Cook is seen as an old war horse (having been in a dozen elections over time), Dew said. "He knows what he's doing. He speaks well. He's polished. But I'm optimistic that I'll get 60 percent of the delegates in the convention" and win the nomination outright.

Cook said, "I'm a more relaxed Merrill Cook today. And I think that is getting across" to the delegates. Some of Cook's problems in 2000 when he lost his seat in the GOP primary were that he had yelled at his staff and others and that he had gotten into a protracted fight with 3rd District Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah.

"Just winning the Republican vote is not enough to beat Matheson. You have to get some of the independent vote, too. And I can do that. I have done that," said Cook. who originally broke with the Republican Party way back in 1988 when he ran for governor as an independent.

Cook can't be accused of being spendthrift. His campaign signs say send Cook to Congress. Some are left over from his challenge two years ago to Cannon in his 3rd District. The signs don't say that Cook is running for the 2nd or 3rd Districts.

"Hey, I know what I'm doing," Cook joked.

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