Vice president stumps in Washington County
WASHINGTON – Saying “this is no ordinary time in America,” Vice President Dick Cheney stumped at Washington and Jefferson and College on Wednesday, driving home the Republican platform to a packed house of vocal supporters. The nearly 2,000 who filled the Henry Memorial Center for the rally began lining up in front of the gymnasium more than three hours before Cheney was scheduled to speak and cheered wildly when Cheney and his wife of 40 years, Lynne, finally took the stage. They were greeted by a deafening chant of “four more years.”
The vice president peppered his speech with humor and jabs at Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry.
“It’s a pleasure to be in this historic part of Pennsylvania. This was the first county in the nation to be named after George Washington, or as his friends might have called him, George W.,” Cheney said.
Numerous “Hunters for Bush” signs could be seen in the crowd, and Cheney played to those supporters, pointing out the Republican pro-gun platform. Cheney noted that when Kerry went duck hunting last week, he wore a new camouflage jacket.
“Do you think he had ever been duck hunting before?” said Cheney. “We know that the Second Amendment is not just a photo opportunity.
“The choice in the election couldn’t be more clear. The stakes are very high for America here and abroad,” Cheney added. “Pennsylvania voters understand the need for consistency in the White House. This is no ordinary time in America.”
Cheney said Bush is committed to making America safer and more prosperous.
He noted that although Kerry voted to send troops to Iraq, he voted against a funding bill to provide body armor and other equipment for the troops.
“Just over a year ago John Kerry did something unspeakable in a man who wants to be commander in chief,” Cheney said. “He said it was complicated. Supporting troops in combat should never be complicated.”
Cheney also questioned Kerry’s campaign ads saying he wanted to take America back to when terrorism was just a nuisance. Cheney looked back over terrorist attacks against Americans in the past 21 years, saying there never was a time when terrorism was just a nuisance.
“He ran for Congress on the platform that we should only commit our troops under the order of the U.N. We know that it is not our job to conduct international opinion polls. We know our job is to protect America,” Cheney said. “John Kerry doesn’t have the judgment or the conviction to be president.”
Cheney also touched briefly on domestic issues, saying 1.9 million new jobs have been created in America in the past 13 months, with record exports of farm products.
“We know there are still challenges, especially in manufacturing, but the president will not be satisfied until everyone who wants to work has a job,” Cheney said. “We will work to stop lawsuit abuse, because we know it is easier for businesses to hire employees if they don’t have to keep hiring lawyers.”
He blamed the current flu vaccine shortage on malpractice issues that he said keep American firms from making the vaccine.
Cheney also touched on the issue of possible future appointments to the Supreme Court.
“We believe that our nation is one nation under God, and we think that Americans should be able to say so when they pledge allegiance to the flag. That wouldn’t be an issue if we had more reasonable judges on the bench,” Cheney said.
He also addressed the issue of partial birth abortion, which had been raised previously in the rally by U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy.
“We reject the brutal practice of partial birth abortion,” Cheney said.
Hannah Swope, 11, of Wayne Township Greene County, attended Wednesday’s rally with her parents, Chuck and Marjorie Swope, who are both elected committeemen.
“It was very interesting, and I learned a lot,” the home-schooled student said. “Partial birth abortion is definitely wrong.”
Margie McKinley, a California Borough resident who has been working for the Bush/Cheney campaign, said she was pleased with Tuesday’s rally.
“It’s encouraging, because it seems like there’s so much Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, but the Bush support is out there,” McKinley said.
Nicole Nino, 20, a Washington and Jefferson political science major from Greensburg, said she is looking forward to voting in her first presidential election.
“I appreciate Cheney a lot. I think if the commander chief was taken out of service for any reason, he is the better of the vice presidents to take over,” Nino said.
A number of people carried Kerry/Edwards signs in the blocks surrounding Henry Memorial Center. Democratic and Republican supporters could be seen in heated discussions on several street corners after the rally.