Bush coming to Youngstown Tuesday (5/25?) to talk about health care

[Kolesar]

Mercury news
President Bush will travel to Ohio next week for the second time this...

MALIA RULON

Associated Press


WASHINGTON - President Bush will travel to Ohio next week for the second time this month to talk about health care, officials notified of the trip told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The president planned to visit Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday afternoon, said the officials, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Details about the trip, such as the specific health care topic the president will speak about or the exact location of his visit, were not immediately available. It's expected to be an official trip and not a campaign event, the officials said.

White House spokesman Jim Morrell declined Thursday to confirm the trip. Morrell said the president's schedule for next week would be announced Friday.

Youngstown is a blue-collar Democratic bastion between Cleveland and Pittsburgh that has seen high unemployment rates the last year. Youngstown voters, along with residents in the northeast Ohio cities of Akron and Cleveland, overwhelmingly voted against Bush in 2000. However, Bush still won the state, defeating Democrat Al Gore by 3.6 percentage points.




http://www.georgewbush.com/

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

1. Bush in Youngstown sounds like an oxymoron.

Of all places!

[mosin]

2. Bush always...

sounds like a(n oxy)moron.

[NEOBuckeye]

4. Doesn't it?

Youngstown, for all of its struggles with mob rule (literally) and unemployment, remains perhaps the most steadfastly Democratic city in Ohio, if not the entire Midwest.

Bush travelling there is like a mouse running straight into the jaws of a cat.

The Mahoning Valley will eat Bush alive.

[VolcanoJen]

5. Seriously. Why does he bother? Why not rake in the bucks...

.. in Columbus and Cincinnati?

Weird...

[cmd]

3. I'm sure there will be a warm welcome in Youngstown

Go get him Buckeyes and keep me posted. I may be tempted to take the day off.

[fossaceca]

6. More info

Do we have info on other cities yet?

[Kolesar]

7. Yng Vindicator latest details:

This is a good article:
http://www.vindy.com/featured/280559094904968.php

excerpt:

Youngstown sources say sites being considered for a Bush appearance include the vicinity of Ursuline High School, the Veterans Administration clinic on Belmont Avenue, and Amedia Plaza on Boardman Street. Local Republicans say Bush aides haven't decided where the visit will be.

Amedia Plaza is the main office and a residential facility for the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority. Eugenia C. Atkinson is YMHA's executive director, and one of the Bush/Cheney re-election committee's two Northeast Ohio regional co-chairmen. Her husband, Councilman Richard Atkinson, R-3rd, is a top local Republican official.

White House spokesman Jim Morrell said the president's schedule for next week will be finalized today. Until then, he declined to confirm Bush's visit to Youngstown.

[Kolesar]

8. In Youngstown TODAY (Monday)

from the Canton Repository, one line:

"This afternoon, Bush will be in Youngstown to talk about health care."

[cmd]

9. Today!

That means he's sneaking in a day early to avoid confrontation.
Damn.

edit: They will probably have to bus a crowd into Youngstown to give him an audience.

[Kolesar]

10. On TV this morning, they said * at YSU this afternoon

That's Youngstown State University, my alma mater.
I don't know why the newspaper reported "monday". Too bad I am busy this afternoon.