Senate return will hold challenges for McCain The tone of his campaign angered many Dems, though some are already moving on

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, is joined by wife Cindy as he finishes his concession speech to a rally of supporters on election night in Phoenix, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, is joined by wife Cindy as he finishes his concession speech to a rally of supporters on election night in Phoenix, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Photo: Chris Carlson, AP Photo: Chris Carlson, AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Senate return will hold challenges for McCain 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

John McCain has been here before, coming up short in a presidential race like so many senators before him and staring at a less-than-triumphant return to the Senate.

But the circumstances this time are vastly different. In 2000, McCain was welcomed back almost as a hero after he ended his primary campaign against George W. Bush. He was prized for his openness, sought out by fellow Republicans for his endorsement and respected for the national following he had built in his gutsy effort against the future president. There was a sense that he had been wronged, dragged down by scurrilous attacks when he had reached for a higher tone in politics.

Now it is McCain and his campaign who have been criticized as trying to paint President-elect Barack Obama as a pal to terrorists and a socialist in Democratic clothing. In this campaign, McCain's freewheeling relationship with the press was badly strained, he was accused of pandering to conservatives, and party strategists said he damaged the prospects of other Republicans on the ballot.

As a result, his colleagues are wondering which John McCain will be returning to the Senate for a term that extends two more years.

Will it be the John McCain who was an enthusiastic coalition builder, dealmaker and central figure in Congress, one as apt to tweak Republicans as much as Democrats? Or the John McCain who seemed so dismissive of Obama, who spent considerable time assailing the opposition rather than making his own case and who to many seemed to become what he had once disdained?

"John is going to have to make a decision," said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. "I think he will make the right choice and pitch in."

Many of his colleagues say they believe the same, that McCain will quickly reassert himself in the Senate and could, if he so chooses, be a valuable asset to Obama as the new administration seeks to move its agenda on the economy, national security, immigration and climate change, among other issues.

"If President-elect Obama lives up to his rhetoric to reach across party lines, and I hope that he will, he is going to need John McCain," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a longtime ally of McCain's. "He is going to be a real player."

In his concession speech on Tuesday night, McCain said he was ready to do his part.

"These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face," he said of Obama, in a speech that many Democrats hailed as promising for its conciliatory tone.

Longtime associates of McCain's say they expect him to play a constructive role in the Senate and not sulk in the aftermath of defeat or try to undermine Obama.

"It is just not in his nature to stand still," said one longtime adviser who would talk about the Senate return only if he was not quoted by name.

But there is serious fence-mending to be done. Plenty of harsh words were expressed over the course of recent months, and many Senate Democrats were angered by what they interpreted as a lack of respect for Obama from the McCain campaign and the senator's own warnings about the dire perils of liberal Democratic government.

Some of the hatchets are quickly being buried. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate majority leader, spoke by telephone with McCain on Friday; according to an aide, they agreed to put the attacks of the last few months behind them.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said he expects his colleague to get back on track.

"He has been here a long time," Dodd said, "and people have had their relationships with him, including good ones over the years. And ultimately that is what you remember, and that is what will prevail."

Republicans say it is unlikely that McCain will bear the blame for party losses in the House and Senate, with most attributing them to miserable economic conditions and President Bush's unpopularity.

"He should come back OK," said Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. "He did the best a Republican could do. The headwinds were just enormous."