Joe the Brother leads rally

Dozens of state and local Republican leaders joined Joe McCain, brother of GOP presidential nominee John McCain, at a Thursday night rally.

About 300 people gathered at the Daniel Technology Center at Germanna Community College to hear 66-year-old Joe McCain share why he thinks his older brother is the best person for the Oval Office.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Rep. Ed Scott, Susan Allen, chairwoman of Virgina’s Women for McCain campaign and former attorney general Jerry Kilgore also spoke at the event which also featured food and live music.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Gary Close, who is chairman of the county’s Republican Committee, was the evening’s host.

McCain asks for ‘thumbs-up’
Displaying his brother’s flight jacket, McCain told the crowd about the circumstances surrounding the shooting down of his brother’s A-4 Skyhawk aircraft, his capture and torture by enemy forces, and his refusal to compromise his beliefs in his country or comrades despite his physical and mental pain. Explaining that jackets are too bulky for pilots to wear in flight, McCain held it before the crowd.

“He expected to come see this jacket after two or three hours. He didn’t see it for five and half years,” McCain said.

“To me, this is a tale not so much of courage but it’s about character,” he continued. “It’s a man who made a decision outside of the public spotlight, outside of American citizens, outside of the press … he made a choice to serve the American people past, present and future.

“These are the times for John McCain as president,” he said. “This is one time when every single person in this room can make history, because this election is going to come down to just a few votes.”

And while the presidential election has gotten much of the focus recently, McCain said that state and local elections are just as important to America’s future.

McCain, who spoke for about 20 minutes and apologized, then joked about running a few minutes late due to getting lost on the way to Culpeper, implored everyone to work hard to win votes for the Republican ticket across the board.

Explaining how his brother used the thumbs-up sign to let naval flight deck crews know he was ready to be launched into the sky, McCain encouraged the group to do the same for his brother.

“I want you to think of giving John McCain a thumbs-up and launch him into history,” he said.

Susan Allen
The first of the guest speakers to take the stage, Susan Allen said that a Republican ticket would fight for the right reasons.

“We are going to work very, very hard to elect John McCain president and Sarah Palin Vice President,” Allen said. “We know that John McCain is someone who has faced the most difficult circumstances that we can imagine.”
Allen, who grew up in the Charlottesville area, said she misses the area. “We sure miss being in this part of Virginia because you all think right,” she said.

Kilgore: Virginia will stay red
Jerry Kilgore, a former attorney general and chairman of McCain’s presidential campaign took the stage next.

During his remarks, he compared how each presidential candidate would deal with key issues like taxes, energy, and foreign policy and said that the Republican ticket has the best plan to address the issues and the experience to implement the changes.

“Are we going to keep Virginia red this year?” Kilgore asked the crowd, who responded with an enthusiastic cheer and round of applause.

“The liberal media would like you to believe that this race is over,” he said. “This race is not over. John McCain and Sarah Palin are going to be elected,” he said, the crowd drowning out his voice with more cheers and applause.

Bolling: ‘Obama scares me’
The final speaker to take the stage, Bolling said the U.S. has been spared from further terrorist attacks since 9-11 not by chance, but because of the proactive and aggressive stance of the president and his administration against terrorism.

He expressed doubt that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s ability to control terrorism or revive the economy.

“Let me tell you something,” Bolling told the group. “Barack Obama scares me. Obama scares the living daylights out of me because he doesn’t have the background to be the president of the United States of America at a time like this.”

And reiterating the importance of electing a Republican ticket, Bolling warned of what could happen if Democrats gain control.

“This country will take such a step to the left that it’ll make your head spin. It could take a generation to get back American values.”

Bolling also criticized the media, saying that Virginians are being wrongly led to believe that Republicans have lost their longtime foothold in the traditionally red state.

“They better not start measuring the drapes,” Bolling said. “We will send a message to those potentates of pessimism that this red state will stay red.”

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or .