John McCain wasted no time in congratulating his rival Mitt Romney on winning the Michigan Republican primary. The former US navy pilot, who spent five and a half of his 71 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, remained combative.

He said: “Tonight my friends we congratulate another candidate’s campaign but tomorrow we get up and fight. Now it’s your turn South Carolina. We’re gonna fight for your votes, we’re gonna win this primary and the nomination of our party and we’re gonna be proud of the way we do it. So stand up my friends, stand up, stay strong, get busy, keep fighting and let’s go win this thing. Thank you and God bless”.

McCain has a lead in the latest opinion polls going into the South Carolina primary, with Mike Huckabee his closest rival there.

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