[img_assist|nid=438|title=McCain's campaign sign in Portsmouth|desc=Politicker Photo|link=none|align=left|width=420|height=204]PORTSMOUTH - John McCain was in Ohio only two weeks ago but came yesterday with a revised approach to his trademark town hall meetings, giving a prepared speech and sticking mostly to this week's economic theme. However, the town hall was not without tough questions, which McCain took head-on.

McCain focused on his campaign's economic message of the week, first reading prepared remarks from an inconspicuous podium that stood barely waist-high on the stage. Senior McCain advisor Mark Salter paced at one end of the gymnasium as he watched McCain's delivery, which has been under renewed focus after of his struggles to read from a teleprompter and criticism that his campaign lacks a disciplined, day-to-day message.

The 1,200-strong event was bigger, louder and more supportive of McCain than his previous town hall meeting with undecided voters in Cincinnati.

Portsmouth is the largest city in Scioto County, typically a swing county in presidential elections. President Bush won the county with 52 percent of the vote in 2004 and 50 percent in 2000. Previously, Bill Clinton won the county twice. However, Barack Obama did worst in Scioto than any other county during the Democratic primary, receiving 16 percent of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 81 percent.

The single most-notable moment of the town hall meeting occurred when a choked-up woman asked McCain if he would consider Senate hearings to investigate a possible anti-trust violation in the DHL-UPS merger that will result in the elimination of more than 6,000 jobs from Wilmington - impacting most of southern Ohio.

After McCain told the woman he would look into anti-trust violations, he said it's unlikely he could do anything to stop the DHL job cuts.

"I've got to look you in the eye and give you straight talk: I don't know if I can stop it or not, or if it will be stopped. In fact some more straight talk: I doubt it. Ok? But I am for a throughout examination of this situation," McCain said.

McCain reiterated his call to change job retraining programs because those that exist now are "total failures."

McCain said new job retraining programs should subsidize workers to make up for the income disparity between their new, lower paying jobs and their old, higher paying jobs while they undergo retraining. Job retraining should be done at local community colleges and universities, McCain said.

Another woman made her case against nuclear energy, claiming her father died of cancer after working at a uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, near Portsmouth. McCain defended expanding nuclear power as part of his energy plan by saying its safe, evidenced by decades of nuclear-powered Navy ships sailing into foreign ports. Conventional carbon-based fuels are also dangerous, McCain said.

"I know there are other ways of obtaining energy in America which are also harmful to our health. I believe that greenhouse gas emissions ... [are] also a danger. I believe climate change is real and I believe that that pollution is having harmful effects on our planet and our future," McCain said.

McCain attacked Obama in his opening remarks for standing in the way of progress on energy, by saying "no" to more oil production, nuclear power and research prizes for electric car innovation.

"For a guy whose ‘official seal' carried the motto, ‘Yes, we can,' Senator Obama's agenda sure has a whole lot of ‘No, we can't,'" McCain said.

McCain was asked by one audience member when he would tell people, once and for all, that he isn't running for President Bush's third term - a favorite line of attack by Democrats. McCain said he respects Bush and agrees with him on some issues, but the country needs to move beyond him.

"I believe it is it time for change in America. It's the right change, not the wrong change," McCain said, adding that he would end pork-barrel spending that wastes tax dollars and corrupts congressmen. McCain also reminded audience members about his early criticisms of Bush's Iraq policy, saying that he was called a "disloyal" Republican for telling the administration it needed to change strategy.

McCain brought the audience to rise to its feet with applause when he said the first way to support strengthening families is by having "respect for human life, both born and unborn."