Truck Dealership Hosts Presidential Candidate

McCandless International Trucks in Las Vegas received national media attention Tuesday when former governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney unveiled his plan to stimulate the economy during a press conference at the Las Vegas dealership owned by John McCandless.

McCandless, a 57-year veteran of heavy-truck retailing, said Romney's campaign asked him to host the event, in which the candidate outlined 10 actions he would take as president to stimulate the economy, including repealing President Obama's health care law and cutting the corporate tax rate. With just a few days to prepare, McCandless said he made room for hundreds of supporters who attended by moving his inventory of trucks across the street to an empty lot, which also served as extra parking.

"The turnout was terrific," McCandless said. "We filled our body shop."

The event also provided McCandless an opportunity to give Romney a tour of his dealership and share with him some of the American Truck Dealers association's legislative priorities, such as repealing the federal exise tax on heavy-duty equipment and introducing federal incentives for new truck sales. McCandless said he also spoke to the presidential candidate about seeking a permanent solution to the estate or "death" tax.

Romney's appearance at the dealership was carried by several cable news channels. You can watch the full speech, including McCandless' introduction of Romney, on C-Span.