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From: Bart (129.171.32.13)
George Bush's re-election campaign has paid the city of La Crosse $7,800 for extra security, police overtime and other expenses incurred during the president's visit to the western Wisconsin city in May. In so doing, the president's campaign aides have acknowledged that they crossed the line when they effectively demanded that La Crosse officials turn much of their town into the backdrop for a photo opportunity set up to benefit the Bush campaign. That presidential visit, which was billed as an old-fashioned campaign rally, evolved into an illustration of just about everything that is wrong with contemporary campaigning. The Bush campaign swept into town with all the pomp and circumstance - and demands - of a royal tour. Streets were closed. Traffic was diverted. Parks were surrounded with security fences through which only Bush supporters were allowed to pass. Ordinary citizens - and, of course, all who might disagree with the president - were forced to keep their distance. There was nothing public, or "open," about the Bush visit. It was a closed party organized for the purpose of creating nice images for the national media. And asking the city of La Crosse to pay for the promotion of the president's re-election campaign amounted to a raid on the city treasury for political purposes. While communities have a responsibility to provide basic security for visiting candidates, there is no responsibility to pay for walling off those candidates from the people who live in the town. La Crosse residents complained about the excessive security associated with the Bush visit. After a review, La Crosse Mayor John Medinger asked the Bush campaign to pay for some of the expenses that were run up during the May visit. After initially dismissing the request, the Bush camp finally acknowledged that it had gone overboard. The payment of $7,800 should be seen as an initial installment, not a final payment. The Bush campaign has not covered all the excessive expenses that it ran up in La Crosse. And other Wisconsin and Iowa communities also have inquired about seeking repayment for costs run up during Bush's visits to their towns. Hopefully the end result of this whole mess will be that the campaigns of both President Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry will recognize that, while they are welcome in Wisconsin, they are not welcome to demand that Wisconsin communities empty their treasuries in order to make that welcome a royal one. Published: 7:24 AM 8/17/04
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