Protesters gearing up for Bush visit

[struggle4progress]

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Protesters gearing up for Bush visit

By CRAIG FOX
Finger Lakes Times

CANANDAIGUA — Organizers are already talking about a protest — even though the White House has yet to confirm that President Bush will be visiting Tuesday.

Maria Bucci, a Can-andaigua Democrat, hopes to attract several hundred people to what is being called “a peaceful protest” against the president’s policies and the way he has handled the war in Iraq.

More details about the demonstration, including the time and location, won’t be known until organizers find out more about the potential presidential visit.

White House press officer Ken Lisaius said late Wed-nesday afternoon that Bush’s schedule for next week will not be announced until 2 p.m. Friday. <snip>

http://www.fltimes.com/Main.asp?SectionID=38&SubSectionID=121&ArticleID=11247

[PATRICK]

1. It seems predictable

The high school is on the edge of town a ways past the main road and just before the American Legion. he doesn't even have to brave the town proper and the school is a step away from the VA Hospital Grounds. Ferris Nursing Home has been mentioned as well as the topic of prescription drugs and/or social security.

People are asking why here? Coincidentally it is a secret service agent's dream. The four lane highway sweeps straight from the thruway exit into town with nary a place to worry about and few places for large numbers of protesters to rally as the convoy blasts by. There is helicopter capacity near the school, fences and walls at the VA. fast simple and whatever the photo op shows, it is not necessary to even touch main street. I pity the captive school class. The middle school is between the VA and city, all closed in. Our beautiful Sonnenberg Gardens estate, the rich man's burden bequeathed as a showcase to the locals is hardly in bloom but also is sandwiched in that same VA area, totally walled off like any good tycoon's estate should be. A little bleak time of the year and there is no snow on the ground as of now.

For local politics it does not make much sense except it may buck up Rep. Kuhl enough to run again. He will lose to the Clark supporter now running against him with our lever voting machines still in place.

Why? because only in the quiet hustings can Bush even attempt to get in a good appearance. Nearby Rochester or Buffalo would bring out huge rallies. Importing huge numbers to Canandaigua would be possible but the access can really be easily hampered for "security reasons".

If the *resident wants to go fishing out of season he might still snag some zebra mussels responsible for the pristine clarity of Lake Canandaigua(Finger Lake). We have some short piers I would personally urge him to springboard off of.

It is historically a place of Indian treaties, the women's suffrage movement and a large Wild Irish Rose winery not that far at all from the high school. After a developer bought out and demolished the 1000 year old amusement park on the lake they tried to develop the small beachfront for tourism. The lake front property owners, glad to see the riffraff amusement park go, squelched most of the big plans. Maybe the UAE would like to buy up the lakefront? What a boon that would be.

The local community college on the lake offers a good taxidermy department where Bush can get stuffed and we have a lot of scrub brush to trim which is what will likely be occupying the Leader's mind as he whizzes down the road peaking out when suitable behind the darkened bulletproof glass.

But the REAL question here is: can Bush pronounce Canandaigua and will he even try?

[PATRICK]

2. Norton resigns

So who here in New York might be the "surprise" new appointment to the Interior? Not Pataki I hope. We have heard enough of his interior(appendectomy complications) to satisfy a hundred episodes of ER.

This could be a secret reason but for the life of me I can't think of who. Pothole Al D'Amato? Cityboy Rudy? Bernie(again)Kerik? Mayor Polimeni(Canandaigua)?