The parade of political and government bigwigs continues this week with the confirmation that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will come to town for the Olympic closing ceremonies.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the new darling of the national media in his high-profile role conducting the war on terrorism, meets with military personnel guarding the 2002 Winter Games on Wednesday.
Giuliani will speak at the state Capitol Sunday at around 10 a.m., says Natalie Gochnour, spokeswoman for Gov. Mike Leavitt.
The speech will be invitation only ? as was President Bush's Capitol address on the day of the opening ceremonies. "The mayor will talk about the American spirit," she said, and attend the closing ceremonies.
Giuliani won praise worldwide, including being knighted by British Queen Elizabeth II, for his leadership following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Giuliani was term-limited out of office in January.
Rumsfeld, like other Cabinet members and top advisers in the Bush administration, comes for a "semi-private" visit to see the Games.
Leavitt invited all of the Cabinet members to the Games, said Gochnour. A number came to participate in Leavitt's "think tank" sessions on education, technology and the environment held the first four days of the Games.
"Secretary Rumsfeld couldn't make it then," she said. But he accepted for a 24-hour visit Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rumsfeld arrived Tuesday morning and spent the day with Leavitt visiting the Olympic athletes village, where they ate lunch with athletes, then to men's speedskating, women's hockey and women's figure skating.
Wednesday morning Rumsfeld was to make his only scheduled public appearance when he visits a special military logistics command in West Valley City.
Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled into town this weekend to officially close the Games in Rice Eccles Stadium Sunday. It was hoped Cheney would give a Capitol speech, with a small reception. But it is now unclear if the Capitol event will take place, said Gochnour.
Bush opened the Games 12 days ago and now on an Asian tour.
All told, the following top federal officials have attended the Games, Gochnour said: Secretary of State Colin Powell; Rumsfeld; House and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez; Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman; Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson; Interior Secretary Gale Norton; Environmental Protection Agency Director Christine Todd Whitman; and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.
Various governors and members of Congress have also been in town.
E-MAIL: bbjr@desnews.com