April 2, 1999
Web posted at: 10:51 a.m. EST (1551 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, April 1) -- Arizona Sen. John McCain has postponed his planned announcement of his formal candidacy for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination, his spokesman said Thursday.

Howard Opinsky, a spokesman for McCain's presidential exploratory committee, told CNN, "Given all that's going on, the senator feels this is not an appropriate time to launch a political campaign."

Opinsky said the "only intervening situation here is Kosovo. Nothing else is any different."

"His resolve has not changed. Nothing's changed. It's just postponed," Opinsky said.

McCain had been scheduled to make a formal declaration of his candidacy on Tuesday, with appearances in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Arizona, as well as a breakfast with cadets at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he graduated.

The filing is considered a first step in formally advancing a campaign for a presidential nomination. The committee will be co-chaired by former Sen. Warren Rudman (R-New Hampshire) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Arizona).

McCain, 62, has served in the Senate since 1986. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982.

While conservative, McCain has not hesitated to break with other Republicans on some issues -- notably campaign finance reform and tobacco regulation. On both fronts, his legislative initiatives in the 105th Congress failed.

In June, the Senate killed a $516 billion anti-smoking bill, including a $1.10-a-pack tax hike, that McCain had proposed. In September, a campaign finance overhaul bill that he and Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wisconsin) co-sponsored also died. The measure would have banned so-called "soft money" donations to political parties, expanded disclosure requirements and regulated issue ads.

While little known to the general public, McCain also is remembered for his role in the "Keating Five" scandal from 1989 through 1991.

McCain and four other senators were chastised by the Senate Ethics Committee for intervening with federal savings and loan regulators on behalf of disgraced financier Charles H. Keating.

The ethics panel found that McCain showed poor judgment in his efforts for Keating, who had been a major contributor to McCain's campaign. McCain later turned over $112,000 in campaign contributions from Keating to the U.S. Treasury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Thursday, April 1, 1999

• Sen. McCain delays announcement for presidency
• Clinton: Impeachment not 'great badge of shame'
• Reporter's notebook: First lady's trip as a portrait of a strong woman
• Poll: Americans continue to support NATO strikes, but skepticism over success growing
• Former first lady Barbara Bush undergoes back surgery
• McDougal attorneys given day off to prep for Steele testimony
• Independent probes of Clinton Administration cost nearly $80 million
• A decade later, recycling on Capitol Hill still meets resistance
• Parties work together in Congress

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