Cheney cancels appearance at Tinsley fundraiser

This article has been updated.

Vice president Dick Cheney has cancelled a scheduled appearance at a fundraiser in Hobbs today for Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Ed Tinsley so he can stay in Washington to help sell the bailout plan, the Associated Press is reporting.

The plan is on the ropes after many congressional Republicans revolted against it late Thursday.

A Tinsley spokesman said a statement would move across the AP wire soon.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of New Mexico’s counter to the Cheney fundraiser is still on. The party plans to hold a “change for change” fundraiser for employees of K-BOB’S, Tinsley’s business, in Las Cruces at noon. They’ll serve K-BOB’s food and ask people to “give what they can, even change, to benefit Ed Tinsley’s employees, who work for low wages without benefits,” according to a news release from the party.

Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima will be among those in attendance. The event will be held at Young Park, 1905 Nevada Ave.

Update, 10:25 a.m.

Tinsley released this statement:

“Vice President Cheney is right where he needs to be during this difficult financial time for our capital markets,” he said. “I know that he has meetings today with the president and other leaders to try to bring to the table a reasonable and acceptable plan to address the economic crisis we face together, as taxpayers and for our banking system. We are all at risk.”

“A ‘rescue plan’ could be outlined, agreed upon in principal and established soon to move forward. We all agree that time is of the essence, but of paramount importance is the respect and protection of our American taxpayers,” Tinsley said. “There will be a critical vote in the Senate, and the vice president, in his Constitutional role, could be called upon at anytime to cast a tie-breaking vote.”

Update, 2:55 p.m.

Tinsley spokesman Jim Pettit said this in response to the Democrats’ Las Cruces event:

“The Harry Teague campaign (Teague is Tinsley’s Democratic opponent) is using K-BOB’S employees as a political prop while the country faces its biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. We’re glad that we can debate Harry Teague on the economy, and we’d all be better served without political stunts that poke fun at hard-working people, thousands of whom have worked at K-BOB’s since 1966. Oftentimes, these are people who are starting off in their first job, so it’s not Ed Tinsley he’s making fun of. He’s making fun of people that do a lot of hard work.”