Re: Thunder at the White House

Date: May 29, 2004

"It will be hog heaven at White House

By Maura Reynolds Tribune Newspapers: Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON -- It will be one of the more unusual White House photo ops. And perhaps one of the loudest.

On Sunday, amid a weekend of veterans events, a procession of Harley Davidsons will make its noisy way up to the White House's South Lawn and the riders--members of the Rolling Thunder veterans group--will get an Oval Office tour from the president.

"It's kind of a new thing," said Michael "Rattlesnake" Cobb, chairman of the board of Rolling Thunder, which will hold its 17th annual ride to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial over the weekend. "To us it feels like we've finally made it after 17 years."

Rolling Thunder started its cross-country rides and commemorations in Washington as part of an effort to draw attention to issues related to American prisoners of war and those missing in action. It has grown into an annual part of the Washington holiday cycle, with hundreds of thousands of motorcycle riders converging on the capital each Memorial Day weekend to make a drive around the Mall and hold demonstrations and commemorations.

But this is the first year the group has been invited to the White House.

Administration officials said the Rolling Thunder visit is part of President Bush's effort to reach out to veterans. Others see something else at work.

"One of the themes Bush has pushed is the idea that by going to NASCAR and by working on his ranch that he's a regular guy," said an aide to the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry.

Officially, Rolling Thunder is not affiliated with a political party. But the group endorsed Bush for president in 2000 and has endorsed him a second time this year.

As of Friday, White House aides said they still didn't know how the president planned to dress. Would he don leather?

"I would imagine that he might wear something a little more casual than coat and tie," said deputy White House communications director Suzy DeFrancis. "Whatever it will be, it will be presidential."

Cobb said the riders planned to keep it casual.

"We'll wear our best jeans and our brand-new Rolling Thunder-17 T-shirts," Cobb said. "I'll shine my boots."

© 2004 Chicago Tribune "