Published: July 04, 2009 09:03 pm      

George W. Bush to spend 4th of July in rural Okla.

WOODWARD, Okla. (AP) — Former President George W. Bush, who has turned up in a handful of out-of-the-way places since leaving office, was set to spend part of Independence Day speaking at a remodeled rodeo arena in rural northwestern Oklahoma.

Bush surprised city leaders in Woodward — population 12,000 — by accepting their invitation to speak at festivities celebrating the $25 million renovation of a local park. About 9,200 tickets have been sold for the event, which would be the biggest crowd for Bush since he left office in January.

Bush met with supporters earlier Saturday and was given a key to the city by local officials, said Republican state Rep. Mike Sanders. Former first lady Laura Bush joined her husband for the trip, Sanders said.

Seats for the speech — being held at a rodeo arena built in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration — range from $25 up to $500 for the "Oval Office Ticket" in the first rows, close to Bush, with VIP parking and complimentary beverages.

Event promoter Landon Laubhan declined to say how much Bush was getting paid to speak.

City Manager Alan Riffel said Bush's speech was not expected to be political, but "basically a Fourth of July speech. This is not about a big show for President Bush or anything else. It's about coming to a community that is one he can have an affinity for. Coming on the Fourth of July, this is mom-and-apple-pie country."

Woodward is friendly territory for Bush, who visited the town two decades ago while campaigning for his father's presidential bid. Oklahoma hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964, and was the only state in the 2008 election to have every county vote for Republican candidate John McCain.

In 2004, Bush won 80.9 percent of the vote in Woodward County as he defeated Democratic challenger John Kerry.

A banner welcoming Bush hangs from a restaurant on a highway entering Woodward. Not far down the road, marquees for a local Atwoods store and a steak restaurant also bear welcoming messages.

Bush's principles ring true in Oklahoma, said Kris Day, who owns The Cowboy's Tack Shop with her husband, Neal.

"We're conservative," she said. "We don't spend money we don't have."

Riffel said it will be the first presidential visit to Woodward since the late 1950s, when Dwight Eisenhower landed at the airport outside town en route to view drought damage in the area.

Red, white and blue bunting hangs outside the arena at Crystal Beach Park where Bush is to speak. The two-day "Let Freedom Ring 2009" event also featured performances by country artists including Tanya Tucker, Marty Stuart, Asleep at the Wheel and Sawyer Brown.