COLUMBUS, Ohio – Republican John McCain said Thursday he would like to give a speech in Germany as U.S. president not as a White House candidate, taking a swipe at rival Barack Obama while the Democrat gave a major address in Berlin.

“I'd love to give a speech in Germany ... a political speech or a speech that maybe the German people would be interested in, but I'd much prefer to do it as president of the United States rather than as a candidate...for the office of presidency,” McCain told reporters in Ohio.

Associated Press Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., waves to people on the street after holding a press conference outside Schmidt's Fudge Haus in Columbus Thursday. Video As Barack Obama delivered a high-profile speech in Berlin, Republican rival John McCain lunched on bratworst in a German restaurant in Ohio. Media Player The FREE Windows Media Player is necessary to play Windows Media.

Standing in front of a store in a neighborhood known as German Village, McCain – for whom foreign policy is considered a strength – said he would focus on issues at home while his opponent traveled abroad.

“We're going to be campaigning across the heartland of America and talking about the issues that are challenging America today,” he said.

McCain said he had met regularly with the European leaders with whom Obama was scheduled to hold talks on a trip designed to bolster his foreign policy credential.

The Arizona senator also confirmed he would meet with the Dalai Lama in Aspen, Colorado Friday.