McCain raises $$$ in Twin Cities, deflects usual question about Pawlenty for VP
Senator McCain was in the Twin Cities on Thursday to raise money. Unlike other fundraising trips, the candidate with the inside track for the VP slot - should McCain capture the nomination - shared the spotlight with the usual questions about immigration and the like.
According to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press article:
Sen. John McCain on Thursday joined the parade of presidential candidates marching through the Twin Cities to raise money for campaigns they are waging in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early caucus and primary states.
The Arizona Republican’s only scheduled stop was at a private fundraising reception, reportedly hosted by Lowell and Cay Hellervik, of St. Paul. Gov. Tim Pawlenty, national co-chairman of McCain’s presidential committee, and his wife, Mary, accompanied the senator to the event.
At a 10-minute news conference at St. Paul Downtown Airport, McCain defended a controversial immigration bill that his Republican presidential rivals have criticized and that is widely seen as the reason he has slipped in the polls to third place in the GOP race. He and President Bush helped craft the bipartisan bill that critics say would grant amnesty to illegal immigrants.
“If we do nothing and leave the status quo, then we have status quo amnesty … because we haven’t done anything about the 12 million people here (illegally) in this country,” McCain said.
“We don’t know who they are or what they’re doing. We have to bring them out of the shadows.”…
When asked for the umpteenth time whether he would pick Pawlenty to be his running mate, McCain gave his stock response: “It’s really too early.”
But he couldn’t resist putting in a plug for his staunch political ally. “I do repeat all over the country, not just here, that I think Governor Pawlenty is the next generation of Republican and national leadership,” he said, “and I’m honored to have his friendship and support.”
While McCain didn’t make any public appearances during his overnight stop in the Twin Cities, he said he hopes to campaign here in the future.”
Read the entire article here.
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