[Peace-discuss] Bush to visit Moline on ... Monday!

[Peter Miller]

January 13, 2002 12:06 AM

Green and yellow will be glowing Monday for Bush

By Todd Welvaert, Dispatch/Argus Staff writer

EAST MOLINE -- If green and yellow can glow, bet it will Monday morning 
when President George Bush drops by John Deere Harvester Works as part of a 
three-state tour promoting his plans for job development, free trade and 
economic security.

Deere and Co., officials and employees were working hard Saturday, 
polishing, painting and putting up the last of preparations for President 
Bush's visit, the first presidential visit of a Deere facility according to 
John Gault, Deere Harvester Works general manager.

``We're very excited to have President Bush here,'' Mr. Gault said. ``It's 
a tremendous honor for the factory and for city and the area. It's been a 
long couple of days, but it's going to be worth it in the end.''

Employees have arranged a series of the giant green and yellow Deere 
combines as a backdrop for President Bush's speech following a tour of the 
facility in which he is expected to start a combine in John Deere's ``Gold 
Key'' program, which allows a farmer to watch his combine being assembled 
on the line and gets to be the first one to turn start its engine.

Following the tour, expected to start at about 10 a.m., the President will 
speak to the Deere employees and media.

``It's a great opportunity for us,'' Curtis Linke, vice president of 
communications, said. ``We are expecting around 175 media people today, 
that's going to mean global coverage. We are very proud that President Bush 
chose our factory to come to.''

Deere officials were tight-lipped about security measures being taken, 
despite the obvious presence of some. A series of fork lifts were 
transporting and arranging concrete barriers around the factory's parking 
lots to control vehicle access and secret service agents were on scene 
coordinating activities throughout the day.

``We've been working pretty closely with the White House staff and it's 
really been a pretty easy process,'' spokesman Ken Golden said. ``What the 
White House wants, the White House gets. We are just thrilled this happened.''

Employees were erecting stadium-type bleacher seating along one wall and 
the stage that Mr. Bush will use, and scaffolding for the media cameras. 
There also was a long line of portable restrooms installed in the cavernous 
Harvester Works facility.

Mr. Gault said he was impressed with the quality of the White House staff 
who have been coordinating the event with Deere employees over the past 
several days.

``They have been very concerned with keeping the disruption and the cost at 
a minimum,'' Mr. Gault said. ``It's interesting, they know where everyone 
is going to be, planned exactly where everyone will stop. It's impressive 
to watch it come together.''

About 1,500 employees are expected to be on hand to hear the President's 
message and get a peek at the man who made John Deere's golf cart-like 
utility vehicle, the Gator, a house-hold name by telling reporters he would 
use it to transport Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin around his Texas 
ranch.

``I think everyone is pretty excited,'' Dick Moller, a 38-year Deere 
Harvester Works employee, said. ``I plan on being here, it's a great 
opportunity to see the president in person. I'm glad he's coming here, 
especially now. The war is still a big deal and there's economic issues 
that need to be addressed and the farm bill is important to us all and it's 
a big issue.''

Although the White House has not commented on what the exact topics of 
President's Bush's speech, speculation is running high it will include news 
about the new farm bill being debated in Washington.

``It would be a great place for him to make some kind of an announcement 
about the farm bill,'' Mr. Gault said. ``If he does talk about it, I 
imagine it would be good news.''

Mr. Gault admitted to being a little star struck by the event.

``I've received a few telephone calls at home at night from the White House 
and let me tell you, that was a first,'' he said. ``My wife was out of town 
and I called to tell her to guess who was coming to town for lunch, she 
wouldn't believe me at a first.''