Cheney: Stay the course.

Byline: David Steves The Register-Guard

Vice President Dick Cheney spent most of his brief stop in Eugene on Friday ridiculing Democrat John Kerry as a flip-flopper and urging voters to keep America safe by sticking with the current administration.

In his 28-minute speech before 3,000 people at the Eugene Airport, Cheney made several references to the accomplishments of his running mate, President Bush - cutting taxes, pushing legislation to speed up logging in fire-prone Western forests and adding jobs to an economy that has been struggling to emerge from the 2001 downturn. But among the biggest selling points he made for a vote for Bush was keeping the United States safe from terrorists.

"Today we face an enemy every bit as intent on destroying us as were the Axis powers in World War II. ... This is, to put it simply, an enemy that we must destroy," Cheney said. `And with President George W. Bush as our commander-in-chief, that is exactly what we will do.'

The campaign's stated goal for Cheney's appearance - revving up a partisan crowd of supporters and volunteers for the final 45 days of the campaign - seemed to be fulfilled, based on the raucous and frequent applause at the Monaco Coach hangar.

Twice, Cheney's speech was briefly interrupted by protesters who had infiltrated the crowd, which was made up of supporters who had received tickets from local GOP offices.

It was the sixth trip Cheney has made to Oregon since Bush's election and his first to Lane County since the 2000 campaign, when Cheney spoke in Junction City at a motor coach manufacturing plant. Prior to his Eugene stop, Cheney had appeared at a town hall-style event in Oregon City. That's where his Democratic counterpart, vice presidential nominee John Edwards, appeared Tuesday.

In Eugene Cheney tossed out plenty of red meat to the crowd, drawing huge cheers when he said he and Bush reject the partial-birth abortion procedure, support the right of Americans to bear arms, and believe that Americans ought to be able to say "one nation under God" when pledging allegiance to the flag.

But one of the major themes of the speech focused on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

Throughout the campaign, the Bush-Cheney campaign has sought to characterize Kerry as indecisive and prone to change his position on issues. Cheney maintained that drumroll throughout his speech, prompting the crowd to break out in chants of "flip-flop, flip-flop."

"America faces a choice on Nov. 2 between a strong and steadfast president and his opponent, who seems to adopt a new position every day,' Cheney said.

Cheney criticized Kerry's vote against a bill to spend $87 billion for body armor and other military equipment for the troops in Iraq.

Adam Green, a Kerry spokesman in Oregon, said Cheney was mischaracterizing Kerry's vote on the military equipment appropriation by leaving out key factors: Kerry and other Democrats had proposed a version that provided the $87 billion by rolling back a portion of the Bush tax cut for the wealthiest households and businesses. Bush had threatened to veto that version. The one that passed Congress, and which Kerry opposed, did not provide the increased tax revenue to pay for it and included what the Democrat considered too much money for Halliburton and other contractors, Green said.

Green said Oregon voters should take into account Bush's own shifting statements on the war in Iraq.

"Let's talk about Bush's changing reasons for the war as lie after lie got debunked," he said. "Let's talk about Bush announcing 'mission accomplished' last year but telling Oregon parents who lost children in Iraq this week to stay the course."

Audience member Megan Wolf said she agreed to volunteer on a phone bank after calling a Republican campaign office for tickets. After hearing Cheney's speech, she said she was ready to devote more volunteer time on behalf of the Bush-Cheney ticket.

"I've never seen anyone this famous up close before," said the Corvallis resident, who turned 18 last month. "Now I'm getting really excited, so I think that will motivate me."

Two people in the crowd shed their outer layers of clothing after the speech began to reveal white T-shirts with anti-war slogans. One of them started shouting "Stop the war!" until an elderly man in the crowd rushed over to grab the demonstrator from behind and put a headlock on him. After security personnel broke up the scuffle, they escorted the two dissenters from the hangar.

"Treat him with kindness and maybe he'll see the light," Cheney remarked before resuming his speech.

The man who attacked the protester, 66-year-old Art Briga of Springfield, was allowed to stay.

"I just thought it was discourteous of the man to be doing that. He's the vice president of the United States," Briga said afterward. "And I'm an ex-Marine."

CAPTION(S):

Vice President Dick Cheney received a warm welcome from a crowd of 3,000 on Friday at the Monaco Coach hangar at the Eugene Airport.