Friday, September 10, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bush, Kerry to address National Guard in Nevada

More than 3,000 officers to be in attendance at Las Vegas convention

Nevada will once again play host to both major presidential candidates next week when President Bush and U.S. Sen. John Kerry speak, on separate days, to the National Guard Association of the United States.

The Bush-Cheney campaign announced late Thursday that Bush accepted an invitation to speak to more than 3,000 Guard officers Tuesday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Kerry, D-Mass., will speak to the group Thursday.

Neither speech is open to the public, and no public events have been announced during either candidate's visit.

"National Guardsmen both defend and participate in our nation's democratic processes," said retired Brig. Gen. Stephen Koper, the association president, in a statement. "We need to hear directly from the people who want to be our commander in chief for the next four years."

Bush is scheduled to speak at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday; Kerry is set to speak at noon Thursday.

Nearly 100,000 guardsmen are mobilized, with most either serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, or preparing for fall deployment.

The nonpartisan group's weeklong general conference includes a trade show and four days of speeches.

Gen. Ed Barca, who is expected to speak at the conference, will also campaign for the Kerry-Edwards ticket throughout Nevada next week.

Today, Kerry's campaign co-chairman, former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, will hold rallies in Reno and Las Vegas.

The triple amputee Vietnam veteran's event in Las Vegas starts at 7 p.m. at the International Association of Fire Fighters hall on West Charleston Boulevard.

Both presidential candidates were in Las Vegas the week of Aug. 9. Kerry held two town hall meetings for invited audiences, a large public rally at the Thomas & Mack Center, and sat for a half-hour interview with several reporters. Bush spoke to an invited crowd at the Carpenter's Union International Training Center.