John McCain campaigns with Josh Mandel in Bowling Green

Arizona Senator John McCain and Ohio Treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel listen to a question during the "Storm Relief and Volunteer Appreciation Event" tonight in Bowling Green.

BOWLING GREEN - U.S. Sen. John McCain, who lost Ohio and the election to Barack Obama in 2008, campaigned at an event in Bowling Green today with U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel.

"The eyes of the nation, the eyes of the world, will be on the state of Ohio a week from now," Mr. McCain told a small gathering at the Republican Party's "Victory Center" in downtown Bowling Green, referring to the battleground state. "They will be watching. They will be watching this. We may be up late."

Mr. McCain spoke to about 30 volunteers and supporters in the Main Street storefront and urged them to work hard to support Mr. Romney and Mr. Mandel, citing issues such as the Obama administration's handling of the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya, before shaking hands and posing for photos.

"Don't take that shirt off for the next seven days," he joked to a young woman wearing a Romney/Ryan T-shirt.

Mr. McCain was originally supposed to be in Kettering, Ohio, near Dayton with GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney for an event there, but canceled that and did the Bowling Green appearance instead.

Addressing a group of reporters in the office, Mr. McCain responded to a question about campaign finance reform, an issue he once championed.

"I think it's been a disaster," he said of the Citizens United Supreme Court Decision in 2010, which allowed more unrestricted political spending by corporations and unions. "There is money coming in from places we never knew where it came from. And I guarantee you there will be scandals ... and corruption, and then there will be reform."

A small table in the office had a case of water and a few canned goods marked for hurricane relief.