McCain pledges to help rural areas connect, thrive

"It was an unlikely setting for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain," writes Cassondra Kirby, the Lexington Herald-Leader's Eastern Kentucky reporter. "The tiny coal-mining town of Inez, where there are only three stoplights and a few hundred residents and you can count the number of fast-food restaurants on one hand. But McCain says he was not hunting for votes in the Eastern Kentucky town, where Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly 3 to 1 . . . At a time when President George Bush is unpopular, McCain says his tour of places that he describes as forgotten by other presidential candidates is part of his strategy to brand himself as a different kind of Republican -- one who cares about all the people, especially those in need." (Photo by Howie McCormick, The Herald-Dispatch)

"I want them to know that I will not forget my responsibility to the American people," McCain said. "I will not make promises I intend to forget and I will not make this my last visit to Inez, Kentucky." Kirby writes, "As his campaign bus wound through the mountains into Inez, the Arizona senator saw an area with stubbornly deep pockets of poverty. He passed the trailers and the curious onlookers who stared from front porches and through screen doors. He saw small gardens that families are raising to help during tough times."

And what of issues? "McCain talked about plans to encourage companies to help bring Internet service to rural areas, such as some hollows in Martin County that are still doing without," Kirby writes. "He talked about the need to partner with community colleges to train those out of work and his plans to continue the Iraq war." (Read more)

Many reporters noted that President Lyndon Johnson declared the War on Poverty in Martin County in 1964, and that the place remains poor. "I wouldn't be back here today if government had fulfilled the promises that Lyndon Johnson made 44 years ago," McCain said on his campaign bus. "The moral of the story is -- government isn't always the answer."

Maeve Reston of the Los Angeles Times writes that yesterday's installment of McCain's "forgotten places" tour "seemed largely symbolic. When a reporter asked what could be done about healthcare coverage in Appalachia, as well as the high rates of diabetes, obesity and cancer, McCain said his administration would emphasize 'wellness and fitness.' He also mentioned his proposal for a $5,000 refundable tax credit to allow families to 'go out and acquire at least some level of health insurance,' and added that he would recruit professional athletes to visit rural communities to talk about nutrition. A reporter noted that McCain's tax cut proposals, which he touted Wednesday, might require significant cuts in domestic discretionary spending. He said he couldn't promise that federal anti-poverty programs would be untouched, especially if they were 'ineffective.'" (Read more)

For excerpts of McCain's remarks, courtesy of National Journal, click here.