After stop in Springfield, Bush on his way to Aurora

Associated Press WriterAURORA, Mo. (AP) -- After a brief stop in Springfield, President Bush was to arrive in this southwest Missouri town Monday amid tight security.

Missouri State Highway Patrol and sheriff's deputies' cars could be seen along a 10-mile stretch of Missouri 39 leading into Aurora.

Local high school students were released at noon and residents of the town of 6,500 had prepared for the event by hanging flags along the route to the MFA Feed Mill, which Bush was to tour.

Before going to Aurora, Bush stopped at an airplane hangar in Springfield, where he was greeted by hundreds of people waving American flags and carrying signs of support.

He told the crowd that expanded trade is essential to cure recession. "Let us compete and when we can compete in a fair way, we whip anybody when it comes to selling food."

He renewed his call for lower taxes to create jobs. "It's economics 101, except sometimes people in Washington haven't taken the course," Bush said.

Among the Aurora homes with a flag was that of Steve Maggio, who said that although he's a Bush supporter, he didn't try to get one of the few tickets available for Monday's event.

"I figured it would be a big waste of time" trying, he said.

Those who didn't have tickets still were anxious to get a glimpse of the president.

Lance Dickinson of Mount Vernon, brought his two daughters, 4-year-old Mariah, and 3-month-old Cameryn to watch the motorcade.

"I think when he says he's going to do something, he sticks with it," Dickinson said of Bush. "He's not watching the polls, and I like that."

Bush was to focus on agriculture in his visit to Aurora.

Residents said many farmers must work a second job to make ends meet, and they are eager for the president to discuss new markets for agricultural products. A few years ago, Aurora lost 400 jobs when the Little Tikes closed.

On Sunday, mill workers hurried to turn an 80-by-80-foot feed manufacturing room into a room suitable for a presidential speech. Fifty-pound sacks of feed for cows, rabbits and horses were neatly stacked around the room as workers prepared a set of bleachers for the media.