McCain: I won't take the money and run

Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday vowed to compete in California this fall despite trailing by double digits in recent polls, telling donors at a Sacramento fundraiser he will not "take your money and leave." Sacramento Bee.

The Arizona senator gave a wide-ranging speech at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento in which he said the United States is "winning in Iraq," while the nation needs to wean itself from foreign oil by pursuing clean energy and offshore drilling.

Despite his assurances, McCain did not specify how he would mount a competitive effort in California, a state no Republican presidential candidate has won since George H.W. Bush in 1988. McCain trailed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama by 24 percentage points in a July Field Poll.