Saturday, June 12, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bush plans Reno campaign stop

Visit next week not open to public

President Bush will make his second trip to Nevada next week when he stumps Friday for supporters in Reno.

The White House released Bush's travel plans Friday, listing next week's 1:50 p.m. speech at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

Tracey Schmitt, spokeswoman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, said the Nevada campaign will identify those who will be offered tickets to the event.

Bush is scheduled to speak about the economy and the war on terrorism.

"The campaign will be identifying those who would be interested in hearing the president's optimistic message," Schmitt said.

The event is not open to the public, and Bush is not expected to take questions from Nevada media.

The visit to the state marks the second of his presidency, but his first to Reno.

He was in Las Vegas in November for a Medicare news conference at Spring Valley Hospital and a fund-raising luncheon at The Venetian.

But his first trip to Nevada this campaign year will be spent solely in Reno after spending the morning in Washington state.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has visited Nevada twice this year, both times in Las Vegas. In February he spoke to a public rally at a high school and took part in the state's presidential precinct caucuses the next day.

He was in the state last month speaking to the Teamsters Unity convention and raising money.

Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, will be in Nevada today for fund-raising events in Las Vegas and Reno.

Nevada Republicans have focused considerable energy on Northern Nevada this election year, choosing to hold the state convention in Reno.

Northern Nevada has a greater percentage of Republicans. The six Republicans in the state's constitutional offices work there.

Some think that swing voters in Northern Nevada are going to make the difference in the state, one of 17 so-called battleground states nationwide.

But Bush's trip to Reno will not be without protest. Northern Democrats, working with a group called Turn Nevada Blue, plan a sizable protest. In Las Vegas today, when Rove raises money for Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., Democrats are planning a protest near the entrance to developer Barry Becker's neighborhood, focusing on Bush's support of the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

Both presidential campaigns have focused considerable attention on Nevada, considered by some to be among the top-five contested states in the nation.

In addition to Kerry's two visits, a number of surrogates including New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros have visited. Former Los Angeles City Councilman and former California Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa will campaign for Kerry in Las Vegas on Monday.

The Bush-Cheney campaign has countered with two visits from first lady Laura Bush and one visit from Vice President Dick Cheney this year. Numerous surrogates, including Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, Cabinet secretaries and Bush-Cheney chairman Marc Racicot have made trips to Nevada this year.