John S. McCain's crusade for the heart and soul of the Republican party faces a cross-roads today. Outside of New England, where he leads in nearly every state poll, he must prove to Republican voters that his centrist rhetoric does not diminish his conservative credentials.

His background is conducive to the electorate's desire for an honorable president is beyond question, even for his Republican opponents. But McCain has been criticized for the maverick status that has propelled him to early primary victories. His opponents have said he is too quick to compromise ideologically and has harmed the Republican party by making it appear more divided than it is.

But McCain enthusiasts say their candidate is leading a revolution to remove the GOP from its alliance with religious conservatives. The McCain movement, they say, is about broadening the conservative movement.

His voting record contradicts the support he has received from liberals and moderates. In 1998, the American Conservative Union said McCain voted along their ideological lines 68 percent of the time.

McCain supports abortion only in cases of rape, incest and where the life of the mother may be endangered. He

has voted against measures to extend non-discrimination rights to gays and lesbians.

McCain proposes to spend the Social Security surplus to shore up Social Security and Medicare. He wants to extend the 15 percent tax bracket to include 25 million more Americans.

On education, McCain favors a bottom-up approach. Instead of national standards, he wants to streamline both federal and state educational bureaucracies, allowing school systems and individual schools to decide how best to spend education dollars. He also supports school choice and voucher plans.