WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT THE "IT'S TIME FOR ACTION TOUR" DAY THREE

"John McCain continues this week to go where few Republican candidates have gone before, to draw attention to communities that are struggling." -- Fox News' Brit Hume (Fox News' "Special Report With Brit Hume," 4/23/08)

The Lexington Herald Leader: "It Was An Unlikely Setting For Republican Presidential Hopeful John McCain To Campaign In Wednesday." "It was an unlikely setting for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain John McCain -Search using: to campaign in Wednesday: the tiny coal-mining town of Inez, where there are only three stoplights and a few hundred residents and you can count the number of fast-food restaurants on one hand." (Cassondra Kirby, "'I Will Not Forget,'" The Lexington Herald Leader, 4/24/08)

McCain Will Come Back To Inez:
The Washington Post: "Unlike The Other National Politicians Who Have Come To Appalachia Once, Never To Return, McCain Insisted He Would Come Back." "And unlike the other national politicians who have come to Appalachia once, never to return, McCain insisted he would come back to town if he becomes president. 'I will not make this my last visit to Inez,' he said, sparking another round of applause." (Juliet Eilperin, "In Johnson's Footsteps, McCain Finds Republicans," The Washington Post's "Trail" Blog, 4/23/08)

McCain "Greeted With Whoops And Cheers":
The Washington Post: "He Was Greeted With Whoops And Cheers By A Crowd In The Courthouse As He Pledged To Return To Inez If He Becomes President." (Juliet Eilperin And Michael D. Shear, "For McCain: Different Place, Same Message," The Washington Post, 4/24/08)

The Lexington Herald Leader: "In Inez, It Appeared The Whole Town Had Turned Out To See McCain." "In Inez, it appeared the whole town had turned out to see McCain. Hundreds lined Main Street outside the old stone courthouse to catch a glimpse of him. They included war veterans in uniform, mothers with children clinging to them and coal miners current and retired." (Cassondra Kirby, "'I Will Not Forget,'" The Lexington Herald Leader, 4/24/08)

· The Lexington Herald Leader: Town Hall Meeting "Was Standing Room Only." "Inside the courthouse, there was standing room only, as more than 450 people filed in to participate in the town hall meeting." (Cassondra Kirby, "'I Will Not Forget,'" The Lexington Herald Leader, 4/24/08)

Louisville Courier-Journal: "For Martin County ... The Visit Was Important." "For Martin County, which is about 3-to-1 Republican, the visit was important. Main Street was shut off to traffic for most of the morning, and a number of businesses left their doors locked so employees could hear McCain." (Joseph Gerth, "McCain Visits Inez, Focuses On Economy, Taxes," Louisville Courier-Journal, 4/24/08)

McClatchy: Inez Crowd "Greeted McCain Rapturously." "The crowd of several hundred -- in a town with fewer than 500 residents -- greeted McCain rapturously, with several standing ovations as he delivered a speech and held a town-hall meeting in an old county courthouse." (Matt Stearns, "McCain Visits Poor Kentucky Town To Slam Big Government," McClatchy, 4/23/08)

The Washington Post: McCain "Greeted With Whoops And Cheers By A Crowd In A Packed Courthouse." "Greeted with whoops and cheers by a crowd in a packed courthouse here this morning, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) pledged to help small rural communities that have been largely overlooked by national politicians." (Juliet Eilperin, "In Johnson's Footsteps, McCain Finds Republicans," The Washington Post's "Trail" Blog, 4/23/08)

CBS News: "Standing Ovation" For Defense Against "Bitter" Comments. "While John McCain courted the rural vote in Inez, Kentucky today, a local leader got a standing ovation for defending his constituents against Barack Obama's comments that were taken to mean that small town people are 'bitter.'" (Dante Higgins, "Obama's 'Bitter' Comment Comes Up During McCain Event In Kentucky," CBS News' "From The Road" Blog, 4/23/08)

Los Angeles Times: McCain "Warmly Received" In Inez. "The several hundred people who lined Inez's main street, a thoroughfare of mostly closed shops, warmly received McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee." (Maeve Reston, "McCain Talks Poverty In Appalachia," Los Angeles Times, 4/24/08)

Local Voices On John McCain's Visit:
Democrat And McCain Supporter Martin County Judge-Executive Kelly Callaham: "This Is Huge." (Joseph Gerth, "McCain Visits Inez, Focuses On Economy, Taxes," Louisville Courier-Journal, 4/24/08)

Democrat Martin County Magistrate Greta Ward: "Oh, I Just Loved Him, He Gave All The Right Answers." "Afterward, at least one Democrat in what appeared to be a majority Republican crowd said she liked what she heard. 'Oh, I just loved him, he gave all the right answers,' said Greta Ward, 39, a Martin County magistrate..." (Elisabeth Bumiller, "McCain Says Government Isn't Poverty's Sole Solution," The New York Times, 4/24/08)

Retired Coal Miner Virgil Fletcher: "I think it's important not to forget about the people of Eastern Kentucky. ... I think McCain shows that he cares and I think he will do things to help this area. It's a bad time here. People are struggling to live." (Cassondra Kirby, "'I Will Not Forget,'" The Lexington Herald Leader, 4/24/08)

Support For John McCain's Economic Message:
The New York Times: "McCain Distinguished Himself From Johnson As A Republican Who Would Not Turn Solely To Government For Solutions To Poverty." "In his formal remarks, Mr. McCain distinguished himself from Johnson as a Republican who would not turn solely to government for solutions to poverty." (Elisabeth Bumiller, "McCain Says Government Isn't Poverty's Sole Solution," The New York Times, 4/24/08)

McClatchy: "In The Heart Of Appalachia ... McCain Told Voters Wednesday That The Government Couldn't Solve All Their Problems." "In the heart of Appalachia, in the town where Lyndon Johnson declared the war on poverty but where poverty still reigns, John McCain told voters Wednesday that the government couldn't solve all their problems." (Matt Stearns, "McCain Visits Poor Kentucky Town To Slam Big Government," McClatchy, 4/23/08)

· Inez First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Tony Skeans: "Mountain People Are Proud People, And We Like To Take Care Of Our Business. ... We Want The Federal Government To Help Us The Best It Can, But We Don't Want It To Tell Us What To Do With Our Guns Or Our Religion." (Juliet Eilperin, "In Johnson's Footsteps, McCain Finds Republicans," The Washington Post's "Trail" Blog, 4/23/08)

· Inez Community Center Carolea Mills: Government Should "Not Give Us Things, But Give Us Tools." "Carolea Mills, executive director of an Inez community center, said after McCain's talk that government should 'not give us things, but give us tools,' particularly educational opportunities." (David Jackson, "McCain Follows LBJ Footsteps To Talk Economics," USA Today, 4/24/08)

· McClatchy: Irene McCoy "Agrees With McCain That Now The Area's Biggest Need Is More Money For Job-Training Education." "Irene McCoy works at a Wal-Mart with her daughter. Her son works in a coal mine. 'It's a hard way to go around here. We're just poor folks,' she said. Yet in many ways the area has changed since Johnson visited in 1964, Packett said. 'It's a lot better than it was. A lot of people didn't have electricity or indoor plumbing. Now they might be in trailers or double-wides, but they're better off. There has been progress.' He said LBJ's big government aid was helpful in its day, but he agrees with McCain that now the area's biggest need is more money for job-training education." (Matt Stearns, "McCain Visits Poor Kentucky Town To Slam Big Government," McClatchy, 4/23/08)

In The Headlines:
The Lexington Herald Leader: "'I Will Not Forget'"(Cassondra Kirby, "'I Will Not Forget,'" The Lexington Herald Leader, 4/24/08)

Los Angeles Times: "McCain Talks Poverty In Appalachia"(Maeve Reston, "McCain Talks Poverty In Appalachia," Los Angeles Times, 4/24/08)

Louisville Courier-Journal: "McCain Visits Inez, Focuses On Economy, Taxes" (Joseph Gerth, "McCain Visits Inez, Focuses On Economy, Taxes," Louisville Courier-Journal, 4/24/08)

McClatchy: "McCain Visits Poor Kentucky Town To Slam Big Government"(Matt Stearns, "McCain Visits Poor Kentucky Town To Slam Big Government," McClatchy, 4/23/08)

The New York Times: "McCain Says Government Isn't Poverty's Sole Solution" (Elisabeth Bumiller, "McCain Says Government Isn't Poverty's Sole Solution," The New York Times, 4/24/08)
Politico: "McCain Takes Tour To Appalachia" (Jonathan Martin, "McCain Takes Tour To Appalachia," Politico, 4/23/08)

USA Today: "McCain Follows LBJ Footsteps To Talk Economics" (David Jackson, "McCain Follows LBJ Footsteps To Talk Economics," USA Today, 4/24/08)