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In area visit, McCain seeks to 'inspire a generation'
Presidential candidate visits defense contractor Tuesday
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
WEST CHESTER TWP. — Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, told a crowd of workers at a local defense contractor that the work they do is important because the United States faces a transcendent evil in al-Qaida.
"Have no doubt about the kind of enemy that we're confronting, but we will never, ever surrender and they will," said McCain, who was in the area in campaigning for the Tuesday, March 4 primary.
Extras
McCain arrived at the Armor Holdings plant on Le Saint Drive around 3:20 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, to speak to workers at the factory. A plant spokeswoman said the opportunity was limited to employees of that specific site.
Production paused at the plant after McCain's arrival and remained suspended until after he departed about 4:30 p.m.
"I feel like I'm standing in the path of progress as we're shutting the line down here," McCain said.
Standing in front of an armored truck with an American flag as a backdrop, the Arizona senator spoke to nearly 250 employees before answering questions in a town hall meeting. Earlier Tuesday, McCain spoke at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine.
Armor Holdings — which is owned by BAE Systems, the world's third largest global defense company — produces armored vehicles for private and military clients, and is expected to expand rapidly in the coming years. The company generally receives 30 new contracts each month but has been averaging 160 per month recently.
McCain said he has ridden in Armor Holdings' equipment while touring Iraq. He lauded the workers for the protection the company gives soldiers.
Challenges remain in Afghanistan — such as a large poppy crop which is used to make drugs and fund terrorism — that the U.S. needs to address, McCain said.
McCain admitted that Iraq would be a key issue in the election as public support for the war has declined. While McCain was a key supporter of the recent troop surge, opponents have criticized him recently for suggesting that U.S. forces might be in the country for 100 years.
"The initial invasion (of Iraq) was successful, but then we didn't have enough boots on the ground," he said.
The American public has debated whether or not the U.S. was justified in entering the war, McCain said. However, McCain said that the decision was based on intelligence the world believed at the time. He also said forces did the right thing in driving Saddam Hussein from power.
McCain relayed a story about meeting a mother whose son had died in Iraq and asked him to make sure her son didn't die in vain.
"I believe I can inspire a generation of Americans to serve a cause greater than their self interest," he said.
Contact this reporter at jrinaldi@coxohio.com.
