WASHINGTON – For the first time in the campaign, President Bush and John Kerry will be at the same place and at the same time – celebrating today’s dedication of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Kerry is scheduled to attend the crowded dedication ceremony and sit with a World War II veteran he met in Pennsylvania, while Bush delivers a speech to the veterans at 2:30 p.m. There were no plans for Kerry to speak at the event, so it remains unclear whether the two candidates will meet face to face.
Kerry will be sitting with other senators near the stage.
“He’s there in attendance for Memorial Day,” said Kerry campaign spokesman Mark Kornblau, adding, “I’m sure he’d be pleased” to shake hands with Bush.
Both candidates were recently in the same state on the same day – Kansas – for the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision that outlawed legally segregated schools.
Now, both candidates are trying to appeal broadly to war-veteran voters while paying tribute to them.
Kerry rallied with veterans yesterday in Green Bay, Wis., while Democratic Party chief Terry McAuliffe claimed Bush has a secret plan to cut veterans’ benefits.
Kerry will stay in Washington tomorrow, with no public events scheduled, and could use the free day to make his annual trip to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Kerry served in the Navy in Vietnam.
Tomorrow, Bush will receive at the White House the leaders of Rolling Thunder, a veterans group known for riding motorcycles to D.C. each Memorial Day. The group has endorsed Bush for re-election.
On Monday, Bush lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, and next week he’ll be in Normandy, France, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day.
In a new Spanish-language ad, Kerry honors Hispanic veterans while highlighting his own “lifetime of service and strength.”
Kerry yesterday launched his new $18 million ad campaign, which is set to last a month and target Latino
voters.