FOX NEWS HAS LEARNED that in New Orleans on Friday John McCain makes a major speech to the influential and little known Council for National Policy. The CNP is an umbrella organization of influential social and religious conservative groups.

The CNP members are not made public, meetings are not open to non-members, and they seldom even make public where and when their meetings occur.

McCain’s speech and subsequent Q&A will be videoed and publicized.

The group is filled with organizations and individuals who have been among McCain’s toughest conservative critics.

The tit for tat continues:

McCain called out Romney demanding an apology to Dole. Romney’s campaign said they tried to call Bob Dole unsuccessfully.

While this dust-up continues McCain finds himself in a tighter than expected battle for some of the Super Tuesday states while taking hits for not being conservative enough….Romney could get upset by Huckabee in some southern and midwest states. Huck is doing better than expected and it could be that the Peach state ends up in the win column for him. He also won 18 delegates in West Virginia. (see earlier post)……
This Super Tuesday delegate race could go late into night. Mccain’s hoped- for blow-out may be evaporating. In California and Missouri, Romney appears to have made up some ground.
McCain looks like a smaller winner than expected and Huckabee may be splitting a big part of self described conservatives with Romney.

The Endorsements keep rolling in.  First Rudy then Arnold, moderate Republicans both, endorsed McCain over the last two days. Now conservative former Solicitor General, Ted Olson announces he too will endorse John McCain.

This is an important endorsement for the Senator from Arizona who is viewed with suspicion by many conservatives. It may be the beginning of a slow acceptance by conservatives that McCain may become their nominee.

Olson endorsed him saying:

“I have long admired John McCain for his courage, character, and integrity,” said Mr. Olson. “He is the candidate best prepared to lead as commander in chief from day one. John McCain has a deep-rooted conservative philosophy and I trust him to appoint strict constructionists, like Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito, to judicial positions.”

John McCain thanked Mr. Olson for his support, stating, “Ted Olson is among our nation’s most distinguished experts on the rule of law. I am honored to have his support, and I look forward to his counsel and leadership on judicial issues.”

Meanwhile Mitt Romney’s campaign was quick to announce that former Senator Santorum was going to endorse him!