Ailing Porter may miss fund-raiser

Kirsten Searer

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2004 | 11:17 a.m.

The party will go on -- whether or not Rep. Jon Porter can attend.

Plans are still in place for Vice President Dick Cheney to speak at a $250-a-plate fund-raiser for Porter, a fellow Republican, Thursday at the Bellagio Hotel.

Porter, who underwent surgery to repair a leak in his ear on Monday, hopes to attend the luncheon but will get the final word this afternoon from his doctor on whether or not he can fly, press secretary Adam Mayberry said.

"He's feeling great," Mayberry said of the Nevada congressman, who attended the Yucca Mountain court hearing in Washington, D.C., this morning.

Cheney spokeswoman Laura Veresh confirmed this morning that Cheney will attend, whether or not Porter can.

The event could raise as much as $100,000 for Porter's campaign, and more than 150 donors are expected, organizer and political consultant Ryan Erwin said.

"This is a state that has now seen the vice president twice and the president once since July," Erwin said. "There's a lot of interest. We're appealing to a group of folks that are supportive of this administration, but just as importantly, want to help Jon Porter."

It's unclear if protesters who attended those visits by Cheney and President Bush will be on hand at the Bellagio to demonstrate against the Yucca Mountain proposal.

Former Gov. Bob Miller said it was ironic that Cheney will be in town the day after the Yucca hearing. He, like some others, believe that the Bush administration has not been fair in listening to the potential dangers of a Yucca Mountain site.

"He's got a lot of chutzpah to be here the very next day," Miller said.

Metro Police will provide a escort for the Vice President's short trip to the city, public information officer Jose Montoya said.

Traffic may be clogged near McCarran International Airport and the Strip in the late morning and at lunch, but it should clear up for the rush hour, he said.