Bush woos Ohio voters en route to GOP convention

By Mike Ferullo/CNN

BLUE ASH, Ohio (CNN) -- Weaving his way toward the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Texas Gov. George W. Bush touted his agenda of tax cuts and Social Security reform during a campaign rally in the bellwether state of Ohio.

Gov. George W. Bush is in the middle of a five-day campaign swing through battleground states that President Clinton won in 1992 and 1996. He will arrive in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

"There is a surplus not because of the genius of goverment, there's a surplus because the taxes on the people who work for a living are the highest they have been as a percentange since World War II," Bush told a rally at a baseball field in Blue Ash, a suburb of Cincinnati.

"My opponent believes the surplus belongs to the government," Bush said in one of his only references to his Democratic rival, Vice President Al Gore. "I belive the surplus is the people's money, and we ought to share it."

Bush is in the middle of a five-day campaign swing through battleground states that President Clinton won in 1992 and 1996. He will arrive in Philadelphia on Wednesday to accept the GOP presidential nomination.

His vice presidential running mate, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, broke off the campaign trip Saturday to head to Washington, D.C., for a full round of appearances on the Sunday talk shows. After that, he was bound for Philadelphia for a welcoming rally with Republicans.

"I told the American people I was going to pick somebody who could be president of the United States and I found that man in Dick Cheney," Bush told about 3,000 gathered under a light drizzle. "He's a good man, he's a solid man, he's a man of integrity. I'm proud to call him friend, and you'll be proud to call him vice president."

As is common practice during his stump speeches, Bush took a veiled jab at President Clinton by asserting that the Monica Lewinsky scandal has sullied the White House, and that he was the candidate best suited to "usher in a new era."

"I think you can judge the nature of a man by the company his keeps, and I think pretty good company with Laura Bush," said the Texas governor, previewing his wife's planned speech Monday, the opening day of the convention.

Bush joked that his wife agreed to marry him upon condition she wouldn't be required to deliver political speeches. "Guess who's kicking off the convention tomorrow?" he said.

He spoke to the Ohio audience about his "compassionate conservative" agenda to help out the less fortunate, rebuilding the morale and strength of the military, and protecting Social Security for current retirees and younger people under his partial privatization plan allowing for some investment in the stock market.

Texas Gov. Bush and his wife Laura embrace after a rally in Blue Ash, Ohio, Sunday. Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim O'Toole is at left, and Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, is at right.

Gore has derided the plan as a "risky scheme" that could potentially bankrupt the entire government retirement program for seniors, and leave little budget money left over to tackle other important issues, such as education and a prescription drug plan under Medicare.

"The polls say you shouldn't be talking about Social Security ... but I'm running for a reason, Bush told the crowd. "If you're getting a check, the Bush team will give you your money and fulfil the promise. To the young voters, you need a president who will think differently."

Bush has made numerous trips to Ohio with hopes of staking a November claim on the Buckeye State, which has gone with every winning president since 1948, except one.

Although a poll released Friday showed Bush with a strong lead over Gore -- 16 points in the CNN/Time survey of likely voters, 52 to 36 percent -- the Texas governor has repeated warned supporters against being overconfident.

"The polls are up, that's the good news. The bad news is that the election is not tomorrow. I'm here to tell you I want your help and your support," Bush said. "I believe we can carry this great state."

The Bushes attended church services in the Cincinnati suburb of Hyde Park before taking some time off to work on their convention speeches, campaign aide Scott McClellan told reporters Saturday.

While Mrs. Bush heads to Philadelphia on Monday, the rest of the campaign caravan will move out for scheduled stops in Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, on Monday and Charleston, West Virginia, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Tuesday before arriving at the GOP gathering the following day.

The Texas governor will also deliver brief addresses via satellite to the gathered convention on both Monday and Tuesday evenings.

Reuters contributed to this report.