Posted on 07/31/2004 4:23:10 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Supporters on record pace for Cheney's Lubbock visit BY CORY CHANDLER AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
To say that ticket sales for Vice President Dick Cheney's Monday visit to the Hub City have exceeded expectations may be an understatement.
Cheney's second West Texas visit to weigh in on Lubbock Republican Randy Neugebauer's District 19 congressional bid sold out Friday.
The visit is expected to shatter national fund-raising and attendance records for a vice presidential visit this year. It has even forced event organizers to open gates two hours earlier than originally scheduled.
"We've had just overwhelming support from the Lubbock community," said Carla Moran, chairwoman of the vice president's visit.
As of Friday night, tickets to the event were being counted and Neugebauer's campaign office didn't know how many of the $25 tickets were sold. Earlier in the day, the campaign estimated it had sold more than 1,000.
This could be considered a home run for not only Neugebauer, but President Bush's camp as well in a race that Lubbock County Republican Party Chairman Robert Pratt described as one of the Top 10 hottest in the country at the moment.
"This race is extremely important to the White House for several reasons," Pratt said, pointing out that District 19 is considered home turf for Bush.
Bush spent his childhood in nearby Midland and once even stumped for Congress in Lubbock.
The race pits freshman Neugebauer against veteran Abilene Democrat Charlie Stenholm, who represents District 17 but was lumped into the same district as Neugebauer by last year's redistricting efforts.
Cheney visited Abilene in December to stump on Neugebauer's behalf. Pratt said this is the only race big enough to bring the vice president in for a second visit.
"This is a Top 10 race for both parties," he said. "The White House is paying a lot of attention to this."
Round two
Lubbock Memorial Civic Center doors will open for ticketholders at 2 p.m. Monday. Visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive in a timely manner.
Neugebauer's campaign office Friday released the revamped itinerary of events. The original schedule released by the Secret Service, which showed the doors opening at 4 p.m., was scrapped and security measures at the gates were beefed up due to the hefty crowds expected.
Security personnel originally had only one magnetometer — a screening device like those used in airports — for the crowd since many of the Secret Service's resources were tied up with the Democratic National Convention in Boston, Pratt said.
The Secret Service will now add extra magnetometers at the gates, though Lubbock agent Steve Barker said the total amount has not yet been determined.
"I don't know how many there are going to be," he said. "We're still working on that."
This is the second time Cheney has been scheduled to speak in Lubbock in recent months. The first visit, slated for June 11, was canceled due to former President Ronald Reagan's death and services.
"We're on round two," Moran quipped Friday.
Early projections for Monday's visit pegged ticket sales for the fund-raiser at 400.
"We were expecting to raise $200,000 in contributions," said Moran.
The campaign now hopes to fatten Neugebauer's coffers by $415,000. Moran said this will be in addition to the $1.5 million cash in hand the congressman has already managed to raise.
Security issues
Local law enforcement and Secret Service officers remain tight-lipped about security precautions as they prepare for the visit.
The Secret Service will collaborate with local law enforcement agencies, Barker said. However, Barker did not specify the measures that would be taken to protect Cheney.
On Thursday, some Democrats seeking to hear Cheney speak at a weekend function in New Mexico were refused tickets unless they signed a pledge to endorse Bush, according to The Associated Press.
The measure was a security step designed to avoid a disruption after several Democrats tried to get tickets by giving false names or called from a line self-identified as ACT, America Coming Together, an activist group that supports Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, the AP said.
Irma Guerrero, Lubbock County Democratic Party chairwoman, said while she hadn't heard anything about pledge cards being handed out for the Lubbock event, she had heard stories about protesters being arrested during presidential visits.
"I don't know if that's true," she said. "But I've been warned."
Two protesters were arrested July 14 during a Bush visit to the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wis., according to the Green Bay News-Chronicle.
One man was taken into custody after throwing a water bottle at a bus in the motorcade, while another received a citation after refusing to leave after police warned him about trying to taunt Bush supporters, the News-Chronicle reported.
However, Neugebauer spokesman Matt Schaefer said the campaign "had not done anything like" the measures taken in New Mexico.
"Anytime the vice president shows up, you have to think of protesters," he said. "But this is Bush country, and we're not worried about anything like that."
Schaefer added that the tickets have been sold primarily through word-of-mouth, reducing chances that protesters might try to get in, though the Lubbock County GOP did promote for the fund-raiser.
cory.chandler@lubbockonline.com 766-8722
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