SPARKS, NV — Sen. McCain took the “enthusiasm gap” head on Tuesday as he faced a question from a skeptical conservative voter at a Silver State town hall meeting.

“I’m a conservative and I have to say I think I speak for a lot of conservatives that I am not very excited about this election. And I think there is a lot of us that are voting against Obama more than anything else,” said Nevada resident Doug Englekirk, as he began to address McCain. Recent polls show that Democrats are significantly more engaged and excited about voting in November than Republicans and McCain has had more difficulty than ‘43 in riling up his base voters.

“Over the last number of years, there has been a lot of stuff I have disagreed with you on and I would like to know how you can assure me and other conservatives that you are going to hold to our values and give us something to be excited about so you aren’t the underdog,” Englekirk added, pointing out that he disagrees with McCain on global warming, drilling in ANWR, campaign finance reform and the “Gang of 14.”

McCain defended himself as an “unabashed conservative,” noting his fight against the GOP on spending and also attempted to assuage the voter’s concerns on the Gang of 14 and global warming.

“We have former members of Congress now residing in federal prison because we Republicans let spending get completely out of control. We betrayed our base when we started in on this pork barrel spending and let the spending increase,” he said. “I stood up and fought against the leaders of our party on that issue I wish I had been more successful. So I am very proud of my record of being a conservative and I am a conservative and I am and unabashed conservative. But I also believe that I am in the keeping of the tradition of one Ronald Reagan.”

McCain also noted that he believes that disagreements within the party are positive.

“It is healthy for us to have disagreements. It is healthy for us to have these discussions,” he said. “We have got to join together and put our country first that is why i want to be president of the United States.”

More McCain:

On the Gang of 14: “There was going to be an attempt that they called the nuclear option to blow up the Senate that would only require 51 votes in order to confirm a judge. I thought that was wrong because I believe the United States Senate preserving the 60 vote majority makes the Senate unique from the House of Representatives. Seven Republicans, seven Democrats sat down together and we agreed that we wouldn’t filibuster a judge unless there was quote, ’special circumstances’…you will have to find me a Republican senator today now that we are not in the majority who would support the so-called nuclear option. The Gang of 14 got em through. The Gang of 14 was the one that preserved one of the fundamental operating principles of the United States Senate.”

On Global Warming: “I have to tell you that in all due respect climate change is real, it is taking place and the question is is how do we address it. And I would say to you just on that issue, suppose that I am wrong and we adopt green technologies, nuclear power, wind, tide, solar, and all of those things necessary to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions and I am wrong–there is no such thing as climate change–all we have done is give our kids a cleaner planet. But suppose that I am right and we do nothing and then what kind of a planet are we going to hand off to our kids and our grand kids?”

During his press conference in Jersey City today, Sen. McCain indicated that he is on the verge of getting behind the Lieberman-Warner climate change legislation:

“I’m pleased in negotiations and discussion with Senator Lieberman that there will be a far more important nuclear component of this legislation that’s going to be coming to the floor. I hope that it will be passed and I hope that the entire Congress will join in supporting it and the President of the United States would sign it,” McCain said, also taking a shot at his Democratic opponents as he added that, “Senator Lieberman and I brought the issue to the floor of the Senate long before Senator Obama or Senator Clinton had any involvement with it whatsoever.”

The presumptive GOP nominee may risk some heat from business groups like the US Chamber of Commerce, which currently opposes the legislation.

McCain, who will be rolling out his energy and environment policy next week during events in Oregon and Washington state, also said Friday that he will make comprehensive global climate change pact a priority.

“As president, I will dedicate myself to addressing the issue of climate change globally. I will work as my highest priority to have a global agreement that includes India and China,” he added.