a leader such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell. ``That's what he really needs, to have some of the military brass say this policy makes no sense,'' Kolbe said.
McCain's efforts to unite these disparate political strands don't trouble the Christian conservatives gathered for the summit, Burress said.
``If he can spend his time somewhere else gathering votes, then that's where he should be,'' Burress said. ``The important thing is winning,'' he said, reflecting a new pragmatism from evangelicals who have been slow to embrace McCain.
Both grassroots and national conservative leaders are confident Palin will be an advocate for their agenda, including opposition to abortion and embryonic stem-cell research to appointing like-minded judges to the federal bench, he said.
At the same time, other Republican constituencies are cheering McCain's willingness to include them.
`Independent Voters'
``We're pleased Senator McCain is not attending the Value Voters summit,'' said Patrick Sammon, president of the Log Cabin Republicans. ``It's a sign the campaign understands he needs to be reaching out to independent voters during the last eight weeks of the campaign.''
In the past, McCain has antagonized leaders of the religious right, which in recent decades has mobilized voters for Republican candidates in exchange for commitments to its agenda. Social conservatives have long maligned McCain for pushing campaign-finance restrictions, which they view as limiting their ability to participate in the political process.
In a 2000 speech, McCain accused President George W. Bush of pandering to the religious right, and called televangelists such as Jerry Falwell ``agents of intolerance.''
Falwell, who died last year, eventually repaired ties with McCain, who gave the 2006 commencement address at the pastor's Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Overtures
Such overtures have helped restore McCain's standing with the social conservatives, who are now willing to give him the space to pursue more moderate and independent voters.
Richard Land, a leader of the 18 million-member Southern Baptist convention, said conservatives appreciate McCain's efforts and don't expect him to make their agenda a cornerstone of his campaign in the closing two months of the election, at least publicly.
``Actions speak louder than words and Sarah Palin speaks not just volumes, but a whole library,'' Land said.
McCain's anti-abortion position and his choice of Palin give ``people reason to believe it will be a pro-life administration,'' he said.
Republican strategist Whit Ayres said he expects McCain to return to emphasizing other issues that have put him at odds with his party in the past, like his stance on the need to combat global warming.
``He has sent the signal loudly and clearly on values issues,'' Ayres said. ``Now he needs to do what he has started doing and that is grab the change mantle'' from Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, an Illinois senator.
Signal
McCain uses his outreach to groups like the Log Cabin Republicans to signal to his party's moderates and swing voters that he is a different kind of Republican than Bush, his aides said.
``He's running an inclusive campaign and we'll have an inclusive administration,'' said Mike DuHaime, McCain's political director, when receiving the gay group's endorsement in St. Paul. ``To win any campaign, especially one that is going to be close, it is a matter of reaching out,'' he said.
The Values Voter Summit, which starts today and is sponsored by the Family Research Council, will include conservative intellectuals, media stars and politicians. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who lost the nomination to McCain, will speak, as will former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Tony Perkins, head of the Washington-based Family Research Council, didn't respond to requests for comment.
Palin, 44, and Obama, 47, were also invited to the gathering, though they aren't scheduled to attend, either.
To contact the reporters on this story: Hans Nichols in New York at hnichols2@bloomberg.net ; Heidi Przybyla in Washington at hprzybyla@bloomberg.net
