TYLER, Texas — Sen. John McCain took his presidential campaign to the Lone Star State, telling Texans he wanted more for military veterans.

McCain, R-Ariz.., visited the Tyler Rose Garden Center Wednesday to outline his vision for the country. He also took time to share a few laughs with attendees.

“We (Texas and Arizona) have many issues in common. Among them is there is not an abundance of water,” McCain said. “In fact, California has stolen our water. We have so little water in Arizona, the trees chase the dogs.”

McCain spoke on issues ranging from taxes, terrorism and the troop surge in Iraq. The Arizona senator also touched upon several topics of importance to Texas.



Veterans' healthcare

McCain spoke with pride about U.S. military veterans — young and old. He said they have performed a wonderful service to this country. But, he said, they have not been adequately rewarded for their services.

“Veterans' healthcare is not what our veterans have earned and deserve,” McCain said. “There’s a card that I carry around with me quite often that’s a quote from George Washington in 1789 and basically it says: ‘The ability for us to motivate young Americans to serve their country in conflicts is directly related to how the veterans of previous wars were treated and appreciated by their country.’ George Washington was right in 1789, and he’s right today.”

Only two states are more heavily populated by veterans than Texas. A new study published late last year in the American Journal of Public Health revealed nearly 1.8 million veterans could not get care in a veterans’ facility. A scarcity of VA facilities and long waiting lists at many facilities are among the reasons veterans have had difficulty accessing care, according to the study.

“Many of our veterans here will tell you that, quite often, they have to drive for an hour or two to go to the VA to stand in line ... stand in line and get an appointment to get an appointment,” McCain said. “What I want to do is give every veteran a plastic card and the next time they have a routine healthcare need, they take it to the doctor or the provider of their choice and they get the treatment they need.”

McCain noted that, because of new innovations in battlefield medical care, more soldiers are surviving war injuries than ever before. But, he said, higher-quality care will be needed to help soldiers recover from — and, in many cases, cope with — injuries.

“We’re going to have to expand the military medical care system as well as the VA system,” he said.



Strains on the Texas National Guard

McCain has been a consistent supporter of the Iraq war and an early proponent of the increase in U.S. troops many have credited with the reduction in violence there. But, he acknowledged the war has been a burden on the National Guard.

“I know you’re incredibly proud of the Texas Guard and Reserve and the magnificent job that they have done. Never in history has the National Guard done as much as this National Guard has throughout our nation (during the Iraq war),” McCain said.

Texas is among the top five states with the most Army National Guard and Army Reserve forces in Iraq.

“We need to expand the Army and Marine Corps and the rest of the military in order to relieve this heavy strain on the guardsmen and their families,” McCain said.



Border security

Many Texans are concerned about the influx of illegal immigrants to the United States. More than 1.4 million illegal immigrants live in Texas, according to estimates.

McCain said he understands the issue as a border-state senator. He pledged to curtail the problem if elected president.

“As president, I will have the border-state governors certify the borders are secure. Then, for temporary workers, we have to have tamper-proof, biometric documents,” McCain said. “Anyone who hires someone who doesn’t have those ... is going to have to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

But, McCain — who supported a defeated bill in Congress last summer that would have given millions of illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship — continued to advocate dealing with the issue in what he called “a humane fashion.”

“There is a young [soldier] who is missing in Iraq; his wife was in this country illegally,” McCain said. “We’re not going to deport that young man’s wife; that’s just not the nation that we are.”

McCain did, however, say that any illegal immigrant who commits a crime while in the United States should be deported.



A final plea

In spite of issues such as illegal immigration — on which he has many points of conflict with conservatives — McCain said Republicans should support him this November because he will always stand by his principles.

“I need your vote; I need your support. I believe I can lead America. I know I have the experience and the judgment, but without your help, I can’t do it,” McCain said. “I commit to you — as president of the United States — we may disagree from time to time, but I’ll always do what I think is right and in the best interest of this country.”



Raymond Billy, Jacksonville (Texas) Daily Progress, rbilly@jacksonvilleprogress.com