WOODTV.com & WOOD TV8 - Vice President Cheney campaigns in Grand Rapids
Vice President Dick Cheney made a campaign stop in Grand Rapids and picked up a union endorsement along the way.

The Vice President spoke to the Police Officers Association of Michigan and accepted their endorsement for reelection Friday at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

The leadership of the 12,000 member labor union said that the Bush-Cheney ticket would best serve the needs of their membership. In return, Cheney promised more funding for homeland security and support for first responders.



First of all, the helicopters aren't black, they are blue. This one circled about the entire time....




The "big tent" in front of the Grand Plaza to get Cheney into the building. Rumor has it that Dick is a vampire and sunlight would cause him to catch on fire and turn to ashes. Ergo, the need for the tent.




The limo. Sorry the image is blurry, I was shooting with one hand and flipping him the bird with the other. Plus, he was really hauling ass.



Grand Rapids counter-culture. I got a Kerry sign and some bumper stickers from these fine folks. They came in all ages and colors, and I was heartened by the number of positive responses I got as I walked through the Festival crowd holding my sign.

For those of you outside Grand Rapids, "Festival" is an arts show we hold every year downtown on the first weekend in June. Bands, dance troupes, choirs perform and artists show their work, if you can muscle through the crowd to see it. Basically, it's 200,000 people standing in food lines on hot concrete with their children running and screaming all around you. Fun for the kids, a living nightmare for the agoraphobics amongst us. Myself included.

Why they scheduled Dick during this madness we will never know.




Happy protest. What a beautiful day.




My Kerry sign. As Dick's motorcade was leaving, I stood in front of the Federal building, all by my lonesome, smiling and waving as I held my sign. Did he see me? I hope so.

Bye Dick!