McCain Recruiting Pragmatists, Moderates to Remake GOP

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is taking the opposite route of most defeated presidential candidates: rather than quickly bowing out of national politics, McCain is working to become a transformative force in the Republican Party, Politico reported Friday. Concerned about the GOP's direction, McCain has been recruiting and raising money for candidates who share his pragmatic center-right views.

McCain has been a particularly generous adviser to Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). McCain encouraged him to run for Senate and threw a $500,000 fundraiser to support Kirk's bid. In mid-September, McCain invited several of his favored candidates to the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan to meet with 40 influential donors. He has also given candidates he favors access to a network of fundraisers he has cultivated over the past two decades.