Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Cheney touts economic gains

Vice president makes speech in Henderson

Vice President Dick Cheney addresses about 400 supporters Monday at the Henderson Convention Center. Photo by Clint Karlsen.

Speaking in what he called "one of the most confident, optimistic places in America," Vice President Dick Cheney painted a sunny picture of the nation's economy during a brief campaign visit Monday to Henderson.

"I can't think of a better place to talk about America's vibrant economy than here in the Las Vegas area," Cheney said. "Every month, more than 5,000 people come here to make this part of Nevada their home. Las Vegas is growing so fast you have to print two phone books a year just to keep up. That's not happening in very many other places."

Flanked by his wife, Lynne, Cheney spoke for about 20 minutes before an enthusiastic crowd of about 400 supporters at the Henderson Convention Center.

His speech made no mention of the war in Iraq or the nuclear waste repository the federal government plans to build inside Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Instead, Cheney focused exclusively on job growth and other signs of economic recovery, which he credited to Bush administration tax cuts that he called on Congress to make permanent.

"As we learned last Friday, 3,800 Nevada workers found new jobs in May, and more than 94,000 have gone back to work since January of '02. Over that same period, your unemployment rate has dropped from 6.6 percent to 4.1 percent," Cheney said. "America's economy is moving in the right direction, and President Bush's policies are making us stronger every day."

That message was well received by audience members, including Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo, who took the day off to attend the speech with his wife, Linda. "I think he hit the nail on the head," DeMeo said. "The economy is getting better."

Cheney was introduced by Gustavo Gutierrez, owner of Tortillas Inc., a local Mexican food supplier.

Gutierrez said his small, family business has nearly doubled the size of its staff since 2000, and he is gearing up to add as many as 12 more workers.

"I believe President Bush's leadership on the economy has made all of this possible," he said.

Cheney also used Monday's speech to label democratic presidential candidate John Kerry as a political pessimist with no concrete plans other than raising taxes.

That sentiment is being echoed in Bush-Cheney's newest radio advertisement titled "Optimism Nevada," which debuted Monday as part of a new campaign strategy aimed at portraying Bush as an optimist and Kerry as a pessimist.

But Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., responding on behalf of the Kerry campaign, said the vice president is confusing pessimism with criticism.

"Those of us who work with Senator Kerry every day know he's one of the most optimistic people there is," Reid said. "When John Kerry points out a problem in this country he isn't being pessimistic. He's talking about the issues, something the administration doesn't seem interested in doing."

As for the economic gains touted by Cheney on Monday, Reid said, they have been made by borrowing recklessly against the nation's future. In three years as president, George Bush has succeeded in erasing a $7.2 trillion budget surplus over 10 years and replacing it with "a future of red ink as far as the eye can see," Reid said.

There were no protestors at Monday's event, but about 100 pickets gathered along Las Vegas Boulevard near McCarran International Airport to greet the vice president Sunday afternoon.

The 90 minute demonstration, most of it decrying the president's approval of the Yucca Mountain Project, took place in front of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada" sign.

"We chose to do it the day he arrived," said Jon Summers, communications director for the Nevada State Democratic Party. "One protest is enough. I think we got our point across."

Cheney's visit came just three days after President Bush stumped in Reno, and both campaigns are promising future events in Nevada. Cheney predicted the state would be "critically important" on Election Day.

After his speech, Cheney left the stage quickly and did not take questions from the audience or the media.

He lingered behind closed doors at the convention center for about an hour before his motorcade departed for McCarran International Airport.

Aviation Director Randy Walker said flights were delayed about 20 minutes in response to Cheney's departure Monday, and that delays were minimal Sunday during his arrival at McCarran.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires all airports to close down airspace around the airport whenever the president or vice president arrive or depart, Walker said.

Airports are required to delay all flights for 10 minutes before Air Force One or Air Force Two land or depart, and for an additional five to 10 minutes for the plane to taxi around the airport.

Walker said the delay Sunday during Cheney's arrival lasted about 15 minutes, and that the delay during his departure Monday was probably 20 minutes during peak hours at McCarran.

From Las Vegas, the vice president flew to Springfield, Mo., where he spoke at a campaign rally Monday afternoon.

Review-Journal writer Frank Geary contributed to this report.