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A life-size cardboard cutout of Sen. John McCain mixes with supporters during the presidential hopeful's Woodbridge campaign appearance..
About 8,000 turned out for Republican presidential nominee John McCain yesterday at a stop in Woodbridge.
McCain waves to supporters who chanted 'No new taxes' |
WOODBRIDGE
--Sen. John McCain extended Joe the Plumber's 15 minutes of fame during a campaign stop at the Prince William County government complex here yesterday.The Republican presidential nominee used the now-infamous nickname for Joe Wurzelbacher, who was filmed disagreeing with Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's tax plan. McCain told the crowd of about 8,000 that Obama wants to tax them to redistribute wealth.
McCain said he would lower taxes and cut down on what a warm-up speaker called "the overbearing, suffocating burden of government."
Obama has said his tax plan would cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans, and end tax cuts for those making more than $250,000.
"How do you cut income taxes for 95 percent of Americans when more than 40 percent pay no income taxes right now?" McCain said of his opponent's plan.
"That's the key to Barack Obama's whole plan. Since you can't reduce taxes on those who pay zero, the government will write them all checks called a tax credit, and the Treasury will write those checks by taxing other people--you."
His remarks drew cries of "No more taxes!" from the crowd.
One man, who would identify himself only as Scott, waved a red toilet plunger in the air and held up a bumper sticker that said "Support Joe the Plumber. Vote McCain-Palin."
Another man, dressed in rubber boots and a plaid flannel shirt and wearing a hard hat, held up a giant sign with a plunger at the top that said "No Re-Distribution" and drew a crowd after McCain's speech.
McCain stressed his military background, and said, "What American needs at this hour is a fighter."
"There are other ways to love this country, but I have never been the kind to do it from the sidelines," he said.
A supporter behind him held up a sign that said "Some gave all. Some gave none."
In a speech before McCain's arrival, former Gov. Jim Gilmore urged the crowd not to be discouraged by polls showing McCain is lagging in Virginia, a state that has voted for every Republican presidential candidate since 1964.
"The polls are being used to discourage you from working and from voting," Gilmore said. "This race has not yet been decided in Virginia."
McCain echoed that sentiment. He said Obama is getting overconfident and is "measuring the drapes" in the White House.
"The national media has written us off," McCain said, prompting loud boos and chants of "Liberal media!" from the crowd.
McCain's message on taxes resonated strongly with many in the crowd.
Stafford resident Emily Harvill said she was supporting McCain because "I'm not ready to give my hard-earned money to people to sit around and do nothing. I'm not ready for socialism."
A half mile down the road from the McCain rally, a group of Democrats gathered later in the day to denounce the McCain campaign for its automated calls that included statements about Obama's ties to former Weatherman Bill Ayers.
Former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer said the calls were "misleading and deceitful."
Beyer also criticized McCain spokeswoman Nancy Pfotenhauer for remarks she made in a television interview earlier in the day suggesting that Northern Virginia, which has tended to vote more Democratic than the rest of the state in recent elections, isn't "real Virginia."
"Not real Virginia?" Beyer said. "Let me remind you that George Washington was from Northern Virginia."
Emily Battle: 540/374-5413
Email: ebattle@freelancestar.com
