Bush dodges NE Ohio flood victims, attends Blackwell fundraiser [View All]

PAINESVILLE, Ohio (AP) — The president was visiting, but most people hard hit by northeast Ohio floods had other things to worry about Wednesday.

Muck and scorching heat created a pungent stench similar to the aroma of the pachyderm area of a zoo as residents pulled out furniture, appliances and an array of personal items, including clothing covered in mud and mold.

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But some wished the president had toured their streets instead of meeting with politicians in Mentor, not nearly as damaged as Painesville and elsewhere in the area. He stopped by an emergency management bunker on his way to a fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell, who greeted Bush at the Cleveland airport with former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar.

Blackwell's campaign said about 650 people attended the fundraiser, which was expected to raise about $1.5 million.

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"Quite frankly, the president's been through 11 hurricanes and he knows what a disaster looks like," said U.S. Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Adulterer), who invited Bush to visit Lake County and was with him in the emergency operation center.



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