Naturally, not everyone was happy to see him. But he wanted to give 'em "straight talk". Isn't that nice.
McCane: "Your plant is closing and some of my people are responsible for it, but let's talk about it."
If he was in Texas, I couldn't see that ending well.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITI...olitics&iref=polticker
(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain made a stop Thursday in Wilmington, Ohio, discussing job losses that could result from closing the local DHL shipping center.
McCain didn't answer any questions from reporters over reports that his own campaign manager lobbied for the corporate merger that led to the plant's proposed closure.
The campaign manager, Rick Davis, lobbied the Senate in 2003 to approve the merger of Airborne Express with German-based DHL, according to news reports.
DHL announced in May that it planned to close the plant to cut costs. The company reached an agreement with United Parcel Service to have its packages flown on UPS planes. Those packages would go though a nearby airport in Lexington, Kentucky, the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper reported Wednesday.
City officials told the Plain Dealer that the closure of the plant could mean the loss of more than 8,000 jobs.
"I am deeply troubled by the specter of job loss ... in the town of Wilmington ..." McCain told reporters Thursday afternoon. "We should explore all options in proceeding with [a] viable commercial development plan if DHL ceases operation."
After the press conference, McCain greeted 150 DHL employees, some whom were holding protest signs.
Democrats have called on McCain to use his past links to the company to help save the thousands of jobs at stake.
The Washington Post, citing lobbying records, reported in June that Davis' lobbying firm earned $125,000 from Airborne in 2003 and $465,000 from DHL between 2003 and 2005.
The Post also reported that McCain helped to overcome opposition to the deal by Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who objected to foreign control of an American shipping company. McCain blocked an effort by Stevens to prohibit the foreign-controlled company from holding U.S. military contracts, the newspaper reported.
McCain's trip will not be the first time he has answered questions about the DHL plant closing. Mary Houghtaling, a Wilmington resident, asked McCain to investigate the park closing at a town hall meeting in Portsmouth, Ohio, on July 9.
"I have been briefed and read about the situation and the enormous dislocation, I believe it's 8,600 jobs," McCain told her. "This is a terrible blow."
But McCain wasn't optimistic the plant could be saved and took several minutes to promote his plans for job retraining programs.
"I got to look you in the eye and give you straight talk," he said. "I don't know if I can stop it or not; or if it will be stopped, so I have to tell you that. It's some straight talk. In fact, some more straight talk: I doubt it. OK? But I am for a thorough examination of this situation, and I will do everything I can to see that that's conducted."
The Ohio Democratic Party launched a Web ad Thursday highlighting those comments. The ad accuses McCain and Davis of having "played roles in the fate of DHL Express and its Ohio air park as far back as 2003."
The Ohio AFL-CIO also blasted McCain for helping the Airborne-DHL merger get through.
"Those jobs are on the chopping block because Sen. McCain and his campaign were involved in a deal that resulted in control of those positions being shifted to a foreign corporation, and there's no getting around that," Joe Rugola, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, told The Associated Press.
McCane: "Your plant is closing and some of my people are responsible for it, but let's talk about it."
If he was in Texas, I couldn't see that ending well.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITI...olitics&iref=polticker
(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain made a stop Thursday in Wilmington, Ohio, discussing job losses that could result from closing the local DHL shipping center.
McCain didn't answer any questions from reporters over reports that his own campaign manager lobbied for the corporate merger that led to the plant's proposed closure.
The campaign manager, Rick Davis, lobbied the Senate in 2003 to approve the merger of Airborne Express with German-based DHL, according to news reports.
DHL announced in May that it planned to close the plant to cut costs. The company reached an agreement with United Parcel Service to have its packages flown on UPS planes. Those packages would go though a nearby airport in Lexington, Kentucky, the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper reported Wednesday.
City officials told the Plain Dealer that the closure of the plant could mean the loss of more than 8,000 jobs.
"I am deeply troubled by the specter of job loss ... in the town of Wilmington ..." McCain told reporters Thursday afternoon. "We should explore all options in proceeding with [a] viable commercial development plan if DHL ceases operation."
After the press conference, McCain greeted 150 DHL employees, some whom were holding protest signs.
Democrats have called on McCain to use his past links to the company to help save the thousands of jobs at stake.
The Washington Post, citing lobbying records, reported in June that Davis' lobbying firm earned $125,000 from Airborne in 2003 and $465,000 from DHL between 2003 and 2005.
The Post also reported that McCain helped to overcome opposition to the deal by Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who objected to foreign control of an American shipping company. McCain blocked an effort by Stevens to prohibit the foreign-controlled company from holding U.S. military contracts, the newspaper reported.
McCain's trip will not be the first time he has answered questions about the DHL plant closing. Mary Houghtaling, a Wilmington resident, asked McCain to investigate the park closing at a town hall meeting in Portsmouth, Ohio, on July 9.
"I have been briefed and read about the situation and the enormous dislocation, I believe it's 8,600 jobs," McCain told her. "This is a terrible blow."
But McCain wasn't optimistic the plant could be saved and took several minutes to promote his plans for job retraining programs.
"I got to look you in the eye and give you straight talk," he said. "I don't know if I can stop it or not; or if it will be stopped, so I have to tell you that. It's some straight talk. In fact, some more straight talk: I doubt it. OK? But I am for a thorough examination of this situation, and I will do everything I can to see that that's conducted."
The Ohio Democratic Party launched a Web ad Thursday highlighting those comments. The ad accuses McCain and Davis of having "played roles in the fate of DHL Express and its Ohio air park as far back as 2003."
The Ohio AFL-CIO also blasted McCain for helping the Airborne-DHL merger get through.
"Those jobs are on the chopping block because Sen. McCain and his campaign were involved in a deal that resulted in control of those positions being shifted to a foreign corporation, and there's no getting around that," Joe Rugola, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, told The Associated Press.
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