Bush to campaign for Beauprez Friday, Expect Protesters

By Peggy Lowe, Rocky Mountain News

September 25, 2002

Expect protesters and deep pockets when President Bush comes to Denver on Friday

to campaign for Republican Bob Beauprez.

Bush will appear at a $1,000-a-plate luncheon for Beauprez, who's locked in a

tight race against Democrat Mike Feeley for the new 7th Congressional District

seat.

Already, Beauprez spent $550,000 in a bruising primary and the National

Republican Congressional Campaign will dump another $1.5 million into television

ads.

In addition to raising money for Beauprez, Bush will talk about his "positive

agenda for reform," said Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman.

"He campaigns on behalf of candidates who share his positive agenda for the

country," Stanzel said.

During his speech at the Adam's Mark, a downtown hotel, Bush will talk about the

war on terrorism, tax cuts and stimulating the economy, Stanzel said.

"I'm flattered by that," Beauprez said. "A few people have remarked that we seem

very comfortable together."

Beauprez said he's met Bush about five times and they found common ground on

issues such as their families and business experience.

Beauprez is a former dairy farmer who sold the family's Boulder County farm and

turned the profits into a successful real estate and banking career.

Feeley is expected to receive $750,000 in television spots from the Democratic

Congressional Campaign Committee. He raised $280,000 during his primary battle.

"We welcome the president to town and hope everyone affords him the respect due

his office," Feeley said.

A coalition of peace groups, called Coloradans Against Bush's War on Iraq, have

secured a permit to rally at the City and County Building at 11 a.m. Friday.

"In our eyes, it is a war predicated on oil and predicated on votes," said Ethan

Hemming, a spokesman for the coalition. "It's obviously not a war of defense nor

humanitarian aims. It's a war to secure votes for him in 2004 and for the

mid-term elections."

The group plans a peaceful rally and then hopes to march downtown and assemble

outside the Adam's Mark, Hemming said.

"Since most Coloradans cannot afford to pay $1,000 to have lunch with the

president on his brief fund-raising stop in Denver, a peaceful march is our only

means of communicating these concerns to the president while he is in Colorado,"

Hemming said.

lowep@RockyMountainNews.com  or (303)892-5482