Cheney speaks at fund-raiser

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Vice President Dick Cheney kicked off the 2004 campaign season in northern Indiana Thursday with a brief but profitable fund-raising appearance on behalf of freshman U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola.\nCheney was at the fund-raiser for a half-hour and helped Chocola raise $200,000 for his re-election campaign. Cheney spent most of his 15-minute speech discussing why President Bush should be re-elected.\n"The American people can be confident of a better future, a stronger economy and greater security because of the character of leadership of President George W. Bush," Cheney said at the speech inside the Joyce Center on the University of Notre Dame campus.\nHe listed accomplishments such as waging the war on terrorism, cutting taxes and stimulating the economy after the nation slipped into recession.\nAbout 125 people protested across the street, in front of Notre Dame Stadium. A small group of twenty demonstrators were dressed in mock hazardous-material suits with "Hunt for WMD" (weapons of mass destruction) written on the backs.\nThe protest crowd occasionally chanted against President Bush and the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. Some also carried placards against corporate greed.\nInside, the crowd was more supportive, clapping enthusiastically at every pause. Cheney said the Bush administration still wants to complete Medicare reform, legal reforms to lower health care costs and passage of a comprehensive energy plan.\n"We've achieved a great deal in our time in office, but there's still a great deal left to do in Washington and around the world," Cheney said.\nHe told the 375 people who attended the $250-a-plate luncheon that the narrow win by Bush over Democrat Al Gore in 2000 shows how important it is for people to get involved in elections.\n"The message to take away from that is to never let anybody tell you that what you do in a campaign doesn't matter. Every dollar matters, every contribution, every hour of volunteer work matters," Cheney said.\nBefore the luncheon, Cheney posed for pictures with couples willing to make $2,000 contributions. The $200,000 raised Thursday for Chocola is in addition to the $311,000 in campaign cash he had as of July 1, according to Federal Election Commission records.\nNo Democrat has officially announced plans to run against Chocola. Owen "Butch" Morgan, the 2nd District Democratic Party chairman, said the party hopes to have a candidate in place by next month.\nCheney also gave a brief campaign plug for Mitch Daniels, the former White House budget director now running for Indiana governor as a Republican.\n"Many of his old friends are looking forward to Mitch's campaign to be the next governor of Indiana," Cheney said.