McCain: too old and too conservative

Students to McCain: Too old to be prez?

By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press

An unflinching John McCain was told Tuesday by New Hampshire high school students he might be too old to be president and too conservative to be respected. McCain, the Arizona senator whose presidential bid has stumbled through the summer, countered the Concord High School students with humor.

"Thanks for the question, you little jerk," McCain joked back to one student who asked the 71-year-old about his age. "You're drafted."

McCain's two-day trip to New Hampshire launches his fall campaign for the GOP nomination. During a morning visit with students, he explained why he was not shrinking from his support for a temporary increase of troops in Iraq and why students should pay attention.

"If this war continues much longer, there will be people in this audience who will serve in the military, who also may be going over there (in Iraq) or to Afghanistan," McCain told the high school students.

He said the students should watch the upcoming report on Iraq from Gen. David Petraeus.

"It may be a seminal debate. It may be one of the most important debates in history and it may directly affect your lives," he warned. "He's going to say: Whether it was or was not in the beginning, if we lose Iraq, it will be part of this struggle against radical, Islamic extremism because al-Qaida will take over and the area will deteriorate into chaos and destruction."

But during a town hall-style meeting, students were more interested in pushing McCain on the environment, his support for gay rights and even his age.

(The article is here.)