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--> --> On the inside: Expo crowd goes wild for Bush By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings CENTRAL POINT - The flash of cameras and buzz of excited Americans filled the Compton Arena as thousands of Southern Oregonians cheered the President of the United States. Most of the people had been waiting for hours Thursday in a long line which snaked its way for hundreds of yards from the outside gates of the arena to the front door where security checked tickets and identities. Groups of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, firefighters, people in dapper suits, casual attire, shorts, and cowboy hats had waited patiently. Some held bibles or read books while others played chess while waiting. Inside the arena, the crowd was expectant but polite for the most part - including 130 children from Rogue Valley Boys and Girls Clubs - even after waiting for two hours in line to get in to see President Bush, and then another hour waiting for his speech to begin. "We knew it would be a challenge keeping all the kids calm," Talent Boys and Girls Club Director Steve Mumper said. "The kids have been really excited ever since we got tickets." As people waited, the temperature rose inside the large building. A large, dark spot of sweat was visible on the back of the president as he walked on to the stage and started greeting people. Down on the standing-room-only floor, people strained to get a look at their leader, and occasional yells of "kneel down!" drifted up from the back of the arena. Bush used his Southern Oregon appearance to formally announce a plan to make it easier for timber companies to cut wood from fire-prone national forests. Several Western governors who have been pushing for just such changes came out for the event, including Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber who met Bush at the Medford airport upon arrival of Air Force One. "The forest policy of our government is misguided policy," Bush, standing in casual clothes on a stage surrounded by potted trees from Valley View Nursery of Ashland, told the cheering crowd at the arena "We need to make our forests healthy by using some common sense. We need to understand you let kindling build up and there's a lightning strike, you're going to get yourself a big fire," he said. It makes sense to clear brush, he said: "We just haven't done it and we're now paying the price." The president talked of more than timber, and the audience was supportive throughout, repeatedly rising to their feet to give a big cheer when he made a point they particularly agreed with. Some of the biggest approvals came at Bush's vow to redirect the nation's forest policy, his support of Klamath Basin farmers, and his intention of curtailing environmental lawsuits. Another crowd-pleaser was the president's promise to protect the nation from terrorism. "My No. 1 job here is to protect the homeland from the enemy," he said. He cited thousands of terrorist-related arrests and then added: " ... the United States and our coalition and friends have pulled in over a couple of thousand of them. And there's another couple of thousand that weren't quite so lucky." The observation was met with another great cheer and some scattered laughter. Ashland Mayor Alan DeBoer was at the event, and made his way through protesters on his way out. He said he was impressed with the president's relaxed, unpolished speaking style. "What a neat thing for the president to be a real person," DeBoer said, defending the president against occasional criticism of his grammar or word choices. "What happens is people focus too much on sentences and words. The cool part is, this is the leader of so many people and he's just up there saying what he feels." DeBoer's wife Rebecca was pleased to get a chance to shake hands with the president. "He had a small, soft hand," she said. "He was very nice." Later in the day, protesters gathered on the mountain road leading to Squires Peak where Bush toured after his Central Point speech. "More forest, less Bush," read one sign. "This is the second fire site I've been to this summer and it's the same story," the president said, surrounded by dead, blackened trees and his cowboy boots covered with ash. "Had we properly managed our forests, the devastation caused would not have been nearly as severe and it's a crying shame ... What the critics need to do is come stand where I stand." Talking with firefighters still working on piles of embers, Bush said, "You guys see what good practices mean, what bad practices mean first hand. We're trying to bring common sense to forest policy." Firefighter Cody Goodnough replied, "That will make our job easier." For the full text of the president's speech, see www.whitehouse.gov . The Associated Press contributed to this story Email your... 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