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Bush to present Landon Lecture at K-State

<<and he's packing the audience>>

MANHATTAN -- President Bush will speak Monday at Kansas State University as part of its Landon Lecture series, university officials have announced.

His lecture, the 142nd in the series, will be at 11 a.m. at Bramlage Coliseum.

"We are excited that President Bush is coming to K-State and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Sen. Pat Roberts for his assistance in getting President Bush to accept our invitation," Jon Wefald, Kansas State president, said today.

In Washington, Bush press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters, "The president will make remarks on the global war on terrorism."

Bush's last visit to Kansas was in May 2004 to dedicate a national historic site in Topeka devoted to the U.S. Supreme Court's historic Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawing school segregation on the 50th anniversary of the decision. Earlier this month, Vice President Dick Cheney visited Fort Leavenworth.

University officials said the audience for the president's speech will include soldiers from Fort Riley. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius also plans to attend, spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said.

"The governor believes it's great he's visiting one of our fine universities," Corcoran said.

Bush will visit Kansas State University amid national discussions about the war in Iraq and questions about his October 2001 decision to allow eavesdropping on e-mails and telephone calls from people within the United States, without first seeking court approval.

"If you are on a public information offensive the way the president is right now on a variety on things, particularly on wiretaps, the war in Iraq, many things that relate to his popularity, the Landon Lecture is a perfect opportunity," said Burdett Loomis, a University of Kansas political science professor who formerly served on Sebelius' staff.

"I don't think he's going to convince a lot of people who are opposed to him of his virtues, but maintaining his base, I think, is crucial, and that's something a lecture at K-State could do."


<<Goodness knows he wouldn't want any difficult questions.>>