Talk highlights a local clinic

Democrats criticized the president for having an invitation-only event.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- President Bush visited one of the most Democratic regions of the nation's "Rust Belt," but he didn't talk about economic development, or how to stop the huge loss of manufacturing jobs in Ohio, or offer any words of encouragement about saving the local air base.
Also, he only touched on the ongoing situation in Iraq and homeland security.
Instead, Bush served as the moderator of a 35-minute conversation about community health-care center programs Tuesday at the Spotlight Arena Theater at Youngstown State University's Bliss Hall.
The crowd of about 200 people consisted largely of local Republicans, doctors and those in the health-care field. A "very controlled audience," was how the event was described by Paul Sracic, a YSU political science professor and a Republican, who was there and got to speak for a few minutes. There were about a half-dozen Democratic officeholders in attendance.
'Refreshing'
"I thought he did a very good job communicating with the public," said Reid Dulberger, executive vice president of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, who attended the event. "It's a format he does well. We normally expect national politicians to talk about economic issues or international trade issues. It's surprising, but it was refreshing to talk about a different topic."
Sracic said Bush should do more of these events, and fewer speeches, because he appears much more relaxed in a discussion setting. He added that it probably wouldn't have been wise for Bush to talk about economic issues in an area that is struggling economically.
"How can you be against community health care?" Sracic said.
Youngstown Mayor George M. McKelvey said he was proud that Youngstown was being showcased for something positive for a change.
Bush praised Ohio North East Health Systems Inc. during the discussion, saying it was a model of success. The agency provides primary health services for uninsured and underinsured patients. It has grown from 8,000 patients and a $600,000 budget in 1998 to 40,000 patients and a $5 million annual budget.
"It really showed the best of Youngstown; it showed our heart," McKelvey said. "Everything is usually negative, negative, negative. But he focused on a phenomenal success story."
Mayor's invitation
McKelvey will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend a private 25-person dinner tonight with the president. Although the Democratic mayor didn't get his wish to ride with Bush on Air Force One back to Washington, he did ask the president if he could sit next to him during the dinner. The president responded by asking McKelvey if he'd rather sit next to him or the first lady. McKelvey said he told the president, "No offense, but I'd rather sit next to you."
But it wasn't all peaches and cream for Bush.
Several Democrats protested against the president near Bliss Hall.
Democrats agree that Bush's community health-care initiative isn't a bad idea. They complain, however, that Bush didn't talk about broader concerns affecting the Mahoning Valley and had his appearance in a controlled environment.
Politicians react
"By closing the event to the public, the president did not have to take questions from any of the thousands of men and women who have recently lost their job and their health care along with it," said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th. "To visit our community to highlight a single program to a preselected audience speaks volumes."
State Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, said Bush's visit -- it was described as an official presidential trip and not a campaign stop, meaning taxpayers, instead of Bush's re-election campaign, will foot the bill -- was the Republican president's attempt to steal a few votes in the Valley.
"I'm kind of outraged that he thinks he can get votes in this area when he is an incompetent liar who's lied about health care, Medicare, the economy and the war in Iraq," Hagan said.
U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown of Lorain, D-13th, the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce's health subcommittee, said Bush's people forced the press into Bliss Hall hours before the speech, which made it impossible for some to give proper coverage of the hundreds of protesters outside the building.
"Bush also took no questions and picked the crowd," Brown said. "The community health-care center program is good, but it takes care of few of those who are uninsured. There are 4 million more people uninsured today than when he took office" in 2001.
Phil Singer, spokesman for U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said: "George Bush's solution to the health-care crisis in America is to close his eyes and pretend it's not there. ... Frankly, it's a little surprising that George Bush is even doing health-care events considering how absent he has been on the issue."
Quick stop
Bush's visit to the Valley, his first as president, was a quick one. He stepped off Air Force One at 12:55 p.m. at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna and was whisked to Youngstown for the community health-care forum. Once the forum was over, Bush returned to the air base and briefly talked with a group of Air Force reservists who had just returned home from the Middle East and their families. Bush got back on the plane at 2:55 p.m.
Major Valley highways, including portions of state Route 11, Interstate 80 and the Madison Avenue Expressway, were closed in both directions while the president's motorcade traveled to and from YSU.
An unannounced but planned visit to Ohio North East Health Systems Inc.'s Youngstown clinic by the president was canceled.
Greeting Bush at the air base were local Republican Party officials and Brig. Gen. Michael Gjede, the base's commander. Gjede said he tried to put a good word in to Bush about the air base.
The Bush administration plans to close about one-quarter of American military bases and announce which ones are on the chopping block next year.
GOP leader
Mark Munroe, Mahoning GOP vice chairman, also welcomed Bush to the Valley.
"We exchanged comments on the Bush/Cheney re-election plans, and he said, 'You guys have some heavy lifting to do,'" Munroe said.
Bush received less than 40 percent of the vote in 2000 in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
"He is the president of the United States, and he just can't talk about Iraq and the economy over and over again," Munroe said. "It's refreshing to hear about other issues. The most significant thing isn't what he had to say, but where he said it."
skolnick@vindy.com