McCain makes campaign stop in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS - John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, made his case to Hoosier voters in a campaign visit Friday in Indianapolis. \nMore than 100 of his supporters and interested members of the public turned out at the Emmis Communication building for the town-hall style meeting led by the Arizona senator.\n“This is the very essence of democracy,” McCain said, speaking of the importance of the town-hall meeting. “This is not only a way for you to listen to me, but for me to listen to you.”\nMcCain stressed his views on a number of issues, ranging from foreign policy to taxes. But McCain devoted a significant amount of his time to the war in Iraq.\n“It is long, hard and difficult,” he said. “But what I will not do as president is set a public date for withdrawl, because that would be a date for surrender.”\nTouting his foreign policy credentials, he also made statements regarding Thursday’s riots in Serbia over Yugoslavia’s recent declaration of independence and the difficulties in dealing with post-Castro Cuba. \nHe also commented on his campaign, saying that he respects fellow GOP candidate Mike Huckabee’s decision to stay in the race and that he believes the Republican party would be able to attract the youth vote in the national election. \n“I understand that I will have to use venues, such as MTV to reach them,” he said, “but I am confident we will compete very hard for the American youth vote.”\nGov. Mitch Daniels and McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain, also addressed the crowd.\n“I hope you find the qualities that I have found in him,” Cindy McCain said. “And more importantly the qualties you want in a president.”\nMcCain followed the campaign event with a stop at a private invitation-only fundraiser at the Conrad hotel.\n- Check Monday’s Indiana Daily Student for more on McCain’s Indiana visit.