NYC Mayor Asks Cheney Not to Come to 9-11 Ceremony
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Vice President Dick Cheney will be notably absent from the ceremony at World Trade Center tomorrow on the second anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Here with more details is CNN's Maria Hinojosa in New York. Hello to you, Maria.</s>MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Heidi. Well, Mayor Bloomberg's office here in New York and the Secret Service say that they have been working together to find a way to have the vice president attend the second anniversary official ceremony, while at the same time keeping the event focused on the needs of the family members of September 11. Now Mayor Bloomberg's office is saying that the amount of security needed for the vice president would simply be -- quote -- "an inconvenience for the family members of the victims." The mayor has asked that the vice president attend a smaller memorial for the fallen Port Authority employees, but Mayor Bloomberg was careful to say he did not disinvite Cheney, noting the president didn't come to the primary memorial last year because of security concerns. Bloomberg also said that Cheney himself thought his presence would take away from the family's ability to mourn.</s>MYR. MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: The vice president is coming to New York tomorrow, and I'm going to be with him, as is the governor, as he pays his respects in the morning. It's just because of the logistics of a very big area, it's virtually -- it turned out to be so complicated to provide the security that the vice president's Secret Service agents wanted, that in the end, he thought that it would take away from the families, the family focus and ability to mourn.</s>HINOJOSA: Vice President Cheney was to have taken part in a moment of silence, observing the time the first plane struck the north tower at 8:46 a.m. Now CNN has been told that the vice president understands and accepts the mayor's recommendation, but all of this comes after a scathing front page "Daily News" story that had the president skipping the event altogether and sending the vice president instead. Many family members felt that was a slap in the face. Others told the mayor's office they didn't want any politicians at a memorial they felt should have no political dimension at all. One family member of a September 11 victim told "The Daily News" that the president may not want to come to New York because of sagging poll numbers and for fear he might have been booed at the site. And at this point, it looks like neither President Bush or his vice president will be in New York at the official commemoration ceremony to mark this day of horror in New York -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Maria, has there been a response from the White House about those allegations, saying that President Bush wouldn't be coming to the celebration because of the poll numbers.</s>HINOJOSA: No, at this point, we have just heard from the vice president's office, saying that they understand what the mayor has asked for. But at this point, no response officially that we have heard regarding those allegations -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: All right, Maria Hinojosa in New York for us today. Thanks so much, Maria. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com