Bush visit fires up President’s northern Michigan supporters

President George W. Bush made a stop in northern Michigan Monday, echoing the themes of his Presidential campaign while tailoring his remarks to please the local crowd. The campaign chose Traverse City for the stop, setting up the Civic Center, a recreational facility off two of the city’s main streets, for the event. An estimated 15,000 turned out for the occasion, most ending up standing, all clamoring for a view of the President while waving signs, flags and pom-pons passed out by campaign volunteers. The President spent much time speaking of national security issues, including the war in Iraq.

“ONE OF THE lessons of September the 11th, a lesson this nation must never forget, is that we must deal with threats before they fully materialize,” he said. “I remembered what Saddam Hussein was like. I looked at the intelligence. I called upon Congress to remember his history and look at the intelligence. I thought it was important to bring in Congress, get their opinion on the subject of Saddam Hussein. So members of both political parties, including my opponent, looked at the same intelligence and came to the same conclusion that I came to: Saddam Hussein was a threat.”

This drew loud applause from the boisterous crowd standing on the grass at the Civic Center. “I went to the United Nations; the U.N. Security Council looked at the intelligence and came to the same conclusion, Saddam Hussein was a threat. As a matter of fact, they passed a resolution, 15 to nothing, which said to Saddam: disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. As he had for the past 12 years, he refused to comply. He ignored the demands of the free world. He systematically deceived the weapons inspectors,” the President said to the throng of flag-waving supporters.

“SO I HAD a choice to make: either forget the lessons of September the 11th and trust a madman, or take action to defend America. Given that choice, I will defend our country every time.” Defending the country struck a chord with the supporters, who made this applause even louder than moments before. The President addressed the decision to attack Iraq, and the issue of weapons of mass destruction. “Even though we did not find the stockpiles that we thought we would find, Saddam Hussein had the capability to make weapons of mass destruction, and he could have passed that capability on to our enemy, to the terrorists. It is not a risk, after September the 11th, that we could afford to take. Knowing what I know today, I would have taken the same action. America and the world are safer because Saddam Hussein sits in a prison cell,” President Bush said. President Bush also promised to support an issue dear to the residents of Michigan, pledging to “never allow the diversion of Great Lakes water.”

HE ALSO MADE a plug for locally grown cherries, saying cherry pies should be eaten around the world, another line that drew loud cheers. The President thanked Republican leaders, including State Sen. Jason Allen, for welcoming him to the area. Senator Allen warmed up the crowd before the President’s arrival. Nas

hville recording artists Trick Pony played three songs and voiced their support for the President. Many arrived at the event hours before the gates opened, then stood for three hours before the President arrived around 4 p.m. His speech lasted about 40 minutes, and then he shook hands with some supporters in the crowd before leaving by motorcade to Cherry Capital Airport. Tickets were made available to the event through a network of local Republican Party leaders. Security at the gate made it clear this was a private party, not a public event, meaning no unauthorized posters, T-shirts or slogans would be tolerated.

GUESTS HOLDING tickets and photo identification had to pass through a gauntlet of security, including a metal detector. No food or beverages were allowed, and chairs and blankets had to be left by the gate. Binoculars and camera lenses over a certain size were not allowed into the event. A few protesters stood near the entryway carrying anti-Bush or John Kerry signs trying to get the attention of the media and the estimated 15,000 Bush supporters. Shortly before 5:30 p.m., Air Force One left Traverse City, ending the first visit to the city of a sitting President since Gerald Ford visited in 1975.