By Debby Woodin

dwoodin@joplinglobe.com

State and U.S. political figures reached out to their party faithful Thursday in Joplin stops aimed at reinforcing the messages of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.

On Thursday, Obama’s Joplin-area campaign had the help of state Rep. J.C. Kuessner, a third-term Democrat from Eminence, to help stump for support.

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma visited Joplin on behalf of McCain to reinforce the GOP’s anti-abortion platform at LifeChoices, 531 E. Seventh St., and later at a rally at Joplin’s Republican headquarters, 2639 E. 32nd St.

Coburn also wanted to assure local Republicans that McCain has views consistent with conservatives. He cited the “Saddleback debate” over the weekend in California. In that session, evangelist Rick Warren questioned McCain and Obama separately at his Saddleback Church.

One local Republican, Sandi McReynolds, of Carl Junction, said that forum cleared up many of her concerns about McCain.

“I was very pleased with what I heard, and I came today with a whole different perspective on McCain,” she said. She said she also has more confidence in McCain because of Coburn’s endorsement of him.

McCain understands the values and work of anti-abortion supporters and programs like LifeChoices, which provides reproductive-health services and alternatives to abortion, Coburn said.

“He understands the importance of having a moral republic and not just a republic,” he said.

Earlier at the Democratic gathering, David Stewart, of Joplin, was one of the voters who showed up to hear Kuessner talk for the Obama campaign at a roundtable staged at Columbia Traders deli, 420 S. Main St.

Kuessner, who serves on the health-care and transportation committees in the Missouri House, said many of the issues in this year’s presidential campaign involve the effects of Republican policies on rural America.

Effects of the Iraq war on the economy and veterans, health-care and insurance issues, education, and the condition of highways are among the issues in the campaign, Kuessner said.

Stewart wanted to know Obama’s views on several of those issues.

“I wanted to find out about health care for veterans, health care for the old, and how they’re going to get their medicine,” he said.