Locals feel Napa gains in reputation from presidential visit

By JILLIAN JONES
Register Staff Writer

Local Republicans feel the upcoming visit by President George W. Bush cements Napa County’s reputation as a place to be.

“It shows you that it’s on the map,” Napa County Supervisor Mark Luce said. “I consider it quite an honor that the president decided to visit our small county.”

Bush’s planned visit to Napa County is his second in the last two years. Local Republicans, like Luce, feel the honor demonstrates the special nature of this exquisite valley.

“Napa is a world-class destination,” said Doris Gentry, the Republican candidate squaring off this November against Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, in the race to represent the 7th Assembly district.

“We are a destination,” she said, “we used to be a place you passed through to get somewhere, but not anymore. We are the destination.”

Napa County Supervisor Bill Dodd said a visit to Napa County from the president “is certainly a recognition.”

“I think that any time we have the President of the United States here, there’s a sign of success in that. I think we are one of the most beautiful destination spots certainly in the United States.”

Dee Cuney, longtime member of the Napa County Republican Central Committee and former Napa County chair of the Republican Party, said, “I think it shows that he also enjoys this valley like so many others.”

Certainly, Dodd speculated, the “high net-worth Republicans” might be an attractive lure to the president for fundraising purposes. White House officials say Bush will attend a private fundraiser during his stay in Napa County.

“When you go out and you get these people to give you big contributions, the truth of the matter is having them go to a beautiful, really nice destination makes it easier to sell those tickets,” Dodd said.

Additionally, Dodd said, “I understand the president had a really great bike outing last time he was here, and maybe that made him come.”

But Gentry said the president’s second visit to Napa County signals that Napa County has entered the political sphere of influence.

“The first thing I think about the President coming to town is that he thinks Napa is important, he thinks California is important, and he thinks the citizens of this area matter,” Gentry said.

Gentry said she will participate in the events Thursday, but would not divulge the specific role she will play.

“I am involved, but I can’t talk about what they’re having me do,” Gentry said.

Janet Kirtlink, Chairwoman of the Napa County Republican Party, said she was asked to be a part of the motorcade, but declined because of her commitment to a separate event, a Friday dinner at the Napa Elks Lodge with Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-El Centro.

The White House request, she said, was veiled in secrecy.

“You have to wait around for the plane to land and then they bring a whole crew of people, so you don’t know who you’ll be with,” Kirtlink said. “All the highways have to be blocked off. They don’t tell you the route they’re going to go on until you’re there in part of it. … They don’t even tell you any time.”

Gentry said her role required a background check and clearance through the Secret Service.

Luce said he prefers to stay away from the hubbub that is sure to ensue when Bush comes to Napa County.

“I try to steer away when presidents are in town,” Luce said, complaining of “traffic jams and that sort of thing.”

“I did have the chance when Jeb Bush was here to ride with Jeb as he was going from thing to thing” in 2000, Luce said. “I met him at Meadowood and we drove into Napa High, where Jeb gave a speech.”

Dodd, who saw the president at Meadowood in 2006, said he plans to be out of town Thursday, but said, “The opportunity to meet the President of the United States would be a neat deal.”

Both Dodd and Luce said that, if they had the chance to meet the president, they would ask him about funding for the Napa Flood Control Project.

“I think that’s certainly been one (issue) where our interface with the federal government has not been as positive as it could,” Dodd said.

Gentry acknowledged Bush is a controversial president, and admits his reputation in the strongly Democratic Napa County is debatable, but said residents of Napa County should be honored by his visit.

“The president is still the president of our nation,” she said. “Whatever his approval rating does not change that he is our leader, he is our commander-in-chief, he is our president. We can disagree with maybe some of the individual decisions, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is our leader, and I think that it makes me very excited that he’s here.”

Napa should be honored that the President of the United States has chosen visit us,” Luce said, “and so I hope that it all goes well, he has a pleasant visit and remembers us well.”

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