COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, took his presidential announcement tour to this southern city Thursday, touting his support for the Iraq war and refusing to back down from his controversial tongue-in-cheek joke about bombing Iran.

McCain also challenged opponents of the war to vote against funding further operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as a way to express their disapproval. And the Arizona senator offered pointed criticism of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, for declaring the war was lost last week.

At the end of his speech delivered at a flour factory, McCain's campaign cued up the Beach Boys hit "Barbara Ann," a not-so-veiled reference to the senator's rendition of the song last week when he jokingly changed the words to "Bomb Iran" in response to a question about whether it was time to attack Iran.

A McCain aide told CNN it was no coincidence that the song was played at the end of the event.

"We thought it would add a little levity," said John Weaver, a senior McCain strategist, adding, "And to show we are not going to get pushed around on things like that."

(Click here to watch the video of McCain's post-speech song poking fun at his critics)

-- CNN Political Editor Mark Preston