McCain's brother to lead rally at LU

John McCain’s brother Joe McCain will lead a public rally at Liberty University on Friday, Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. announced to students during the school’s convocation Wednesday.

Falwell also announced an unprecedented push at the school to distribute thousands of voter registration forms to students, both in the dorms and in the classrooms.

He said students have the potential to influence a tight presidential race in which Virginia is considered a key state.

“We only encourage you to educate yourself on the issues, and vote your conscience,” Falwell told students.

Joe McCain is scheduled to speak briefly at Friday’s convocation service at 10 a.m. at the Vines Center, said Liberty spokesman Johnnie Moore.

McCain then will head to Roanoke for a campaign stop, and return to Lynchburg for a 2 p.m. rally from the campaign’s “Victory Bus” in front of the Vines Center.

Both LU events are open to the public, Moore said.

The school’s chapter of College Republicans helped organize details of the appearances.

“It’s just to get people excited, and get people pumped up for the campaign season,” said Claire Ayendi, chair of the group.

McCain is scheduled to speak briefly at the rally. Then students from the College Republicans will call local voters and talk about campaign issues.

Joe McCain recently spoke in Loudoun County and at the Republican National Convention. Like his brother, he is a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War.

Falwell said that once plans for the campaign stop were finalized, the college also invited Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to hold an event at the school.

That campaign declined, he said.

Under election law, he said, since the school will host a member of the McCain campaign, it also is obligated to invite the opposing campaign to campus.

John McCain previously visited in 2006 to give Liberty’s graduation address. That was almost a year before he formally announced his second run for the presidency.

Joe McCain’s visit comes three weeks after Obama’s campaign stop at E.C. Glass High School. During that event, Liberty blocked access to The Plaza, which it owns, for parking.

Falwell has said that providing free parking could have jeopardized the school’s status as a 501(c)(3) organization, a designation that prohibits partisanship.

Parking isn’t the same kind of issue with Friday’s campaign event, Falwell said, because the school has met IRS regulations by extending an offer to the Obama campaign to come to LU.

Falwell has publicly stated his personal support for McCain, but reiterated Wednesday after convocation that it is a personal decision and not one that represents the university. He instead urged students to get informed about the issues and vote locally.

He announced that the school will distribute thousands of voter registration forms in classes and dorms starting later this week. The school also will cancel classes on Election Day, provide buses to the polls and host an election results party from the Vines Center.

“Groups on campus have done voter registration in the past,” Falwell said, “but I can’t remember a campus-wide voter registration drive in the past.”

In addition to getting their voices heard in the presidential race, Falwell said, students also have the potential to influence local politics and bring to the forefront issues concerning the college.

“Only student voters can give us that voice,” Falwell said.