McCain to stump in Pensacola

John McCain, the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, will visit Pensacola on Wednesday for a speech and round-table discussion.

      The visit is part of Day 3 of McCain’s five-day “Service to America Tour,” which he kicked off Monday in Meridian, Miss.

      Shalimar resident and Medal of Honor recipient Bud Day will join McCain in Pensacola and take part in the discussion chronicling McCain’s life.

      “There will be a bunch of guys who have known him at different stages of his life,” Day said, describing the scheduled panel discussion. “There will be a couple, three POWs, including me, talking about his experience.”

      Day and McCain met in a Hanoi prison camp. Each saw the other recover from brutal injuries inflicted by their North Vietnamese captors. The respect Day has for McCain has made him a strong advocate during this year’s campaign.

      “My initial contact with him, he was so badly injured. It was a surprise either one of us made it,” Day recalled. “I was inspired by his courage and strong heart. He’s a patriotic guy well-suited to be president.”

      McCain is scheduled to speak at 3:30 p.m. at the Lou Ross Center at Pensacola Junior College. The event is free and open to the public.

      Day said McCain will probably limit his speech to a few opening remarks, then turn to more “off the cuff” comments about his ties to Northwest Florida.

      Okaloosa County Republicans were aware of McCain’s travel plans, but not all of them were planning to head to Pensacola. Some, particularly those who consider themselves “conservative Republicans,” are still a bit wary of McCain.Ron Webb, president of Okaloosa County’s Republican Club, said he’s known McCain well enough to have “pretty much heard all his campaign speeches.” He said he wouldn’t attend the Pensacola event.

      “He’ll draw a big crowd over there in Pensacola. He doesn’t need folks from over here to go,” he said.

      Conservative Republicans are “kind of holding our water” before throwing their unconditional support McCain’s way, Webb said.

      “What a lot of us are wanting for right now is him to pick a running mate,” Webb said. “We conservatives are hoping for him to pick a conservative.”

      The conservative vice presidential choice is Mitt Romney, the former candidate and Massachusetts governor, Webb said.

      “If he’d put Mitt on the ticket, he’d pick up a lot of donations in a hurry,” Webb said.

      Republican State Committeeman Steve Czonstka of Bluewater Bay is also looking for Romney to get on the Republican ticket.

      He said he’s going to Pensacola, though, to offer support, get information about the distribution of presidential campaign paraphernalia and, hopefully, find a way to have his conservative voice heard.

      “I figure he’s our man and we’ve gotta do what we’ve gotta do to support him,” Czonstka said. “Now I think it’s time to get behind him and try to influence, as much as we can, him as our president and our candidate.”

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John McCain is scheduled to speak at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Lou Ross Center at Pensacola Junior College. The event is free and open to the public.