RAYMOND — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in Raymond Friday said what happened in Benghazi, Libya, Sept. 11 is “one of the more disgraceful chapters in American history” and questions about the attack that left four Americans dead must be answered during the last presidential debate on Monday night.

McCain was in Raymond with Republican gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., stumping for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and in support of Lamontagne.

McCain lamented President Barack Obama's response to the attack on the American embassy in Libya and the mixed messages sent to the American people in the days and weeks after the attack.

“It was obvious that this was not a spontaneous demonstration,” McCain said. “You don't bring mortars to a spontaneous demonstration.”

He said the attack lasted eight hours and he questioned why American forces were not sent in to stop the violence. He added that the situation in Benghazi had been deteriorating for the past several months, as shown by the fact that the American embassy there had been attacked twice in the spring.

“I don't expect the President of the United States to know when they want to rotate people back and forth. I do expect him to know when there is a deteriorating situation that puts lives in danger,” McCain said.

He said what Obama did was deliver a generic statement in the Rose Garden the day after the attack about how the United States does not tolerate acts of terror.

“What did the President know, when did he know about it and what did he do about it. Those are the questions that are going to have to be answered on Monday night,” McCain said.

Friday's event was hosted by the Raymond Republican Committee and attended by about 100 people.

Several area residents asked about absentee ballots getting to active duty members of the military serving overseas.

McCain said the lack of effort to help active duty service members cast ballots was “disturbing” to him.

“We have preliminary information that voter registration by active duty military is far less than it was in 2008. What are all the reasons for that are hard for me to say because there is some reason for it. I don't think most men and women serving in the military lost their desire to vote,” McCain said.

Lamontagne said it was an honor to have the support of McCain on the campaign trail and McCain's leadership is a strong endorsement of the leadership Lamontagne said he will also bring to the governor's office.

gmacalaster@newstote.com