GOP convention has been safe so far

CLEVELAND - No more than two miles on the road, with storms beating on north central Iowa, Dennis Guth nearly drove into downed power lines as he left Sunday for the 12 hour drive to the Republican National Convention here.

So far, it may have been the most dangerous thing the state Senator from Klemme has faced this week.

As of Wednesday, despite widespread worries about violence and the prospect of terrorism at the convention, the streets of Cleveland have been relatively safe.

A scuffle broke out Tuesday in Public Square, where many of the demonstrations are held, but it was squelched quickly. There also was tension Wednesday afternoon amid reports of an attempted flag burning. But the convention hasn't seen the kind of violence some had worried about.

Of course, the convention is not over yet. But some Iowa delegates, those who worried themselves - or had others worry for them - said Wednesday they've been struck by the relative calm so far.

'I feel quite safe here,” Guth said. 'it's better than what I was expecting.”

The security presence in Cleveland is imposing, more so as delegates and media approach the perimeter surrounding the Quicken Loans Arena, where the convention is being held.

Ron Cherkas, whose wife works for the state Republican Party, said he feels safe inside that perimeter, though outside it he's been wary.

Cherkas brought his boat to do some fishing here, and he says he's kept his eyes open there. 'I'm 100 percent convinced we need to stay vigilant,” he said.

Even outside the immediate area of the convention site, police seem to be everywhere. Downtown, it's almost sport to count the number of out of state patches there are stitched on the sleeves of police and state troopers who are patrolling the streets in groups.

Twenty-seven officers from the Utah Highway Patrol made the trip, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

The Iowa State Patrol is not represented here. Ben Hammes, a spokesman for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said he believes a request was made for assistance but it couldn't be granted because of the security needed for the National Governors Association conference in Des Moines last week.

The police presence seems largely welcomed. It's not unusual to be walking the downtown streets to see convention-goers and others thanking, or even trying to hug, police officers.

The state delegation's hotel, in suburban Beachwood about 15 miles from the city center, also has had guards on duty.

The protective cocoon isn't all positive, though. 'It is a little disconcerting when we get on our bus and we enter the secure zone - and I don't like saying the words secure zone in America - you feel like you're in a police state,” State Rep. Jason Schultz, a Schleswig Republican, said Wednesday.

Schultz doesn't blame police for that. He says their presence is necessary because of protests he says are mostly the work of Democrats.

Still, Schultz said the sight of security levels in the areas being accessed by delegates was a bit startling. 'The first time we rolled down the empty streets with nothing but road blocks and fences, it struck me pretty hard,” he said.