McCain town hall gathering kicks off in York

YORK -- How do you get a John McCain crowd fired up in central Pennsylvania?

Bluegrass music, of course.

A band led by York County Republican Chairman Peck Foster led the crowd of several thousand Republican supporters in a rendition of "This Land is Your Land" as the town hall meeting in York began.

Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Platts was the first local lawmaker to address the crowd here, telling them that central Pennsylvania has played a critical role in the nation's history. The message was clear if not explicitly stated -- the center of the state will be essential once again for McCain if he wants to win Pennsylvania.

"This is a region of leadership, of service, that is what John McCain stands for, his entire life has been about serving this nation," Platts said.