Republican contender to speak about president's bully pulpit

Republican presidential hopeful and U.S. Sen. John McCain will spend an hour tonight with College of Charleston students talking about his campaign in general and about presidential communication in particular.

McCain is the first presidential candidate to take the college up on an offer to appear at its Bully Pulpit Series on presidential communication.

His talk begins at 6:30 p.m. in Physicians Auditorium, but anyone who doesn't already have a ticket is out of luck. Students have received about 80 percent of the 500 available tickets, said Brian McGee, chairman of the school's Department of Communication.

McCain is expected to discuss his relationship with journalists, press conferences, and the president's power to persuade the public.

He is the first candidate to appear at the series, but he's not expected to be the last. "We are talking to several campaigns," McGee said.

The state's Democratic and Republican presidential primaries are Jan. 29 and Jan. 19, respectively, making them among the first in the nation.

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@post andcourier.com.