Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

McCain has fun in Las Cruces

Sun Expanded Coverage

(The Sun has gone on the road to listen to voters and talk to political leaders around the West. Reporters will examine the economic, cultural and demographic forces re-shaping the region as they drive to Denver for the first of the two major party conventions the Sun will cover.)

ALBUQUERQUE — Campaigns love the local press. Check out this report in the Las Cruces Sun-News after covering Sen. John McCain today.

(Las Cruces is about 220 miles from here.)

"LAS CRUCES — Sen. John McCain spoke to a crowd of hundreds Wednesday in Las Cruces in his latest stop in New Mexico, a battleground state that could help make or break the Arizona senator's presidential bid.

McCain spoke at a town hall-style meeting at New Mexico State University where he addressed issues and fielded questions on immigration, energy independence, saving Social Security, the drug war and the conflict in the Republic of Georgia.

'Well, that was fun. That was a fun town-hall meeting,' McCain said after the session.

Wednesday marked the first time McCain has visited Las Cruces since a trip in October 2004 when he was campaigning for the re-election of President Bush.

Campaigning for his own presidential election, McCain took shots at his opponent, Democrat Barack Obama, calling into question the Illinois senator's stance on Iraq and praising the success of last year's troop surge.

'Remarkable,' McCain told the crowd. 'No rational observer can go to Iraq ... and say that the surge hasn't succeeded.'

'Let me make this very clear, I'm not questioning his patriotism. I am questioning his judgment,' McCain said of Obama."

Fun indeed.

In Las Cruces, McCain got some liberals all inflamed when he sorta appeared to endorse a draft. But not really. Here's the estimable Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic, explaining that when McCain assented to a suggestion of a draft, he was really responding to a different part of the woman's question, which was long and had several parts.

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