MOON TOWNSHIP, PA — As he traveled westward across Pennsylvania Tuesday, John McCain followed Tip O’Neil’s mantra that “all politics is local.”

The plan: Begin the day with an appeal to local baseball fans at a rally outside Philadelphia, make his economic pitch in Harrisburg and finish off at a rally outside Pittsburgh with a shot at controversial comments the local Democratic Congressman, John Murtha, made recently labeling western Pennsylvania a “racist area.”

As McCain was concluding the day he hit a slight snag as he botched his attack line by accidentally saying he agreed with Murtha–drawing silence from the more than 2,000 supporters in attendance– but sought to recover by heaping the praise on and labeling it the “most patriotic part of America.”

“You know, I think you may have noticed that Senator Obama’s supporters have been saying some pretty nasty things about western Pennsylvania lately,” McCain said. “And you know, I couldn’t agree with them more. I couldn’t disagree with you. I couldn’t agree with you more than the fact that western Pennsylvania is the most patriotic, most God-loving, most patriotic part of America, and this is a great part of the country.” (video above)

Murtha told a local Pennsylvania news outlet last week that there is “no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area.” Making things worse, when he tried to correct himself in a subsequent interview, Murtha referred to the region’s residents as “rednecks.”

For his part, McCain recovered from initially stepping on his line to take aim at what he says is the underlying problem with the Democrats: they say “different things to different people.”

“I’ll give some of Senator Obama’s supporters some credit, at least they’re saying these things openly instead of behind closed doors at a San Francisco fundraiser,” he said refering to Obama’s spring comments that some Pennsylvanians cling to guns and religion because they are bitter. “My friends, the people of western Pennsylvania love their second amendment their amendment rights, their constitutional rights and their religion because they love their country and their love they values and they love their families and they believe in the future of this country. That’s what the people of western Pennsylvania are all about.”

LAS CRUCES, NM - Sen. McCain returned fire on his Democratic rival Wednesday after Barack Obama accused him of questioning his patriotism.

Speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars conference in Orlando Tuesday, Obama accused McCain of using a “laundry list of political attacks,” including his devotion to the country.

“I believe the American people are better than that. I believe that this defining moment demands something more of us,” Obama said. “I will let no one question my love for this country.”

McCain, who has made the motto “country first” a central theme of his campaign and has previously accused Obama of putting politics above the national interest, responded today that it is not Obama’s patriotism but his judgment that he is criticizing.

“Yesterday Senator Obama got a little testy on this issue. He said that I am questioning his patriotism. Let me be very clear: I am not questioning his patriotism. I am questioning his judgment. I am questioning his judgment,” McCain told about 400 town hall goers in southeastern New Mexico.

The presumptive GOP nominee also slammed Obama for opposing the surge in Iraq and maintaining his position about the need to begin withdrawing from Iraq as soon as he takes office.

“Senator Obama has made it clear that he values withdrawal from Iraq above victory in Iraq, even today with victory in sight. Over and over again, he has advocated unconditional withdrawal - regardless of the facts on the ground. And he voted against funding for troops in combat, after he said it would be wrong to do so,” he said. “He has made these decisions not because he doesn’t love America, but because he doesn’t think it matters whether America wins or loses.”

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Bonney Kapp and I turned our cameras around on ourselves recently to provide a behind the scenes look at life on the campaign trail covering Sens. McCain and Obama. In short, great access and a front row seat to the election coupled with little sleep and a hectic travel schedule. It aired Saturday night during Fox News’ “The Y Factor” youth voting special.

See you on the campaign trail…