G.O.P. and Cheney Turn Focus to Edwards in Minnesota
By THOMAS CRAMPTON - NYT
MINNEAPOLIS, July 17 - Republicans may sometimes try to cast him as an inconsequential candidate for the vice presidency, but Senator John Edwards featured prominently at a rally here Saturday by Vice President Dick Cheney.
"President Bush has his opponent in this campaign, and now I have mine," Mr. Cheney told more than 1,000 supporters. "We are looking forward to a spirited contest."
Mr. Cheney and organizers of the rally worked hard to project an almost youthful spirit.
Signs held aloft by children and inscribed "Cheney Rocks" and "Too Cool" were part of an MTV-style photomontage projected on screens beside the stage inside the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Taking to the stage, Mr. Cheney whipped off his blue blazer before starting to speak, prompting a raucous cheer from the crowd.
In his speech, he emphasized the sure-handed experience that he said the Bush administration would provide in a difficult period. "These are not times for leaders who shift with the political winds," Mr. Cheney said. "Terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength; they are invited by the perception of weakness."
While describing the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry, as unable to make up his mind, Mr. Cheney took an indirect swipe at Mr. Edwards, a former trial lawyer. "For the good of the economy we need to end lawsuit abuse," Mr. Cheney said. "It is a lot easier for American businesses to hire more workers if they don't have to hire more lawyers."
The allusions to Senators Kerry and Edwards drew cheers from the audience of supporters in a Midwestern battleground state.
Minnesota has a long history of voting for Democratic presidential nominees, but Al Gore beat Mr. Bush by just a narrow margin here in 2000. Since then, Republicans have won the governorship, a Senate seat and a number of seats in the Legislature.
Against that backdrop, Mr. Bush came to the state last week.
"You can expect to see a lot of us before Nov. 2," Mr. Cheney said. "It looks to me like Minnesota is Bush-Cheney country."
Almost everyone who took to the podium played up contrasts between Mr. Edwards and Mr. Cheney.
In warming up the audience before the rally, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, used a multiple-choice pop quiz to compare the men.
"What is more important to you in a vice president? A: What is in his head, or B: What is on his head," Mr. Pawlenty asked. "This is a case of style versus substance and steak versus sizzle."
Democrats had some fun at Mr. Cheney's expense on Friday night at a fund-raiser in Los Angeles. Referring to a recent episode in which Mr. Cheney used a profanity on the Senate floor, Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, declared, "I want a vice president who doesn't need anger management." The crowd roared with approval.
On Saturday, Mr. Edwards attended his fourth fund-raiser in four days, this one at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort in Newport Beach, Calif. Speaking to about 350 people, Mr. Edwards remarked that he had often spoken about "two Americas,'' including one where the poor struggle to make ends meet. Looking around at the well-heeled crowd, he said, "This is the other America, right here in this beautiful place."
All told, Mr. Edwards's aides said, the senator raised more than $2 million this week for his ticket and the Democratic National Committee.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg contributed reporting from Newport Beach, Calif., for this article.
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company |
