By Adam Allington, KWMU
Chesterfield, MO – Republican presidential hopeful Senator John McCain made a brief campaign stop in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield on Friday
Speaking in an airplane hanger at Spirit of St. Louis Airport, McCain got right to the point.
The Arizona Senator expressed frustration in the current administration's lack of fiscal restraint.
He also stressed the importance of passing the current economic stimulus package and holding fast in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"But if we had done what Senator Clinton and Senator Obama want done, I guarantee you that Al Qaeda would be trumpeting that they defeated the United States of America and we would be back with greater sacrifice than before."
As the narrow front-runner among Republican candidates, McCain reminded the audience that some of his positions, such as sending more troops to Iraq were not always so popular.
"And in the darkest days, when everyone said for supporting this strategy his political career is finished. I said at that time, 'I would much rather lose a campaign than lose a war.'"
The Arizona senator has picked up several key endorsements recently including Rudy Giuliani, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Missouri Senator John Danforth.
A recent poll by the St. Louis Post Dispatch showed McCain as the front-runner among Missouri Republicans ahead of Tuesday's primary election.