SCRANTON, Pa. -- Sen. John McCain made a bid for Pennsylvania's Irish-American vote today.

More than 2,000 enthusiastic supporters turned out to cheer the presidential candidate this morning at the Irish-American Presidential Forum.

It was the first time that a Republican presidential candidate had addressed the forum, which has heard from various Democratic presidential candidates since it was founded in New York City in 1984.

Forum President Adrian Flannelly said Republicans in the past had conceded much of the Irish-American vote to Democrats.

"This is significant, for Mr. McCain to attend,'' he said.

Mr. McCain spoke for 40 minutes, addressing issues of interest to Irish-Americans and Americans in general.

He said that as president, he would continue to appoint a special U.S. envoy to the government of Northern Ireland. The envoy, first appointed by President Bill Clinton and then by President George W. Bush, has worked with a coalition Protestant-Catholic government to bring peace to Northern Ireland for almost two years.

The Arizona senator said, and several Irish-American officials agreed, that his Democratic opponent in the election, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, might not continue to appoint the envoy if he is elected.

"We have got to get a commitment from Sen. Obama" about addressing the forum, Mr. Flannelly said.

Mr. McCain got huge cheers when he talked about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, his running mate.

A woman in the crowd jumped up and shouted, "Why doesn't the media send 30 investigators to Chicago, looking into Obama like they did for Gov. Palin?"

"I assure you, she can take it," Mr. McCain replied. "She is very big on reform, and that is what America wants badly."