Presidential candidate visit

To the Editor,

As former chair of the Beltrami DFL for 12 years including the year of the 1988 campaign, I can tell you that presidential candidates Jesse Jackson and Paul Simon of Illinois visited Bemidji as well as Pat Robertson.

Jackson did a rally at Beaux Arts that was heavily guarded with Secret Service, (I still have a pin that allowed me close). Paul Simon appeared at the former Holiday Inn with his wife and gave away bow tie lapel pins which was his signature. Richard Gephardt of Missouri visited Grand Rapids that same year. I have several photos of both events, and a video of the Jackson event. (Jackson commented (tongue in cheek) that when flying in and seeing the ice houses on the lake that he thought that perhaps that was where Bemidji's poor folks lived)

1988 was a huge year for candidates with a retiring Ronald Reagan. There were nine Republicans and nine Democrats who vied for their respective nominations.

Respectfully,

Michael Meuers