Bush rallies Reno crowd

RENO - Pointing to new figures on rising Nevada employment, President George Bush told an adoring audience Friday his administration's policies are driving a strong economic recovery in both the Silver State and the nation as a whole.

He said the nation has added a million jobs in the past 100 days and that Nevada added nearly 50,000 jobs in the past year.

"The tax relief we passed is working," he told a crowd of more than 9,700 staunch supporters at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

"We have left more money in the hands that earned it. The American people have used their money far better than the federal government would have."

Bush started his speech an hour later than scheduled, but the crowd didn't mind.

"It's great to be here in Nevada," he said pronouncing the state's name correctly, unlike a Las Vegas visit last fall when he was criticized for calling it "Neh-vaw-duh."

"You didn't think I'd get it right, did you?" he said, grinning at the crowd over the podium.

Bush also touted his signing of a bill he said will provide $300 million for restoration of Lake Tahoe and thanked both Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., for their support in winning approval of the so-called Healthy Forests Act, allowing cutting to remove excess brush and growth in national forests.

But the bulk of the speech focused on what the GOP and his administration regard as Bush's strengths - the war on terrorism, national security and the dramatic evidence of economic recovery.

He charged that Sen. John Kerry, the presumed Democratic challenger, would handle things far differently both in the war on terrorism and the economy. Kerry, he said, would increase taxes and stall the recovery.

"My plan is for keeping taxes low and maintaining spending discipline in Washington D.C.," he said. "Just as the economy is getting better, we should not be taking money out of the pockets of consumers."

The war on terrorism, he said, "is a choice between an America that leads the world in strength and confidence or an America that is unsure."

He defended his decisions to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, saying "because we acted, America is more secure. Because we acted, the world is more free."

He suggested Kerry would not have taken such decisive action, citing Kerry's statements that he would work more with other countries to take multi-national action in such cases.

"I'm all for united action, but I will never turn over America's national security decisions to the leaders of other countries," he said.

Bush was introduced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who called the Iraq war "a fight between right and wrong, good and evil - and it's no more ambiguous than that."

The president also ran through a list of his other issues, urging support for federal funding to faith-based groups to provide help for the needy and inclusion of welfare reforms which "strengthen marriage."

Both sides say Nevada is a potential tie breaker in the race for president this year.

The Bush campaign will continue its push to build support in Nevada with an appearance by Vice President Dick Cheney in Las Vegas on Monday.

Kerry has appeared in Nevada twice, both times in Las Vegas. He has said he intends to try come to Northern Nevada as well.

Contact Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.