Cheney Holds Fund-Raisers in Upstate New York (Met by protestors)

I live in Southern Ontario, close to the U.S.A. border and can get the Buffalo stations...This is from WIVB, Buffalo's CBS station....I don't see anything on CNN about protestors when they mention Bush and Cheney's fundraisers...I wonder how many other's have been greeted by protestors?
<snip>
"It's shaping up to be a good year," Cheney, accompanied by Gov. George Pataki, said during the first of three upstate fund-raising stops. "I am confident that next year the American people will re-elect our president for a job well done."
<snip>
Detractors greeted Cheney throughout the day. The 500 protesters waiting in the rain at his first fund-raising stop, in Liverpool, outnumbered paying guests by more than 2-to-1. About 300 protesters were on hand in Rochester and others waited outside a Buffalo restaurant before Cheney's evening appearance.
<snip>
"Get your priorities straight. Fund human needs, not war," "Slick Cheney, the wizard of oil," signs carried by protesters said.

http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1529752&nav=0RapJBUa

couldn't make it up to either protest (I'm 1-2 hours away) but I'm glad to hear about these protests. Here's a report from the Syracuse newspaper (Liverpool is a suburb of Syracuse). Note the description as "peaceful" protestors, but also downplaying of numbers...


Peaceful protesters greet vice president
Salina's town supervisor is among those demonstrating against the administration.

November 18, 2003

By Pam Greene
Staff Writer

Despite rain and mud, about 200 people protested outside the Holiday Inn in Salina Monday morning while Vice President Dick Cheney met with supporters who paid $1,000 to have breakfast with him.

<snip>

The protest began at 7:30 a.m. when about 50 people gathered outside the Hess gas station at Electronics Parkway and 7th North Street. As the crowd grew to about 100 people, sheriff's deputies warned protesters not to stand in the street.

As the crowd grew to about 200, protesters crossed 7th North Street to a field off the Thruway exit, where they stood waving signs and chanting slogans.

Deputies on the scene said the protest was peaceful.

<snip>

Virtually everyone standing along Electronics Parkway had a gripe with the Bush administration, be it the war in Iraq, job losses or the control money has over government.

Only two people stood with the protesters to support the vice president.

<snip>

Members of unions, veterans groups, the Syracuse Peace Council and the National Organization for Women protested. "Hey, ho, Bush and Cheney got to go," was the cheer led by Salina Supervisor and Democrat Mary Ann Schadt.
<more>

http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-13/1069149346296100.xml

their disgust and displeasure for Cheney, Bush and the Iraq war...Only a short clip of Cheney scuttling across the airport grounds from his plane to his limo....

This story is pretty amazing in terms of tone, from a political columnist. Notice the report of yet another lie from Cheney...
From Syracuse Post-Standard:

For $1,000, you get one warmed-over VP

November 18, 2003

DICK CASE

POST-STANDARD COLUMNIST

You can lead Republicans to a $1,000-a-plate breakfast with the vice president of the United States, but you can't make them love being there.

The room was filled with black and blue suits Monday morning at the Holiday Inn on Electronics Parkway for Dick Cheney's early campaign visit. Most of the warmth was in the heat ducts.

We noticed no banners and no balloons. Only three American flags.

<snip>

Even Congressman Jim Walsh had to give his party colleagues a gentle slap upside the head when they didn't respond to his remark about Dick Cheney coming to us from an "undisclosed secure location."

"That's a joke," Jim explained.

Actually, our man in Washington's brief introduction of the governor, who introduced the vice president, showed us the breakfast's only fire in the belly other than the indigestion that began to kick in by the time Dick Cheney took the lectern.

This moderate Republican made a fist and lectured the room with Democratic fervor.
<snip>

Whatever, the congressman's there for his president: George Bush's policies are OK by Jim. He expects "overwhelming support" for the Bush/ Cheney ticket come the 2004 elections.

<snip>

Bush/Cheney lost New York by 1.7 million votes last time. However, the Republicans won Florida, as we know.

The top of the ticket was nowhere to be seen Upstate three years ago. Still, Dick Cheney began his remarks by saying he was pleased "to be back in Syracuse."

Shoot, maybe he came through on the train when he was a kid.

He read through his speech with the gusto of a man who'd been assigned to the cleanup committee. Maybe he'd heard it before. The room clapped politely when the speaker mentioned we'd win the war on terrorism, respect the military, speed up economic growth with Bush/Cheney tax breaks and find a job for every person who wants one.

<snip>The vice president made a New York day of it. He next flew to Rochester for a luncheon to raise money, then to Buffalo for a dinner and more checks. Syracuse's event was organized by Bob Congel and his helpers at Destiny USA/Pyramid Cos.

Dick Cheney spoke for 14 minutes, by our clock. At $1,000 a ticket, that's $71.43 per minute.

Did guests get a bang for their bucks?

On the way out of the room, I heard a member of the county Republican committee answer that question.

"I've never had so much fun," he replied. I noticed a lump in his cheek.

http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1069149301296100.xml