John McCain on Wednesday sharply defended his opposition eight years ago to the flying of the Confederate battle flag over the South Carolina state capitol in Columbia, brushing aside protests that dogged him at campaign events and suggesting most people in the state don't want the issue reopened. Several protesters aggressively waved Confederate flags at McCain's bus procession as it arrived for campaign events in Greenville and Spartanburg and passed out literature recalling McCain's April 2000 call for removal of the flag from atop the South Carolina statehouse. The dispute became an issue in the 2000 presidential contest as McCain waged a losing battle in South Carolina against then Texas Gov. George W. Bush. The flag was subsequently moved and now is displayed elsewhere on the statehouse grounds.

McCain was confronted about the 2000 dispute at a town-hall style meeting by a questioner who said, "I'm one of the guys passing out the papers" and he believed McCain's position was wrong.

McCain said he "could not be more proud of the majority of the people of this state" who agreed the flag should be removed. Although the questioner, who identified himself as John William Hill, 51, of Charleston, got some scattered applause for his question, McCain's response produced a wave of applause that drowned out further comments from his critic.

Later, McCain told reporters, "I believe the issue has been resolved in the minds of the overwhelming majority of the people of South Carolina. You can tell from the crowd reaction. They don't want it reopened."