Bush to come to Topeka!

[David]

Trip would be for Brown site dedication

By Michael Hooper and Tim Richardson
The Capital-Journal
Mayor James McClinton said Tuesday there is a good chance President Bush will be in Topeka for the May 17 dedication of the Brown v. Board of Education Historic Site.

The Secret Service already has been to Topeka checking out the city. Several law enforcement agencies have been meeting regularly to prepare for events surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision.

"We know that there's a good chance that the president will be here," McClinton told members of the North Topeka Business Alliance at a luncheon Tuesday. "We know there's a good chance that some Supreme Court justices will be here. We know that the Secret Service has already been here checking the place out. We already have entertained the U.S. Marshal's Service, so we know some dignitaries will be in Topeka for that celebration."

White House spokesman Jim Morrell said he couldn't confirm whether Bush would be coming to Topeka. The president's schedule is typically announced a week in advance.

"It's great that it is being recognized," Morrell said of the Brown case. "The court decision was a benchmark case for civil rights and certainly should be remembered."

He said White House officials were aware of the 50th anniversary.
"The president views it as an historic decision that the American people should look back on and reflect on," Morrell said Tuesday.

LaTonya Miller, spokeswoman for the Brown v. Board of Education Historic Site, has said more than 1,000 media requests have been made.

"There will be some people from other countries," McClinton said. "They took the model of that decision around the world to try and decide how they would educate their children, and so the whole world will be looking at Topeka this summer."

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Topeka, couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday, but he has connections to the White House. He has been friends for years with Karl Rove, a political adviser to Bush.

Miller has said Brownback and other Kansas congressmen are scheduled to be at Brown v. Board of Education events. Others scheduled to attend include Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige and Juan Williams, of National Public Radio.

Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said she didn't know whether Bush was coming to Topeka.

"We hope the president would accept the invitation," she said.

Area law enforcement agencies began preparing for the May 17 dedication several weeks ago.

Kansas Highway Patrol Lt. John Eickhorn said talks with the Secret Service began in January. Secret Service officials then flew to Topeka last month to begin setting up security details through a multiagency committee, Eickhorn said.

"You cannot rely on just one agency to provide security for the president coming to town," he said. "The patrol will have assets that we'll be able to provide that I'm sure will be helpful in setting up security before, during and after the president makes his visit."

Eickhorn said although he hadn't heard an official word that Bush was coming to Topeka, authorities were planning for that possibility.

Topeka police Maj. John Sidwell said officials from several agencies have been meeting every other week to nail down security details. He said authorities, who have met about six times, were in the preliminary stages.

One option is to have spectators park at the Kansas Expocentre, then bus them to the National Park Service site at the former Monroe School near S.E. 17th and Monroe. At that point, authorities might screen observers to ensure they aren't carrying prohibited items, such as backpacks, Sidwell said.

He said spectators then might go through a metal detector to enter a cordoned-off area. Sidwell stressed that nothing is set in stone.

Authorities haven't determined exactly how to staff the event because many details -- including whether Bush might attend -- haven't been confirmed.

"Worst-case scenario is how you plan your manpower, so we're going to be drawing on many different agencies to ensure that we have adequate manpower," Sidwell said. "Obviously, the whole flavor is going to change if the president shows up, and that's going to change our manpower."

Agencies included in the security meetings are Topeka police, the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Highway Patrol, Capitol Police, and security officials with Topeka Public School and Washburn University. Sidwell said authorities have been working through the National Park Service. The U.S. Marshal's Office also is attending the security meetings in case any Supreme Court justices travel to Topeka.

Craig Beam, judicial security inspector for the U.S. Marshal's Office for the District of Kansas, said his office, which also is charged with providing security for federal judges, has been in frequent contact with officials in Washington, D.C.. He said no justices have confirmed a trip to Topeka, although a confirmation probably wouldn't come down until three or four weeks before the event.

"We're still in limbo as far as knowing whether or not they're coming," Beam said.

He said preparation is being done through the U.S. Marshal's office at the Frank Carlson Federal Building in Topeka.

Sonny Scroggins, a local activist, said he was pleased to hear about the possibility of Bush coming to Topeka. He said police told him to reschedule a parade he has organized from Sumner School to Monroe School. That event will be at 3 p.m. May 16, he said.

"All the living presidents should be here," Scroggins said.

[ColdFront77]

President George W. Bush is speaking about his "Faith-Based Initiatives," right now
in Los Angeles, California. It was just on the Fox News Channel, but they cut away.