51.   He noted that McCain was the only presidential candidate who accepted an invitation to speak at a state VFW convention last June.

52.   He once skipped a state nominating convention when it occurred on the Sabbath.

53.   He said that organization is being used as a model for his proposed state convention.

54.   He said after the November meeting, the state convention office received numerous supportive phone calls from churches in other states.

55.   He said he turns down invitations to state Republican conventions.

56.   If Buchanan fails to meet those conditions, the letter said, he will be barred from addressing the state GOP convention.

57.   If anything, the back-to-back gatherings served to illustrate just how irrelevant state political conventions have become.

58.   In appearances at the state Republican convention in New Orleans last weekend, Gramm, Buchanan and Keyes all courted the religious right.

59.   In another sign of his status within the party, the governor has been making the rounds of state convention delegations.

60.   In fact, she has been assiduously cultivating allies at the precinct level in preparation for the state convention.