Huckabee creating potholes in McCain's ride to nomination

Republican John McCain's march to what he hopes is a presidential nomination hit a few bumps in the road this past weekend.

McCain, an Arizona senator who became the likely Republican nominee last week when his chief rival dropped out, lost two of three state contests Saturday. And it wasn't until early Sunday that he learned he won at all.

McCain won Washington state, with Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas close behind.

Huckabee beat McCain Saturday in Louisiana and Kansas.

"It was great day for us," Huckabee said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "This thing could go to the convention."

While saying he was staying in the race, Huckabee added he would bow out if McCain won the 1,191 delegates needed to capture the Republican nomination at the party's national convention in September.

McCain has grabbed just less than two-thirds of that number of delegates with more than 20 of the 50 states still to hold Republican nominating races.

McCain cleared his path to the party nomination earlier in the week with a string of Super Tuesday victories that drove former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney from the race. He spent the rest of the week trying to reassure skeptical conservatives, at the same time party leaders quickly closed ranks behind him.

His Kansas defeat aside, McCain also suffered a symbolic defeat Saturday when Romney edged him out in a straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference meeting across town from the White House.

For all his brave talk, Huckabee was hopelessly behind in the delegate race. McCain had 719, compared with 234 for Huckabee and 14 for Paul. It takes 1,191 to win the nomination at the national convention.