INDIANAPOLIS — Senator John McCain brought his campaign for president to Indiana for the first time this year, holding a town hall meeting in downtown Indianapolis. He used the occasion to criticize both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for their stand on the issues.

McCain started the town hall meeting by discussing foreign policy, including the war in Iraq. He said Senators Obama and Clinton were wrong when they said the surge wouldn't work.

“My friends, we're succeeding, we are succeeding there,” Sen. McCain said. “And if you forget everything I mention to you, Al-Qaeda is on the run, but they're not defeated. There's still some long hard work to do, we've made a lot of sacrifice.”

Most of the questions McCain received from the audience were on domestic issues, including health care. That's another issue where he differs from the Democrats.

“We want to put the decision in the hands of every family,” Sen. McCain said. “I'm not going to mandate every American have health insurance, but I'm going to make it more affordable and available.”

He also stressed the need for immigration reform, but not without securing the borders first.

"We've got to assure people that whatever action we take in the way of a temporary worker program and addressing the people who are here illegally that the borders are secure," Sen. McCain said. "Only the federal government can adequately secure the borders, we know that. Only the federal government can carry out that responsibility."

McCain acknowledged the economy is hurting, but said there are companies out there making strides. He said he would help displaced workers through better education and training programs.

“The education and training programs for displaced workers do not work,” he said. “They are programs, there are a half dozen of them, they were designed for an economic downturn where somebody lost their jobs and then the economy got better and they got their old jobs back.”

Gov. Mitch Daniels, a McCain supporter, said Indiana's economy is doing well.

“Indiana has the lowest unemployment in six years,” said Gov. Daniels. “The lowest in the Midwest. We've been described as an island of growth.”

McCain said he would not answer questions relating to the New York Times article linking him romantically to a Washington lobbyist.

But he did defend his hiring of lobbyists as key advisers in his campaign.

“It's not whether the individuals, many of whom who are very honorable, it's whether a system or people have violated the trust of the people of the people as the representatives,” McCain told reporters. “I'm proud of the record of many of my advisers.”

After taking questions from the media, the senator went to a fundraiser at the Conrad Hotel in Indianapolis, before moving on to the rest of his long campaign.

For more election stories, voter resources, and cool tools, visit WSBT.com's Campaign '08 section.