Tampabay: Pasco rally embraces George W. Bush

The Republican presidential nominee's 1,200 fans at Pasco-Hernando Community College spent the half-hour chanting "We want Bush" and filling the gymnasium with rhythmic clapping.

Pasco was one of two stops Bush made Saturday in Florida as he and Vice President Al Gore try to break through their statistical dead heat. This weekend marks Bush's seventh visit to the state since mid-March.

When Bush did arrive with his wife, Laura, and brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, his simple declaration, "Let's get started," brought all to swift attention.

The Texas governor stuck to familiar ground, highlighting his proposal to use the $4.6-trillion federal surplus expected over the next 10 years to strengthen Social Security, add Medicare drug coverage and finance tax breaks for all.

Bush accused Gore, whose proposed tax break is less sweeping, of deciding which taxpayers can get some of their money back and which cannot.

"The surplus isn't the government's money, Mr. Gore. The surplus is the people's money," Bush said.

At one time, Bush became confused with his own numbers, incorrectly adding up federal income-tax figures.

"I was trying to do some fuzzy math," Bush said, criticizing himself the way he criticizes Gore.

"I used (Gore's) calculator. Then I used the real one."

Tom Hitchens, a consultant in Spring Hill, already has calculated his savings under Bush's tax plan.

"It'll be $7,000 or $8,000 a year," Hitchens said after the rally.

During the rally, Bush appeared relaxed as he moved comfortably around the gym floor. He hugged several women and posed for a photo with a baby. His speech and question period lasted about an hour, as he was frequently interrupted by thunderous applause.

His criticism of Gore was no exception. Bush tried to poke holes in Gore's spending plans, accusing the vice president of creating a "Gore-gantuan" sized government and of favoring "Hillary care," Bush's term for nationalized health care.

He also promised prescription care coverage for all Medicare recipients, with the most help going to the those in the low- to moderate-income brackets. Bush said he wasn't trying to scare seniors to the polls like his opponent.

With 25 electoral votes, Florida is one of the largest states still considered up for grabs. But you wouldn't have known it Saturday.

College and campaign officials herded another 600 people into a nearby building to listen to the candidate, and about 500 people were turned away from the ticket-only event.

Inside, Bush nodded and waved to the audience, thanking them for their "Pasco welcome." Although his father, former President George Bush, won Pasco in 1988, the Democrats took Pasco's presidential ticket in 1992 and 1996.

But times are different now. Republicans outnumber Democrats by a slim margin in Pasco, and local Republicans have held several drives to get voters to come over to their side.

Local Republicans said it was the first visit to Pasco by a major party presidential nominee that anyone could recall.

After Pasco, Bush traveled to an airport rally in Melbourne.

-- Staff Writer Ryan Davis contributed to this report, which contains information from Times files.

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