John McCain has been courting Conservative House members and has met with Fred Thompson’s biggest ally, Zach Wamp:

Arizona Sen. John McCain , eager to fortify ties with conservatives as his party’s presumed presidential nominee, huddled last week with Rep. Zach Wamp , R-Tenn., who had been the Capitol Hill ringleader for Fred Thompson ’s unsuccessful presidential campaign.

Wamp was reticent about details, but said they discussed spending-reduction proposals, including an earmark overhaul — specifically a plan backed by Wamp and some other GOP appropriators to create a congressional committee on earmark reform — as well as plans to make the Army Corps of Engineers more efficient, an agenda item dear to conservatives.

Whether anyone believes his outreach is genuine or just going through the motions, at least he is doing something for the Conservative base, not just ignoring it, but the damage of his voting record has left long memories to some Conservative House members:

McCain still has a lot of work to do in winning over House conservatives, many of whom loathe him for bucking the party on issues ranging from taxes to oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

He has a lot of work to do with all Conservatives, elected and otherwise, before a trust is there. I think a big step, and this has been said before by me and others, will be his choice for VP.