Posted on 07/08/2006 6:31:12 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
When President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visit Salt Lake City next month for an American Legion national convention, Mayor Rocky Anderson plans a protest - even bigger than the one he spoke at last year.
Critical of Bush on several fronts - from the Iraq war to funding cuts to environmental policies - Anderson expects "tens of thousands" to demonstrate.
"I'm glad he's coming to Salt Lake City," Anderson said Friday. "I certainly hope there is an effective expression of opposition to where this country is headed right now under the Bush administration. When that happens in Salt Lake City, people pay attention all over the world. Of course, I would be very pleased to add my voice."
The Secret Service informed Salt Lake City International Airport to prepare for an Aug. 30 visit by Bush and Rice. They were invited to attend the American Legion's 88th National Convention at the Salt Palace. It will be held Aug. 25-31.
Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann said Friday the Secret Service has given the airport the "pre-planning heads up."
"We were informed by the Secret Service the president [and Rice are] coming," Gann said.
Bush spokesman Peter Watkins said Friday the White House does not confirm the president's travel until closer to the actual event. Typically, the White House releases the travel schedule only a week ahead.
The American Legion couldn't confirm the trip, either.
"Until we have confirmation from the White House, I can't say for sure they have accepted," Legion spokeswoman Ramona Joyce said from Washington, D.C.
She said the president always is invited to speak to the national convention and usually attends. Bush missed last year's because it was in Hawaii, she said.
The Utah GOP is banking on a visit. Republicans hope for some presidential time to stage a fundraiser.
"We would love to take advantage of the president being in town," said Utah GOP Executive Director Jeff Hartley. "He is still revered by the Republican faithful in Utah."
Indeed, a recent Salt Lake Tribune poll found 59 percent of registered Utah voters rate the president's job performance "excellent" or "good." During the same time, a national poll showed Bush's approval languishing at 38 percent.
Salt Lake City is hosting its third American Legion Convention since 1984, according to Bill Christoffersen, who is helping to plan this year's gathering as the national executive committee member from Utah.
Between 12,000 and 14,000 conventiongoers are expected to attend.
"We pretty much sell out a town," Joyce said. "The economic impact is great."
In fact, the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates the Legionnaires will pump $10 million to $11 million into the area economy, said Scott Beck, the bureau's president.
Beck is delighted about a visit by Bush and Rice. "It's an honor when the caliber of guests we have in the city will demand that kind of attention from our elected officials."
The president last visited Utah in August 2005 to speak to the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the Salt Palace. Then, Anderson called for "the biggest demonstration this state has ever seen." Some 2,000 anti-war protesters joined him at Pioneer Park, drawing national media attention - largely because Anderson was involved and Utah is among the reddest of red states.
Linda Parsons, a member of the Wasatch Coalition for Peace and Justice, hopes for a repeat.
"He [Anderson] is a public official that speaks out against Bush's policies and especially against the war. He believes firmly it's an illegal war, and we should bring the troops home now. That's important that we do have a public official that is willing to speak out in Salt Lake City."
Anderson said Friday he planned to meet with organizers of past protests. He foresees an anti-Bush alliance linking environmentalists, seniors, peace activists, health advocates and others.
The mayor said the United States has an opportunity for "building relations with nations around the world, to joining the world's movement toward a non-fossil-fuel economy, to creating better, healthier, safer communities. They're all unfortunately being ignored and undermined" by Bush.
Fred Mason, chairman of the executive committee of American Legion Post 112 in South Salt Lake, said an anti-Bush demonstration won't bother him "as long as that protest doesn't infringe on my rights."
"Mayor Anderson has every right to protest," Mason said. "We fought for his freedom. It's called the First Amendment."
But Christoffersen, a World War II veteran, said he is not "thrilled" about the idea of a protest by the mayor. "He should represent all people, not just his own narrow view. [Bush] is still our president."
On the other hand, he said, "I guess that's the citizens' rights as long as they don't get violent."
Joyce was aware of Anderson's involvement in the protest last year. When asked about possible demonstrations next month, she said: "If folks from Salt Lake City or Utah protest the president coming, that's their prerogative."
She noted, however, the Legionnaires won't be participating. "We don't invite somebody and then slam them. He's the commander in chief. We support our troops. We support the global war on terror."
Tribune reporter Thomas Burr contributed to this story.
hmay@sltrib.com
So how did this moron get elected in conservative Salt Lake?
How does this kind of leftwing moonbat get elected in as red a state as Utah, much less Salt Lake City?
It is true that some 'central city'cabals can elect a mayor even in an overwhelmingly conservative area - Houston & Dallas, TX for instance. I guess that is what happened here.
SLC is the liberal oasis in the sea of red...
If Rocky thinks he's going to get tens of thousands to protest against Bush, he'll have to be busing them in...
I wonder who the "others" could be?
Rocky is Utah's Hugo Chavez. Most decent people in the state simply turn the radio dial when their hear his ratty drone begin to ooze through the dashboard. Anything, even pure static, is preferable to his self-righteous left wing whine.
Well, that's kind of surprising. I've heard people refer to living in Utah (specifically in SLC) as living "behind the Zion Curtain", meaning that the influence of the Mormon church was so pervasive that there was no mistaking/escaping it. While I personaly don't agree with Mormon doctrine, almost all the Mormons who I know (or have ever known) are very conservative folks; very family oriented and patriotic.
As I said, it's kind of surprising.
It's the least conservative city in Utah...and is supposedly very gay friendly. I call it San Francisco Lite. The whole city, of course, is not that way, but enough of the voters were willing to vote him in.
They were also able to vote in a democratic Rep, too..but I think things got redistricted.
I've already emailed the author and posted a response. We are flying into SLC in September but will try not to spend much time there in protest to this mayor's position.
Then in 1999 a tornado formed over the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. It smacked the Delta Center and bounced off the LDS Church's conference center that was then under construction on North Temple, and continued up the hill to the Capitol before descending into Memory Grove Park. I believe every last piece of greenery was pulled out by the roots and the park was scrubbed clean.
We need to have a electoral tornado do a whip through the Salt Lake City political apparatus, starting with Rocky. Unfortunately, that's not likely to happen. If anything, Salt Lake becomes more liberal everyday, a festering sore of liberal blue on a body of conservative red.
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Why in the world would the American Legion pump millions of dollars into this leftist kook's city? Poor planning from the convention site committee that no conservative organization should repeat in the future.
Wow, that sounds almost ... biblical.
When this time period is remembered, I hope Mayor Anderson is regarded as a rat.
Skiing has brought a lot of the libs there.
I wonder what the Mayor thinks of the voters who don't follow his beliefs? Organizing a protest against a sitting President just doesn't seem 'mayorly' to me.
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