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Student, 12, meets Bush
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| All smiles: Andi O'Bert with the guest of honor at a fundraiser last week. (Photo courtesy of Anne Gibson.) |
Thelma Grimes/Vail Sun
President George W. Bush's visit to Tucson last week wasn't just about raising money for a fellow Republican and Vail School Governing Board member Anne Gibson and her special guest, 12-year-old Andi Elena O'Bert, who took advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Air Force One touched down late Thursday night. Bush visited Tucson for a morning fundraiser in northwest Tucson Friday morning for Republican Tim Bee.
Bee, who has served in the Arizona Senate for eight years, is running against U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-District 8.
While the Friday event was closed to the press, Gibson said her husband, Howard, made the appropriate donations for she and O'Bert to meet and shake the president's hand.
"Because of her age, we had to get special permission for Andi to attend," Gibson said. "Andi and I are special friends. Howard and I have known the family for almost 30 years, since we moved to Rincon Valley. It cracks me up that Andi had to have a security clearance at 12 years of age."
According to Tom Dunn of Sen. Bee's office, the Friday event was the largest fundraising event in Tucson's history.
With more than 400 supporters, the fundraiser earned an estimated $500,000. It cost $1,000 a plate and another $10,000 for anyone wanting to take a picture with president Bush.
O'Bert got her photo with the president with a cell phone.
Dunn said the fundraising for Bee's campaign is crucial as polls show him trailing Giffords by six percentage points. Thirteen percent of those polled are still undecided.
Dunn said the fundraiser has definitely raised the bar for future events in Arizona.
President George W. Bush's visit to Tucson last week wasn't just about raising money for a fellow Republican and Vail School Governing Board member Anne Gibson and her special guest, 12-year-old Andi Elena O'Bert, who took advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Air Force One touched down late Thursday night. Bush visited Tucson for a morning fundraiser in northwest Tucson Friday morning for Republican Tim Bee.
Bee, who has served in the Arizona Senate for eight years, is running against U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-District 8.
While the Friday event was closed to the press, Gibson said her husband, Howard, made the appropriate donations for she and O'Bert to meet and shake the president's hand.
"Because of her age, we had to get special permission for Andi to attend," Gibson said. "Andi and I are special friends. Howard and I have known the family for almost 30 years, since we moved to Rincon Valley. It cracks me up that Andi had to have a security clearance at 12 years of age."
According to Tom Dunn of Sen. Bee's office, the Friday event was the largest fundraising event in Tucson's history.
With more than 400 supporters, the fundraiser earned an estimated $500,000. It cost $1,000 a plate and another $10,000 for anyone wanting to take a picture with president Bush.
O'Bert got her photo with the president with a cell phone.
Dunn said the fundraising for Bee's campaign is crucial as polls show him trailing Giffords by six percentage points. Thirteen percent of those polled are still undecided.
Dunn said the fundraiser has definitely raised the bar for future events in Arizona.
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| Sybil Erden | Free haircuts on grand opening |
Elizabeth W. wrote on Jul 23, 2008 11:29 PM:
s were able to do that for her!
Not to take anything away from her experience, I am a little saddened at how there has been zero coverage of Rep. Gifford's fundraiser with the Governor.
We had a bipartisan group of people from the Vail/Cienega Corridor attend hers on July 21st, as a thank you for what she has done to try and give us a voice in our 425 square mile boundaries in the NEPA process with the Forest Service in the Rosemont Mine issue (along with Sup. Carroll) If anyone would like to view it on YouTube, the link is here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuQgeEq9z08 "