Pubdate: Sun, 30 Sep 2007
Source: Foster's Daily Democrat (NH)
Copyright: 2007 Geo. J. Foster Co.
Contact:  http://www.fosters.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/160
Author: Gretyl Macalaster, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

MCCAIN SWINGS THROUGH GRANITE STATE

EXETER -- Republican presidential hopeful John McCain  said he's
satisfied with his campaign's financial  health during a stop in the
state Saturday afternoon.

With the third quarter fundraising deadline approaching  today,
McCain's numbers are expected to be lower than  his Republican rivals,
former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt  Romney and former New York City Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani.  But McCain said he expects to do fairly well.

"Money doesn't matter that much. How you do in Town  Hall meetings ...
matters," he said.

Fundraising concerns took a back burner to a number of  other issues
McCain addressed during a backyard  "Septemberfest" gathering at the
Exeter home of  Rockingham County Commissioner Maureen Barrows and her
  husband, Cal.

The Arizona senator and Vietnam veteran was about half  an hour late
and wasted no time getting to the issues.  He spoke for about 20
minutes before fielding questions  for more than an hour from the
crowd of about 150  people, who were enjoying bratwurst, beer and
cider  around tables decorated with red, white and blue  balloons.

McCain answered questions on health care, immigration,  medical
marijuana, energy policy and reducing  government spending, among
other topics.

"I would like to hear him back off a little bit on  keeping the troops
there," Wayne Patten of Exeter said  while waiting for the senator to
arrive.

But McCain did not back down when he addressed the war,  stating that
he trusted and respected U.S. Army Gen.  David Petraeus' recent
recommendation that troops not  be drawn down beyond pre-surge levels.
Petraeus is the  top allied military commander in Iraq.

McCain said the American people need to give the  strategy a chance
and the time to succeed.

"If we leave, I believe with all my heart and all my  mind we will pay
a heavier price, and there will be  genocide and chaos," he said.

But no one issue dominated the day.

McCain began his speech by addressing the current  violence in
Myanmar, also known as Burma, echoing  remarks he made earlier in the
day at a house party in  Rye.

He said both the United States and Myanmar's neighbors  need to be
tougher on the military junta responsible  for this week's brutal
crackdown on demonstrators.

"These thugs have started executing and killing people  in the streets
right and left," he said. "We should go  to (The Association of
Southeast Asian Nations) and say  kick these guys out. ... We should
be putting every  sanction on them that we can think of. We should
have  every place in the world talking about how this kind of  thing
doesn't work anymore."

McCain also addressed a question from Franklin Pierce  College student
Jonathan Perri about the senator's  stance on federal raids on medical
marijuana patients  in the 12 states that have passed legislation to
protect such patients.

"It would not be a town-hall meeting in New Hampshire  without some
young man sent to talk about medical  marijuana," McCain said
lightheartedly.

He said he would not arrest "sick and dying" patients  as the question
was posed, but does not approve of the  use of medical marijuana.

A senior from Phillips Exeter Academy asked McCain why  he had not
voted on the Matthew Shepard Act passed  Thursday, which gives the
federal government more  jurisdiction to prosecute hate crimes and
includes  protections for gay, lesbian and transgendered victims.

McCain, who was the only senator absent from the vote,  said he does
not believe sexual orientation should be a  part of judicial
decision-making.

"I support equal opportunity and rights for all people,  but I don't
support the hate crimes bill," McCain said.

After leaving Exeter, McCain was headed to a town hall  meeting in
Epping and is expected to visit Derry and  Hollis on Sunday.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath