Roxi
06-19-2008, 07:19 PM
no i didn't go, and im not sure who from the meetup did... but i did hear there were some hecklers...
heres the article from the local paper...
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806190366
Republican presidential candidate John McCain is pushing for new nuclear power plants, carbon sequestration "clean coal" technology and off-shore oil drilling to meet the country's energy needs for the next generation.
Advertisement
"One obstacle to expanding our nuclear-powered electricity is the mind-sest of those who prefer to buy time and hope that our energy problems will somehow solve themselves," McCain said in his opening remarks at a town hall meeting at Missouri State University.
McCain pledged to "set this nation on a course to building 45 new (nuclear) reactors by the year 2030" if voters chose him over Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in November to be America's 44th president.
McCain's speech was briefly interrupted by a loud heckler who accused McCain of being too friendly with President George W. Bush.
"How can you be trusted?" the man said, as security guards rushed toward him. "How can you stand up for the policies of the current administration?"
McCain brushed off the disturbance with a little humor.
"I would have told that gentleman if he would have just waited until I finished my opening remarks ... if he had a question or comment, I would be glad to listen to it," McCain said.
Advertisement
After his opening remarks, McCain sat at a roundtable on the stage of the student union's auditorium, asking a panel of energy industry experts and CEOs what's the best course for solving the country's long term crisis.
Both McCain and the campaign's hand-picked panelists said government regulation and inaction have created rising energy prices for everything from gasoline to natural gas and electricity.
But they all expressed optimism that the country could create more domestically generated energy.
"It's not too late," said Greg Boyce, chairman and CEO of Peabody Energy, the world's largest privately owned coal company.
Retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy, said the energy crisis is dire and needs immediate action by the nation's leaders.
"We have to approach this with the same degree of seriousness when President Eisenhower said let's build the interstate highway system and President Kennedy said let's get a man on moon," said Jones, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate.
Tammy Jahnke, dean of the college of natural and applied sciences at MSU, highlighted the university's partnership with City Utilities of Springfield and other utilities to experimentally inject food-grade carbon dioxide 2,000 feet into the Earth's bedrock. The process known as carbon sequestration is seen as a potential way to mitigating global warming by disposing of the greenhouse gas into the Earth.
After the roundtable discussion, McCain came out on the front of the stage and took questions from the audience ranging in subject matter from student loans, scrutiny of international college students, taxes, and how the 72-year-old plans to compete for younger voters with Obama.
Sarah Craig, an Ozarks resident, asked McCain how he intended to provide families like her own some relief from rising gas prices and other bills. Much of the panel discussion focused on long-term solutions, she said.
"What are you going to do next week that helps us now?" Craig asked.
"In the short term, I can give you some relief," McCain told Craig, laying out his proposal to suspend the 18.5-cent federal tax on every gallon of gas for the summer.
McCain also said giving taxpayers another economic stimulus check would give Americans short-term relief.
Democrats, including McCain's opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, oppose the tax holiday, calling it a "gimmick" to gain votes from voters frustrated by record gasoline prices, which were about $3.65 a gallon on Wednesday in Springfield.
Prior to McCain's event, Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri said in a conference call that McCain's plan would cost the state 6,000 jobs and $167 million in federal gas tax dollars for Missouri's roadways.
"Missouri can smell a phony idea from a mile away," McCaskill told reporters in a conference call with Admiral John Nathman, a retired Navy commander. "This gas tax holiday ain't going to happen. It was just promised to get a few votes."
McCain had a response to McCaskill's job-killing charge.
"A lot of this money that is paid in the form of gas taxes goes to wasteful pork barrel projects," McCain told Craig during the question and answer session.
McCain also advocated for allowing coastal states to decide whether they want to let oil companies drill in ocean waters.
"The decision would still be made by the people of those states," McCain said. "But I certainly encourage them to do so."
McCain has previously opposed increased deep-sea drilling off the coasts of Florida and other coastal states.
"John McCain has done a classic flip-flop," McCaskill said. "If he were being scored, he would get a 10 for this flip-flop in its execution."
For years, McCain has opposed drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
But McCain said he'd be willing to reconsider that stance as well.
"I would be more than happy to examine it again," McCain said.
Wednesday's town hall meeting at MSU was the first opportunity for many Ozarks Republicans to evaluate their presidential candidate in person.
Sen. John McCain captured just 27 percent of the Republican vote in Greene County in the February primary -- Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won with 42 percent -- but several of those who spoke to the News-Leader Tuesday said the event raised their opinion of him.
"I'm more excited about him all the time," said Rep. Charlie Denison, a Republican state legislator. "I think the public has made it known they want change, and I think he's very definitely a change."
Although McCain was not his first choice for president, Denison said he appreciated the open format of the event, which allowed unscripted questions from the audience. "I thought he was right on point with the answers."
Denison's wife, Daryl, added: "I thought he was honest."
She said she was more excited about McCain's candidacy after hearing him speak. "He was different than I expected ... He's down-to-earth."
Navy veteran Mike Vicat, too, was impressed by McCain's ideas and attitude.
"I thought it was great. I really like him," he said. "He seems like he's pretty solid."
Vicat, who is 100 percent disabled as a result of injuries he suffered in the military, said he appreciates that McCain has served in the armed forces. He said Obama's lack of military service is one reason he wouldn't vote for the Democrat.
"We need a president that's been on the front lines," Vicat said.
Vicat said he was hoping McCain would talk about his plans for supporting disabled veterans.
"Without those programs, I wouldn't be standing here, probably," he said, noting he has "no complaints" about the treatment he has received to date. "I just hope it stays that way."
Mi Leng and Ana Banos -- both students enrolled in English as a Second Language classes through Ozarks Technical Community College -- said they enjoyed the opportunity to hear a presidential candidate speak to the public.
"It's interesting to me to come here and see ... It's a cool experience for me," said Leng, who is from China.
Banos said she liked McCain's pledge to not raise taxes and his support for easing some of the restrictions on legal immigration and foreign exchange programs.
heres the article from the local paper...
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008806190366
Republican presidential candidate John McCain is pushing for new nuclear power plants, carbon sequestration "clean coal" technology and off-shore oil drilling to meet the country's energy needs for the next generation.
Advertisement
"One obstacle to expanding our nuclear-powered electricity is the mind-sest of those who prefer to buy time and hope that our energy problems will somehow solve themselves," McCain said in his opening remarks at a town hall meeting at Missouri State University.
McCain pledged to "set this nation on a course to building 45 new (nuclear) reactors by the year 2030" if voters chose him over Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in November to be America's 44th president.
McCain's speech was briefly interrupted by a loud heckler who accused McCain of being too friendly with President George W. Bush.
"How can you be trusted?" the man said, as security guards rushed toward him. "How can you stand up for the policies of the current administration?"
McCain brushed off the disturbance with a little humor.
"I would have told that gentleman if he would have just waited until I finished my opening remarks ... if he had a question or comment, I would be glad to listen to it," McCain said.
Advertisement
After his opening remarks, McCain sat at a roundtable on the stage of the student union's auditorium, asking a panel of energy industry experts and CEOs what's the best course for solving the country's long term crisis.
Both McCain and the campaign's hand-picked panelists said government regulation and inaction have created rising energy prices for everything from gasoline to natural gas and electricity.
But they all expressed optimism that the country could create more domestically generated energy.
"It's not too late," said Greg Boyce, chairman and CEO of Peabody Energy, the world's largest privately owned coal company.
Retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy, said the energy crisis is dire and needs immediate action by the nation's leaders.
"We have to approach this with the same degree of seriousness when President Eisenhower said let's build the interstate highway system and President Kennedy said let's get a man on moon," said Jones, who has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate.
Tammy Jahnke, dean of the college of natural and applied sciences at MSU, highlighted the university's partnership with City Utilities of Springfield and other utilities to experimentally inject food-grade carbon dioxide 2,000 feet into the Earth's bedrock. The process known as carbon sequestration is seen as a potential way to mitigating global warming by disposing of the greenhouse gas into the Earth.
After the roundtable discussion, McCain came out on the front of the stage and took questions from the audience ranging in subject matter from student loans, scrutiny of international college students, taxes, and how the 72-year-old plans to compete for younger voters with Obama.
Sarah Craig, an Ozarks resident, asked McCain how he intended to provide families like her own some relief from rising gas prices and other bills. Much of the panel discussion focused on long-term solutions, she said.
"What are you going to do next week that helps us now?" Craig asked.
"In the short term, I can give you some relief," McCain told Craig, laying out his proposal to suspend the 18.5-cent federal tax on every gallon of gas for the summer.
McCain also said giving taxpayers another economic stimulus check would give Americans short-term relief.
Democrats, including McCain's opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, oppose the tax holiday, calling it a "gimmick" to gain votes from voters frustrated by record gasoline prices, which were about $3.65 a gallon on Wednesday in Springfield.
Prior to McCain's event, Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri said in a conference call that McCain's plan would cost the state 6,000 jobs and $167 million in federal gas tax dollars for Missouri's roadways.
"Missouri can smell a phony idea from a mile away," McCaskill told reporters in a conference call with Admiral John Nathman, a retired Navy commander. "This gas tax holiday ain't going to happen. It was just promised to get a few votes."
McCain had a response to McCaskill's job-killing charge.
"A lot of this money that is paid in the form of gas taxes goes to wasteful pork barrel projects," McCain told Craig during the question and answer session.
McCain also advocated for allowing coastal states to decide whether they want to let oil companies drill in ocean waters.
"The decision would still be made by the people of those states," McCain said. "But I certainly encourage them to do so."
McCain has previously opposed increased deep-sea drilling off the coasts of Florida and other coastal states.
"John McCain has done a classic flip-flop," McCaskill said. "If he were being scored, he would get a 10 for this flip-flop in its execution."
For years, McCain has opposed drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
But McCain said he'd be willing to reconsider that stance as well.
"I would be more than happy to examine it again," McCain said.
Wednesday's town hall meeting at MSU was the first opportunity for many Ozarks Republicans to evaluate their presidential candidate in person.
Sen. John McCain captured just 27 percent of the Republican vote in Greene County in the February primary -- Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won with 42 percent -- but several of those who spoke to the News-Leader Tuesday said the event raised their opinion of him.
"I'm more excited about him all the time," said Rep. Charlie Denison, a Republican state legislator. "I think the public has made it known they want change, and I think he's very definitely a change."
Although McCain was not his first choice for president, Denison said he appreciated the open format of the event, which allowed unscripted questions from the audience. "I thought he was right on point with the answers."
Denison's wife, Daryl, added: "I thought he was honest."
She said she was more excited about McCain's candidacy after hearing him speak. "He was different than I expected ... He's down-to-earth."
Navy veteran Mike Vicat, too, was impressed by McCain's ideas and attitude.
"I thought it was great. I really like him," he said. "He seems like he's pretty solid."
Vicat, who is 100 percent disabled as a result of injuries he suffered in the military, said he appreciates that McCain has served in the armed forces. He said Obama's lack of military service is one reason he wouldn't vote for the Democrat.
"We need a president that's been on the front lines," Vicat said.
Vicat said he was hoping McCain would talk about his plans for supporting disabled veterans.
"Without those programs, I wouldn't be standing here, probably," he said, noting he has "no complaints" about the treatment he has received to date. "I just hope it stays that way."
Mi Leng and Ana Banos -- both students enrolled in English as a Second Language classes through Ozarks Technical Community College -- said they enjoyed the opportunity to hear a presidential candidate speak to the public.
"It's interesting to me to come here and see ... It's a cool experience for me," said Leng, who is from China.
Banos said she liked McCain's pledge to not raise taxes and his support for easing some of the restrictions on legal immigration and foreign exchange programs.