Bush makes stop in Reno

Kirsten Searer

Friday, June 18, 2004 | 11:21 a.m.

A host of top Republicans are visiting Nevada, including President Bush and two Cabinet members today and Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday.

Bush was expected to be greeted by hundreds of party loyalists and hundreds of protesters this afternoon when he makes his first presidential trip to Northern Nevada. He visited Lake Tahoe during the 2000 presidential campaign.

Cheney is scheduled to give a speech on the economy Monday morning at the Henderson Convention Center, the Bush-Cheney campaign announced this morning.

It will be Cheney's second trip to Southern Nevada this year. He helped raise about $100,000 for Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., when he visited Las Vegas in January.

Bush is scheduled to speak at a rally at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center at 1:50 p.m. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also is scheduled to attend the event.

Campaign representatives said Bush would talk today about the war on terror and highlight recent job growth.

"President Bush's optimistic agenda and pro-growth policies have resulted in robust job creation, and Nevada has 50,000 more jobs than one year ago," said Bush spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. "The president will highlight the progress being made to strengthen our economy and win the war on terror."

But Democrats have vowed to make their views known at the visit, which is Bush's first to the state so far this year. He visited Las Vegas in November.

More than 200 Democrats have RSVP'd to say they will attend protests outside the convention center, said state party spokesman Jon Summers. And they're not the only ones who will be there to show displeasure, he said.

"We know there are several other groups and organizations that are planning on going out," he said.

The Media Fund, an independent group established by Democratic activists, plans to run radio ads and a full-page newspaper ad criticizing Bush for allowing the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository to proceed under his watch.

Treasury Secretary John W. Snow, who is attending several events to highlight homeownership and job creation, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, who was to talk about affordable housing, are in Las Vegas today.