VP Cheney, Joe Biden's wife plan visits to Cape Girardeau

Details of one major political visit to Southeast Missouri were announced Thursday while a second visit scheduled for Monday was confirmed.

Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, will visit Saturday to whip up enthusiasm among volunteers as they prepare for a day of door-to-door campaigning for Biden and the Democratic presidential contender, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

According to details posted Thursday morning at the Obama for President website, www.barackobama.com, Biden will join volunteers beginning at 9 a.m. at the Laborers International Union Local 1104 and 8206 headquarters at 773 Enterprise Drive.

"Dr. Biden will be in town to speak to supporters about the upcoming election as well as send off canvassers to go door-to-door speaking with undecided voters about why Barack Obama is the change we need," said an announcement on the website.

After hearing from Biden, the volunteers will spend three hours going door to door in Cape Girardeau neighborhoods.

Obama and his Republican rival, U.S. Sen. John McCain, are fighting for every vote in Missouri. Obama's campaign hopes to cut into GOP margins in usually safe Republican areas such as Cape Girardeau County in order to carry Missouri.

The nation's presidential winner has carried Missouri in every contest except one since 1904.

In the other major visit, Vice President Dick Cheney's office said that the two-hour visit to a Washington, D.C., hospital for treatment of an irregular heartbeat won't disrupt his plans for a Monday visit.

Cheney went to George Washington University Hospital in the afternoon for treatment, where doctors shocked his heart back into a normal rhythm. The treatment forced Cheney to cancel a campaign visit to Illinois.

"The Vice President's schedule for Monday has not changed," Jamie Hennigan, assistant press secretary for the vice president said in an e-mail reply to the Southeast Missourian's inquiry about his plans.

Cheney will take part in a fundraiser for Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder at the home of lawyer and conservative author David Limbaugh. No plans for any public events have been announced.

Kinder, a Cape Girardeau native, is seeking his second term as lieutenant governor. He is working to fight off a well-funded challenge from Democratic state Rep. Sam Page of Creve Couer. The race also includes Libertarian nominee Teddy Fleck and James C. Rensing of the Constitution Party.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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