LIMA — Ohio has been a major battleground state in the last two presidential elections, serving as a huge player in the ultimate victories of George W. Bush in 2000 and ’04.
The 2008 version is shaping up as even more contested.
That is one of the reasons presumptive Republican nominee John McCain paid a 90-minute or so visit to Lima’s Civic Center Thursday for a Straight Talk Town Hall meeting.
Approximately 1,500 people warmly listened to McCain and his proposals should he be elected the 44th man to inhabit the White House. McCain focused again and again on how important the state would be in getting him there.
He began by stressing how he was the true “Maverick” in this race.
“Some use that positively and some negatively. I think it reminds people who I work for; the American people and the country I love, not a party or me,” he explained.
He fleshed this out: he spoke up for the war in Iraq and the surge long before it was done and how to win with honor; he voted against the recent energy bill — he termed it disgraceful — that gave billions to Big Oil, while his presumptive Democratic foe, Barack Obama, voted for it; he has fought against wasteful pork-barrel spending for years.
“We have the second-highest business taxes in the world; Obama wants to raise them. In fact, he wants to raise taxes on everything he can,” he said. “I don’t have to tell you folks in Lima how tough times are and how much worse that would make it for you. I want to relieve the burden we are placing on the backs of our children and their children with the deficit.
“Obama is a great orator but Washington is full of them. What he says is different than what he does.”
He referred to the vote of Congress to adjourn for five weeks without hammering out a realistic energy policy.
“The present Speaker doesn’t even allow a vote or discussion on items such as drilling. I thought that’s what you voted them in there to do,” he continued. “I would call them back into session as president until they do their job.
“I am all for developing alternative energy. We have the largest coal reserves in the world, much of it here in Ohio; we can use it with the clean technology we have and are developing. We have to stop the $700 billion transfer to countries that don’t like us.”
That brought a standing ovation from the assembled throng.
He then closed his opening remarks.
“Obama won’t acknowledge the surge worked and is working. He wants peace but that means unconditional withdrawal,” he added. “That would lead to more violence and another war. Thank God for the brave men and women we have willing to serve.
“His basic premise is this: government is too big, so let’s grow it; our taxes are too high, so let’s raise them; we’re winning in Iraq, so let’s quit.
“I know you and I will disagree on certain issues and that’s good. We need that discussion to get us through these tough times; I believe we will.
“You know where I stand and what motivates me. It’s the same principle that I followed when I was a POW in Vietnam and could have been set free for a price. I chose to put my country first, not to do whatever it takes to get elected, as too many politicians are willing to do.”
Throughout the 75-minute assembly, McCain returned to the theme of thankfulness for those serving in our Armed Forces and how he enjoys meeting veterans throughout his travels.
He responded to several questions from the audience:
• Why isn’t he more aggressive going after Obama and the media for calling him a flip-flopper for listening to his constituents? “You need a careful balance between being negative about the MoveOn.org crowd and being positive. I want my supporters to be proud of the campaign I run at the end of the day. Americans are pessimistic right now and want to know how you are going to fix things, be it health care, the mortgage crisis or the price of gas. I changed my mind on off-shore drilling when $4 a gallon became the norm. Probably to most of you, like me, it wasn’t an issue a year ago. I have talked to experts in the oil-drilling field and they tell me it would only take months — not years as some say — to get the oil flowing, so let’s do it now.”
• Knowing what we “know” now, what would your vote on authorizing force in Iraq? “Ask this question: what would Saddam Hussein be doing now with a barrel of oil at $120? He’d be doing what every intelligence agency told us then; acquiring and perhaps using weapons of mass destruction. Remember the scandals already in place then: the corrupt Food for Oil program, our planes being shot at daily. No doubt he was committed to WMDs. There were mistakes in Iraq. The initial victory was easy but the strategy to finish it off was wrong and I said so. We can disagree about the war but the world is better off without Saddam in power.”
• What will he do about education? “My wife, Cindy, was a special-ed teacher, so it’s a concern. Education is the future of America and to me it’s the civil rights issue of the 21st century. What are we telling our children if we force them to attend a failing school? We’re shirking our responsibility. We need competition. Charter schools work; vouchers work. If parents want to home-school, that is their right. We’ve seen tremendous change in the New York City schools and there are 30 charter schools in New Orleans. I want to reward good teachers and schools and have bad teachers get a new line of work. Cindy and I sent our kids to private school, as did Barack and Michelle Obama. We want every child to have that same choice. Plus, we need to reauthorize but fix No Child Left Behind.”
• Isn’t it time to recognize that because of the growing economies of China and India, we can never lower prices at the pump? “It takes five years to build a nuclear power plant in France; they get 80 percent of their electricity from that. It just proves that if you live long enough, anything can happen. We’ve had nuclear-powered subs for 60 years. We’re capable as a nation of meeting every challenge. We need to explore every avenue: nuclear, hydro-electric, solar, wind. What high energy costs do is hurt the lowest-income people the most, the ones who can least afford it. If we develop our resources, it doesn’t matter what the Saudis charge.”
• Should the Iraqis put more of their own resources to work? “They should spend more of their own money on their projects.”
• What about the proposed NAFTA Superhighway and the North American Union — joined with amnesty and proposed by groups like the Council on Foreign Relations — that could compromise American sovereignty? “It will never, ever happen while I am president. As far as amnesty, we need a comprehensive approach to immigration reform. I have stressed that we must secure the border, with fences, high-tech surveillance, vehicles, whatever we have at our disposal. Then I believe we need a realistic guest-worker program — we have the tools — and prosecute violators. We need to be humane and compassionate in dealing with the 12 million illegals. This is a national security issue. Plus, we have to deal with the drug cartels that control border towns; they are killing Americans.”
• How will he help Iraq War veterans with their own particular needs? “I believe this part of America has provided more service members to our wars than any. I propose giving veterans a plastic card, let them take it to their doctors and get treatment. They should not have to wait and we cannot allow a Walter Reed situation again. This is a tough war. As George Washington once said, how you treat those who fought in previous wars will dictate the willingness of others to serve in present conflicts.”
• How can he help the auto industry? “I pointed out previously the old auto jobs in Detroit won’t return; the new ones will. The new technologies, like flex fuel, are where the new jobs will be. I propose a $5,000 tax credit for the purchase of one of these vehicles. I recently saw an electric car in California that was great; it just cost $100,000. Just like how cell phones have progressed, I firmly believe that once we give the auto industry the incentive and freedom to develop these technologies, prices will come down and the industry will bounce back.”
• Many politicians tell us what we need to do but not how to do it, especially with energy. What will your administration do? “One way is to demand that Democrats and Republicans in Congress sit down and give us a workable energy policy featuring all of those items I mentioned and to not leave until they do so. I have shown I can work with those on the other side; I don’t care who gets the credit. It’s not going to happen overnight because this has been ongoing for 30 years.”
• How can we get the liberal press to listen to us? “I feel I will do enough in my campaign to not only reach the American people but to have them reach me. I also appreciate freedom of the press.”
• What about the jobs created by off-shore drilling? “Drilling solves two problems. When you increase supply by what we’re talking about, prices go down immediately; that’s a fact, and you relieve pressure on fixed-income households. What you have is China and India increasing demand on a rather finite resource at this time. Two, it will increase jobs; these are well-paying ones.”
• Who is your pick for vice president? Perhaps Condileeza Rice? “There are two important duties for the vice president. One, in the event of a tie in the Senate, he or she casts the tie-breaker. And two, that person will have to check on my health every day.”
• A lot of pro-life leaders are proud of your stance on abortion but what about embryonic stem cell research? “It is an agonizing issue. I am convinced there are cures possible that weren’t before but I believe that the progress of skin cell research will make stem cells academic. I believe in the part of the Declaration of Independence that reads ‘we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness;’ that it applies to ALL, unborn and born, and not just Americans. I know what it’s like to be deprived of those rights. I am proud of the efforts of Jim Jordan and Mike DeWine for trying to change the culture. I will remain an advocate for the unborn, all due respect to my opponents.
“There is also the all-important issue of judges. There is expected to be two, maybe three vacancies on the Supreme Court. I was proud to vote for President Bush’s appointees, John Roberts and Samuel Alito, who I believe are two of the finest in history. Those who opposed them were strictly on the grounds of ideology, not qualification. I voted for Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, appointed by President Clinton, because he had won two elections and had earned that right, plus I felt they were qualified. I will appoint judges who will strictly interpret the law and not legislate.”
“I’ll be back to the Heartland of America. I ask for your votes and support.”