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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels October 7, 2004 Expo prepares for possible, but unconfirmed, Bush visit By Damian Mann For the Tidings President George Bush may hold a rally Oct. 15 at the Expo Center in Central Point, setting the stage for the third high-level campaign visit since July. Expo Director Chris Borovansky said Bush's advance team already has discussed renting venues at the fairgrounds, pegging next Friday as the possible date for the president's arrival. "They want to use one of the larger areas," he said. Bush's visit follows rallies held this summer at the fairgrounds by Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Kerry. Oregon Republican Party Chairman Kevin Mannix had told The Associated Press that Bush would attend a rally in Hillsboro on Oct. 14 and another rally in Medford the following day. However, he later backed off on those statements, saying he had spoken prematurely. "My hope and expectation is that the president is coming here then. But there is no confirmation from the Bush-Cheney campaign," he said. Bush's possible visit in Medford would coincide with the day ballots are mailed out to Oregon voters. Ken Lisaius, White House spokesman, said no announcements have been made about the president's traveling plans next week. He said the itinerary is normally given out only a week in advance. Randy Schoen, deputy chief of operations for the Medford Police Department, said he's been contacted by the president's advance team about the upcoming visit. "Details of the event haven't been revealed to me other than he's coming next week," he said. "We've heard two different dates and three different times." Schoen expects to add more security to this visit than the two other rallies. "Any visit by the president is of greater concern than the vice president or Kerry," he said. Bryan Platt, chairman of the Jackson County Republican Central Committee, said it's too premature to say when the president is coming. However, he did say the president has been planning a trip to Southern Oregon sometime during the campaign. "It's been penciled in for some time," he said. Platt said the Republican headquarters already has been inundated with phone calls from local residents who want tickets to the rally. Bill Layton, chairman of the Jackson County Democratic Central Committee, said there aren't any protests planned for the rally. The Bush visit comes as the latest poll confirms that Oregon remains a battleground state. Last week, a poll done for The Oregonian and KATU-TV showed that Bush and Kerry are in a virtual tie in the state, where Bush lost to Democrat Al Gore by 6,700 votes in 2000. In Jackson County, Bush received 12,899 more votes than Gore. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams