CAMDEN — Even as fellow Republican John McCain closes in on his party's presidential nomination, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones is still not convinced the Arizona senator is the GOP's best choice to take on the Democrats' choice for president in the fall.

Jones, R-N.C., is still supporting fellow Congressman Ron Paul for the GOP presidential nomination, even though the Texas Republican had only collected 14 delegates to McCain's 908. McCain was poised to pick up 56 more Tuesday night in the GOP primaries in Wisconsin and Washington.

Interviewed following a ribbon-cutting event in Camden County Tuesday, Jones acknowledged that Paul's hopes for the White House are fading and that McCain appears to be the presumptive Republican nominee.

But McCain still has some fence-mending to do with conservatives, particularly on immigration, Jones said.

He said McCain cosponsored legislation with Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., which amounted to amnesty for illegal immigrants — something Jones said he opposes.

"If he's the nominee, I want to hear from him (on immigration)," Jones said.

For his part, McCain says he has "heard" Republican voters on the immigration issue. Although he hasn't changed his support for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, McCain says he now backs strengthening the nation's borders with Mexico first.

Despite his disagreements with McCain on immigration, Jones said he will support whichever candidate his party nominates, including the Arizona senator.

For the first time in his 14-year House career, Jones will face a Republican challenger for his 3rd District seat. Joe McLaughlin, an Onslow County commissioner, is campaigning on Jones' opposition to the war in Iraq. Jones is one of a handful of Republicans who have supported legislation setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Jones is also being challenged by Democrat Marshall Adame, a U.S. Marine retiree and Vietnam War vet from Jacksonville.

Despite the challenge from McLaughlin, Jones said he believes the majority of Republicans in the 3rd District share his views.

"I vote my conscience in Washington," he said. "'Truth' and 'honesty' are big words to me. I will always try to do what's right for the people based on the truth of the situation."

Tuesday's ribbon-cutting at Camden Intermediate School provided Jones a respite from a currently heated environment in Washington, D.C. Republicans walked out of the U.S. House of Representatives last week in part to protest the Democratic House leadership's refusal to hold a vote on renewing the Protect America Act, a 2007 law which authorized warrantless wiretapping. The law expired Sunday due to a sunset provision.

House Democrats were specifically concerned about a provision in the Senate version of the new law that grants immunity to telecommunications companies that aid government surveillance efforts.

Saying surveillance legislation is a complex issue, Jones did not take a firm stance on the proposed legislation. He did say, however, that if immunity is granted to telecommunications companies, certain protections of Americans' rights would have to be included.

"The reason the House wanted to slow down the process is to make sure we protect the civil liberties of the American people," Jones said.

Even without the legislation, Jones said the nation's intelligence agencies are still working to protect Americans.