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Breaking News:

Cheney finishes whirlwind fundraiser in Grand Junction

Gary Harmon, The Daily Sentinel

Published April 11, 2008 at 4:05 p.m.
Updated April 11, 2008 at 4:05 p.m.

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Vice President Dick Cheney made a fundraising stop in Grand Junction on Friday.

Vice President Dick Cheney made a fundraising stop in Grand Junction on Friday.

Vice President Dick Cheney flew into Grand Junction Friday, raised several thousand dollars worth of donations for Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer and left waving to a throng of schoolchildren.

In between, two people were arrested on charges of blocking a public roadway leading into the subdivision where Cheney and Schaffer met with several hundred supporters.

"It was great" called Norm Franke from his car as he left the event, passing by a crowd of protesters, one of whom wore a hunter orange vest and a sign: "Don't shoot me, I'm not a quail."

One passerby honked a horn and yelled "Yeah, Cheney" at the protest.

At the fundraiser, Cheney strongly supported Schaffer and stressed the need to retain the Bush tax cuts beyond their 2010 expiration, said Doug Thompson, who attended the meeting.

The vice president also underscored the need to support the war on terror, but didn't offer a red-meat campaign speech, Thompson said.

Seven Mesa County residents greeted Cheney on his arrival, including Tom Fisher, who served in Iraq and now works for Mesa County, John and Frances Justman of Fruita, Mesa County Republican Party Chairman Gary Roahrig, Donald Wiltgen. St. Mary's Hospital Chief Executive Bob Ladenburger and Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Janice Rich.

"It was just real exciting for a farmer from Fruita to meet the vice president," Justman said.

The greeters met Cheney in a biting wind off the Grand Mesa and he commented to one in particular, "Doesn't anyone in Colorado wear a coat?" Rich said.

Cheney's wife, Lynne, addressed her by her first name and commented on her cold hands, Rich said.

The chill breeze did nothing to diminish the enthusiasm of about 300 children from Holy Family Catholic School who waved flags and cheered "USA, USA!!" as Cheney's motorcade passed by on his way to Grand Junction Regional Airport.

Cheney saw the children waving to him as he drove to the event and had his staff ask that they be out again for his departure, said Principal Ann Ashwood.

She also heard him call out "Thank you" to the school children from a PA system as the motorcade passed, Ashwood said.

Many others might not have heard the thanks, but, "Principals hear everything," she said.

Rich said she was impressed by the clockwork handling of the visit.

Cheney and his wife stepped off the ramp to be greeted, entered a waiting limousine and then were gone in a motorcade that included several police vehicles and motorcycles and an ambulance.

"I was amazed by the precision of it all," she said.

Comments

  • April 11, 2008

    4:35 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    freethought writes:

    Warmonger raising money for fellow warmongers. At least he didn't shoot anyone. I am amazed that "President Puppet" was able to function without sitting on the VP's hand.

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