Gregg later declined to elaborate on the conversation, saying that they were discussing “tactics.”
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has been a strong critic of McCain’s quest for the nomination, criticizing his immigration bill and his votes against President Bush’s tax cuts. But DeMint sounded a conciliatory note Tuesday and said he was ready to get behind McCain.
“It’s good to see him around,” DeMint said later. “I think he’s pulling people together.”
One House member who has had differences with McCain, Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.), said the GOP conference spans the ideological gambit and that support isn’t necessarily going to be the largest challenge that he faces. Campbell said that McCain’s main challenge is that his position on a number of issues differs from that of many of his fellow Republicans in the House.
“The issue is how enthusiastically they’ll support him,” Campbell said.
Even Campbell, who saw McCain endorse his opponent in 2005, said he would reserve his own commitment until the nomination is sealed.
“I’m not going to endorse him officially or unofficially” before the convention, said Campbell, who had endorsed Romney.
Charlie Black, a senior adviser to McCain, said Tuesday that he does expect the senator will listen to the concerns raised by GOP lawmakers.
“I assume he’ll take their questions just like he does with voters at town halls,” Black said.
Black said McCain should enjoy a wealth of good will with a large majority of Republican House members, having campaigned for a great deal of them in recent years and having spent time in the lower body himself.
Black acknowledged that some lawmakers will be harder to convince than others, but he said the goal is to build a coalition.
“I don’t think it has to be unanimous,” Black said. “We seek everybody’s support and will patiently seek it.”
In the end, Black said he thinks most Republicans who attend Wednesday morning’s meeting will be won over and ready to support their party’s presumptive nominee.
“I think the preponderance of them will be for McCain when they come out of that meeting,” Black said. “And if they’re not, we’ll keep working on it.”
Manu Raju contributed to this story.
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