South-central Minnesota was offered a taste Friday of John McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” with the Arizona senator providing an interview to The Free Press and four other state newspapers during his 22-minute drive from Oakdale to Hudson, Wis.

There was some straight talk — he opposes ethanol subsidies and farm subsidies in general. And there were campaign themes that have been heard from Republican presidential candidates before — he promised to balance the federal budget even while cutting taxes and continuing the Iraq war until victory is achieved.

But first comes Nov. 4, and McCain said the Upper Midwest will see plenty of him between now and election day.

“We know that Minnesota and Wisconsin will be battleground states,” he said. “We know we’ve got an uphill battle. We’ll work hard and campaign hard and make it very competitive.”

McCain and his wife Cindy climbed aboard the bus just after 9 a.m. after spending the night in the Oakdale Hilton Garden Inn. They’d been rallying Twin Cities volunteers Thursday night, and Friday’s schedule included an all-women town hall meeting in Hudson.

The time available on the bus ride was aimed at getting media coverage in Minnesota newspapers. After brief comments, McCain spent the rest of the trip taking questions at the circular table at the back of his bus — a hallmark of his media strategy during both of his presidential campaigns.

Farm policy

McCain promised to work to open world markets to American farmers, who he says can outperform competitors anywhere in the world. But he opposes current federal farm policy, including the recently passed farm bill that was widely praised by farm groups and Midwestern lawmakers.

“I don’t support agricultural subsidies no matter where they are,” he said. “... The farm bill, $300 billion, is something America simply can’t afford.”

McCain said he doesn’t want to see ethanol demonized for any role it has in raising food prices, but he continues his long-standing opposition to subsidies for the corn-based renewable fuel.

“Federal policy in my view should be to let the market work,” he said. “... I went to Iowa and said it, and I’ve said it consistently, I don’t support subsidies because I think it’s been proven that it distorts the market.”

Ethanol can play a role in reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil, but McCain said he would restrict federal support to boosting the use of flexible-fuel vehicles — those that can use both traditional fuel and high concentrations of alcohol fuels.

“I don’t think ethanol is evil. In fact, I think it’s part of the overall energy solution. But when you subsidize and distort the market, then you get unintended consequences as well as intended consequences. That’s the problem with ethanol today.”

Taxes and spending

McCain has a reputation as a deficit hawk, but he said he will not make his proposed tax cuts contingent on stemming the historic levels of red ink that have accumulated during the administration of President George W. Bush.