Quarry rally draws praise, criticism

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

KASOTA -- The scene along Third Avenue was certainly one that was out of the ordinary on Wednesday afternoon as supporters and critics of President Bush lined the street during the hours leading up to the president's speech.

The president spoke to several thousands of Republican supporters at a stone quarry a few miles north of Mankato as part of a campaign stop in Minnesota. He spoke at a farm near Le Sueur earlier in the day.

"We came close in Minnesota last time. This time, we're gonna win it," said Bush. "In the past few years we've done a lot, and we've come through a lot together. There's so much at stake. I want to be the president to make the country safer, the economy stronger and the future brighter for everyone."

The president's speech touched on a number of campaign issues, He started off on education, saying there were too many school children three and a half years ago who were advanced despite the fact that they lacked basic skills.

Bush also talked about prescription drug benefits for seniors. He said more than 4 million seniors have signed up for the drug discount cards. But small businesses must be allowed to get health care at the discounts that large corporations enjoy, he said.

Bush touched on the tax cuts that were made during his presidency, saying that many people have overcome obstacles because of them.

Bush said he wants to phase out the death tax so that farmers can pass their land on to future generations. He said he also wants to open up new markets for the corn, soybeans, beef and hogs that are raised in Minnesota. He also called for more production of ethanol and biodiesel.

Turning to the subject of employment, Bush said "We need to do more to keep jobs here. We need less regulation and we need tort reform."

The president also talked about the state of affairs overseas.

"After 9-11, we looked at the threat in a new light. We must take that threat seriously before it materializes," he said.

After Sept. 11, 2001, Bush said, members of the U.S. Congress from both parties looked at the intelligence and concluded that Iraq was a threat.

"We had a choice to make. We forget those lessons and trust a madman. Or we could defend America, and I will defend America every time," Bush said.

In the next four years, Bush promised, the U.S. will continue to build alliances and "we will never turn America's national security responsibility over to leaders of other nations."

In order to continue to fight, American troops need the best training, pay and best possible equipment, Bush said, noting "a small minority in the Senate voted against that help." Two of those men are John Kerry and John Edwards, he added.

"That's not the way people talk in southern Minnesota. When they say something, they mean it," said Bush.

In addition to greater support for the military, the president also said that the U.S. should work to change the conditions that give rise to terrorism like poverty, hunger and envy. At the same time, the president said more also needs to be done at home. He noted that the Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act were necessary to give law enforcement the tools they need to defend America from terrorism. He added that he is acting on some of the findings of the 9/11 Commission, noting that he called on Congress this week to create a national intelligence commissioner to coordinate efforts among the U.S. intelligence community.

The president said he wants to see more people owning homes in America and younger workers to have a Social Security retirement account to pass on to their children. He said the country needs tax policy changes so that Americans can own their own farms or small businesses.

"These years in history will always stand apart," Bush said. "We need a firm resolve. I will never forget on Sept. 14. I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers with workers yelling 'Whatever it takes.' Someone grabbed my arm -- I can't remember if it was a fireman or a policeman -- and said 'Do not let me down,'" he said. "They took it personally, you took it personally and I take it personally. I will never relent in defending America. I will do whatever it takes. We've come through much together and there's more to do. Four years ago, I promised to uphold the honor and dignity of this office. I will do it again for four more years."

After the speech, the president shook several hands in the audience and signed a few autographs, including a cowboy hat that was tossed his way. He waved to the crowd before Secret Service agents escorted him to a helicopter that flew out over the crowd on its way back to Minneapolis, where the president boarded Air Force One and left Wednesday night

Dave and Amy Stene of Mankato came to the rally because they wanted to see President Bush.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Amy. "It's great to see someone you respect."

Darrin Hansen of Tracy, a College Republican from Southwest State University in Marshall, said he came because he wanted to see the president for himself. "I thought it was a very good speech. It was very on-point," Hansen said.

Fellow College Republican and SSU alum Zack Peterson of Marshall said he also thought Bush's speech was strong. The two had left Marshall with a group of College Republicans at 7:30 a.m. and had helped organize the rally.

"It's good to see the president in southwest Minnesota," Peterson said. "I went all the way (to Washington D.C. with the SSU marching band) to see him and now he came to see me."

But while many inside the quarry cheered the president's remarks, many others used the occasion to voice a political message of their own. A group of protesters that included DFL Chair Mike Erlandson and former State Rep. Ruth Johnson gathered outside the Mankato City Hall with protest signs earlier in the day.

The road to the quarry was lined with several young adults who carried signs criticizing Bush in one form or another.

Gustavus Adolphus student Amy Hellman of St. Peter stood on the road beside the farm where many of the buses from the rally were dropping people off, carrying a sign supporting John Kerry.

"To make a statement," she said when asked why she came out to the rally. "It seems like the perfect opportunity."

Added Shawn Seebach, a Minnesota State University-Mankato student from St. Peter also displayed a Kerry sign. "You don't get many of these opportunities in southwest Minnesota."