McCain Unexpectedly Takes Questions, Then Grilled by Voters
(AURORA, COLO.) – John McCain wasn't supposed to hold a town hall meeting here today, but he surprised his staff by telling the employees of the Wagner Equipment Company that he would be taking a few of their questions.
He might have wished he hadn't.
One employee, who identified herself as a registered Democrat but said she was not voting that way, told McCain that she couldn't afford both high food and high gas prices, and asked him how he was going to help. McCain launched into a discussion on his energy plan, explaining that he believed offshore drilling, nuclear power, and green technologies could help bring down prices.
"We have to understand that it took us about 30 years to get in this position we're in now, and we're not going to get out of it tomorrow," McCain said.
"So in the meantime, what are we supposed to do?" the employee pressed.
He brought up his idea of a gas tax holiday and investing in clean coal technology, but admitted that none of these technologies were right around the corner.
"Can I tell you that I can give you some relief tomorrow? I have to give you some straight talk, it's going to be very, very hard and it's going to be tough on America," he said.
"If we send the signal that we are committed, I believe it's going to have a beneficial effect on everything we do, including our economy."