Published: March 30, 2008 11:38 pm      

McCain in Meridian today

The national spotlight will once again be on Meridian today as Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain speaks in Meridian at the MSU-Riley Center.

The speech will begin at 8:45 a.m., with doors opening an hour earlier. The event, which is open to the public, will take place in the historic theater, and "spill over" seating will be made available in the exhibit hall, where the speech will be broadcast live on two large screens.

McCain's visit comes a few weeks after former President Bill Clinton stumped in Meridian for his wife Hillary. Mississippi Democrats will gather in Meridian today across from the Riley Center before McCain's speech — part of the party's "Rally Against a Third Bush Term." There also will be a rally in Jackson.

McCain arrived in Meridian Sunday to take in the "Wings Over Meridian" air show, appearing at Naval Air Station Meridian's McCain Field, which is named after the Senator's grandfather. He attended a private dinner Sunday night where invitation-only seats reportedly went for $1,000 per person.

CNN and other networks began broadcasting from downtown Meridian on Sunday in anticipation of McCain's visit. The CBS Early Show anchor is scheduled to be at the Riley Center between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. to cover the event, which is part of a 6 city "biographical" tour for McCain, who lived in Lauderdale County for about 3 years in the 1960 when he was a flight instructor at NAS-Meridian.

Meridian is the first stop on McCain's "Service to America" biographical tour, in which he is visiting places that had been part of his military career. McCain wil also appear in Virginia, Maryland, Florida and Arizona as part of the tour.

Riley Center officials are urging residents planning to attend the McCain speech to park in the Arts District Parking Garage, where special event parking is available for $2. The garage opens at 7 a.m.