On Tuesday, July 29th, John McCain spent the day campaigning and raising money in northern Nevada. He began the day at a town hall meeting at Reed High School in Sparks, where he proclaimed his continuing support for nuclear waste and for "beat[ing] his own drum." He also discussed updating the federal Mining Law of 1872, however he declined to state whether or not he had voted for or against it at the time.
From Reed High School, in Sparks, he sped down US-395 to a gathering where invitees paid anywhere from $1,000 for lunch to $33,100 for special VIP tickets at a private Incline Village home along the shore of Lake Tahoe. As his motorcade raced down the road to collect the checks, he passed within a mile of the Veteran's Administration Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) Home. The VASNHCS provides both inpatient and outpatient care to veterans living in northern Nevada and parts of California. Eschewing an opportunity to visit with veterans and thank them for their service, McCain proceeding directly to his fundraising event in the resort town of Incline Village.
Although McCain's campaign had no comment as to why the Senator and presumptive Republican nominee would choose to snub the nation's veterans in Reno on Tuesday, observers speculated that McCain was probably hungry and may not have had time to grab a snack that morning. Awaiting him at Incline Village was a $1,000 per plate luncheon.
After the Incline Village reception, McCain proceeded to Denver, Colorado for an evening fundraiser which netted $3.2 million for his campaign coffers. While in Denver, McCain attended the fundraiser as well as a campaign event at a Caterpillar dealer in nearby Aurora on Wednesday. During his visit to the Centennial State, McCain continued his practice of refusing to visit with veterans when he declined to visit the Denver V.A. Medical Center. Instead he zipped off to Kansas City for yet another "finance reception."
Long time campaign observers have noted that McCain's refusal to meet with veteran's may weaken his own much-promoted credentials as a veteran. In fact, some believe that at some point, if the trend continues, McCain may even refuse to meet with himself, relying on surrogates and campaign staff to meet with veteran John McCain, while candidate John McCain continues to attend finance receptions and get rides in golf carts from ex-Presidents.