McCain campaign ready to bus Mass. residents to NH campaign event

Hoping to increase the crowd size for a campaign kick-off event in Manchester next week, US Senator John McCain's presidential campaign sent an e-mail to supporters in Massachusetts offering to provide round-trip bus transportation.

The e-mail, sent yesterday, encourages recipients to "represent the Bay State" at the New Hampshire rally.

One of the favorite political pastimes in New Hampshire is to point out the number of out-of-state vehicles at political opponents' events. They do this as a way of implying the candidate doesn't have as much support among those who vote in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary as it may look by judging crowd size.

McCain's New Hampshire spokeswoman confirmed the e-mail came from the campaign.

“The Senator enjoys tremendous support throughout New England, and we’re encouraging anyone who is interested in electing an experienced and consistent leader like John McCain to come to New Hampshire to help us kick off his campaign for President of the United States,” said McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker.

McCain will be in the state Wednesday to hold an event in Portsmouth as well as Manchester.