McCain woos wary Northern Nevadans

RENO-Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain returned to Nevada today, hosting a town hall meeting for a crowd of about 800 at the Truckee Meadows Boys and Girls Club in Reno. Although McCain brought the crowd to its feet several times during the course of the meeting, several attendees expressed reservations about a McCain presidency before, during and after his appearance.

"I would support him over the other two, I'll put it that way," said Ben Engel of Reno while the crowd awaited McCain.

After being introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), McCain committed to campaigning in Nevada and predicted the state would go for him in November.

"Nevada is a Western state. I am a Western senator. I understand our issues: of Native Americans, of land, of water, of public lands, of dynamic growth and how we handle those challenges," said McCain. "I'm proud of the work that I've done on western issues and I understand that with your help we will safely win the state of Nevada."

McCain shot back at Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama for not agreeing to accompany him on a trip to Iraq. Obama's campaign had referred to McCain's offer as a "political stunt" yesterday and likened it to President Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner.

"My friends, that is a profound misunderstanding of what's happening in Iraq and what's at stake in Iraq," said McCain. "Because if we set a date for withdrawal like Sen. Obama wants to do, there will be chaos, there will be genocide, there will be increased Iranian influence there and we will have to go back with further sacrifice of American blood and treasure. I will never let that happen."

As in previous appearances, McCain also continued slamming Obama for saying he would meet with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, asking "Why is it that Sen. Obama wants to sit down with the president of Iran, but hasn't yet sat down with Gen. Petraeus?"

Obama spokesman Bill Burton responded to McCain's remarks shortly afterward, saying "On the day after the former White House press secretary conceded that the Bush administration used deception and propaganda to take us to war, it seems odd that Senator McCain, who bought the flawed rationale for war so readily, would be lecturing others on their depth of understanding about Iraq.

"Senator McCain stubbornly insists on pursuing the failed Bush policy that continues to cost so much, while Senator Obama believes it's time to begin a deliberate, careful strategy to remove our troops and compel the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future."

Most of McCain's appearance consisted of taking questions from the audience and he was immediately confronted with the unpopular issue of the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository, which he has repeatedly supported.

"I got to go to places and tell people what they don't want to hear," said McCain. "I went to Iowa and said I didn't support ethanol subsidies. I support Yucca Mountain once it goes through all of the processes it needs to go through. But, I also support reprocessing.  My friends, a little straight talk, we're going to have to do both."

The audience applauded McCain's "straight talk" on Yucca Mountain but was less supportive on another of his stances, which came up later on a question about immigration.

"We have got to have our borders secured first," said McCain. "We have to start there. We also have to have a temporary worker program that will-"

McCain was stopped short by calls of "No!" and boos.

"My friends, ask the agricultural sector here," said McCain. "We need people who will come to this country temporarily to fill a job that's vacant and then go back. That has to happen with a temporary biometric document. Then we've got to address the issue of the 12 million people who are here illegally."

 "I don't agree with him on the worker program," said Rona Herman of Sparks as McCain left the gymnasium. "But I do wholeheartedly agree with him that we need to secure our borders first. Of the three choices that we have currently, he would better our country in my opinion."

It was a sentiment that was shared by several of the northern Nevadans filing out of the gymnasium.

"I loved it," said Al Raiché of Sparks. "He wasn't my first choice but he's my final choice, for sure."

Raiché smiled when asked about the issues on which he disagreed with McCain.

"He'll learn," he said.