Slogans adorn wide variety of GOP souvenirs

Suzanne Struglinski

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004 | 9:39 a.m.

NEW YORK -- The motto for salesmen at the convention is leave no souvenir behind.

If the thousands of stores in New York do not provide enough options for convention visitors, they can just go to the "Grand Old Marketplace" a mini-mall set up in a hotel conference center offering everything from the usual political buttons, T-Shirts, stickers and lapel pins to the more unique engraved bottles of wine with a colored Bush-Cheney logo.

Playing on Teresa Heinz Kerry's connection to the famous ketchup, the Young Republicans were selling T-shirts with something similar to the Heinz logo but with Kerry Flip-Flop taking the place of the usual text. And for $3 delegates can have their very own bottle of "W" ketchup, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund.

Other interesting items, a $40 flag pin with red, white and blue rhinestones, rhinestone Ws, stuffed animals of the presidential pets -- Barney, Willy and Spot, elephant signs to bring onto the convention floor, elephant cufflinks and a $450 bust of Theodore Roosevelt at the "special convention price" of $375.

Visitors could also take their photo with a cardboard cutout of President Bush or wear a I "heart" GW T-shirt modeled after the popular New York slogan.

Regular merchandise from a New York tourism company and the New York City Fire Museum was also available.

Robert "Button Bob" Levine from St. Louis, Mo. said pins modeled after ones from 1912 with photos of Bush and Cheney in the ears of an elephant are his most popular.

Another popular button at the convention reads "I only sleep with Republicans."

Other favorite slogans: "Don't blame me I voted for Elvis."

"Annoy a liberal, prosper and be happy, vote Republican!"

"It's the cowboy way."

"I believe the swift boat veterans."

"Yankees yes, Kerry no!"

Skits poke fun

Borrowing a line from the "Saturday Night Live" skits featuring fictional bodybuilders Hanz and Franz, television pundits kept talking about how California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's speech Tuesday night to the convention was meant to "pump up" the crowd inside Madison Square Garden.

The Hanz and Franz skits poked fun of Schwarzenegger's accent and initial fame as a body builder as they "pumped up" their muscles and made fun of "puny girlie men." Schwarzenegger, who has borrowed some of the catch phrases for his speeches, even one appeared on the show with Hanz and Franz.

But the "Saturday Night Live" comparisons didn't end there. The convention treated delegates to a video montage Monday night modeled after the opening sequence of the comedy show, starting off with convention Chief Executive Officer Bill Harris saying "Live from New York: It's the Republican National Convention" on the floor of Madison Square Garden. The video used the week's key evening speakers at its cast and ended with RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie getting out of a cab under "President George W. Bush" on the marque of Madison Square on screen but then appearing on stage.

"Super Zeros"

As part of the Democratic National Committee's tactics in New York to keep its dissatisfaction with the Bush administration alive, it has dispatched the "Super Zeros" or costumed characters modeled after its favorite Bush administration controversies. The Super Zeros: Enron Ed, Hal E. Burton, Miss Leader, the Un-Credible Hulk, and Lt. George W. Bush, who wears a flight suit, will be roaming the city this week, according to a DNC press release.

To the river

Nevada's delegates were surprised Tuesday that their trip to glamorous New York City included cleaning up a river in New Jersey.

All the state delegations had the opportunity Tuesday to do various community service project through the "Compassion Across America" program coordinated by the New York City Host Committee that organized the convention.

About 10 Nevada delegates helped clean up along the Passaic River.

Activist cookies

The Family Research Council left fortune cookies on the press writing stand tables inside Madison Square Garden. The fortune inside says "Real Men Mary Women: Support a Constitutional Amendment to Protect Marriage."