With doses of patriotism and humor, Republican presidential front-runner John McCain brought his “straight-talk express” to La Crosse on Friday.

The Arizona senator spoke to a standing-room-only crowd of more than 500 people at the Radisson Hotel ballroom, answering questions about everything from the war in Iraq to balancing the budget to his own greatest weaknesses.

GOP presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain speaks to a capacity crowd Friday at the Radisson Hotel Ballroom during a campaign stop in La Crosse. PETER THOMSON photo

McCain criticized Democratic plans not to make President Bush’s tax cuts on wealthy Americans permanent.

“Ask anybody that knows about economics, and I do, that if you want to raise people’s taxes during difficult times, that exacerbates the problem,” McCain said.

McCain said he and either Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential hopefuls, will debate whether to raise or lower taxes.

“I want to lower your taxes,” McCain said. “Whether we’re going to have the government run the health care system in this country, as the Democrats want to do, or we’re going to have families make their choices about health care in America. And we’re going to talk about whether we’re going to surrender to al-Qaida or not. We’re going to have some stark differences, and I look forward to a respectful but a very vigorous debate.”

In the wake of a recent report showing he hasn’t requested any pork-barrel spending for his state, unlike most members of Congress, McCain teed off on the $35 billion in pet projects Congress funded in the last two years.



McCain said if elected, he’ll veto any spending bill that includes pork-barrel earmarks.

In response to a question from 65-year-old Bob Ries of Trempealeau, Wis. — who served in the Navy under McCain’s father in the Mediterranean — McCain promised he’d offer a balanced budget by the end of his first term.

In response to a question about being quoted as saying there will be more war, McCain said, “Of course there will be more wars, more conflict.”

He went on to explain he wants to bring soldiers home from Iraq in a responsible way, but left open the door for having bases there the way the U.S. does in Germany and Korea.

McCain’s presentation relied heavily on patriotism and humor. Several in the crowd praised him for his Naval service, which included being a prisoner of war in Vietnam. And he praised veterans and families of current soldiers.

Asked by a young woman about his greatest weakness, McCain said, “I have very little taste in clothes and music.” He also said he sometimes can be impatient, and wishes he had been a better parent at times.

Many in the audience said they wanted to see McCain because of his compelling personal story.

“He’s a true American hero,” said Peggi Kennedy of Onalaska, Wis. “I like his moral stance and I think he’s more in touch with foreign policies than any of the other candidates out there.”

“I just want to see if he’s as bad as the Republican pundits say he is,” said Sonny Wilkins, also of Onalaska.

Dylan Rude, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse sophomore, said he’d previously heard Clinton and Obama speak. “I’m moderate. I vote for whoever has the most to offer, and now it’s between McCain and Obama.”

A poll released Friday of likely Wisconsin Republican voters showed McCain leading former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, 48 percent to 32 percent, in the Republican race. Seven percent said they backed U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.

Huckabee was in La Crosse on Thursday immediately after a big snowstorm and spoke to a smaller crowd of about 200.

Other area campaign stops planned

Sen. Barack Obama is hosting a “Stand for change” rally at 12:30 p.m. today at the W.L. Zorn Arena, 121 Garfield Ave., on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. Gates open at 11 a.m.

Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Govs. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Janet Napolitano of Arizona will host a canvass kickoff for Obama at 11:30 a.m. today at the Port-O-Call room at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Cartwright Center, 1725 State St.

UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow announced Michelle Obama will appear at 6 p.m. Monday at the Cartwright Center, Valhalla, 1741 State St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Sen. Hillary Clinton will be in Wisconsin until Tuesday. Details have yet to be released, though she is expected in Eau Claire from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday. Clinton has opened headquarters in La Crosse at 205 S. Fifth St., Suite 324. The phone number is (608) 782-2470.

Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211 or rmagney@lacrossetribune.com.

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