The Sept. 3 Labor Day celebration in Detroit was typical of those that have taken place over the last decade - sort of.

Yes, there were the usual parades, cookouts and banners that have come to mark the annual rite of celebrating labor's day. Turnout for the march along Michigan Avenue appeared strong for the building trades.

Less-than-typical was the appearance of a Republican president. President George Bush accepted an invitation to speak at a barbecue thrown by Michigan Teamsters Joint Council 22. Bush received a lukewarm welcome, getting polite applause during his speech and chants of "hail to the thief" from others during his motorcade.

The issuer of the invitation, Teamsters International President James Hoffa, said his union is pursuing "a bipartisan approach to politics. We are involved in issues that are important to working families and the Teamsters union. President Bush is the president of the United States. We are not going to put our policies on hold for four years. We are working with him on a number of issues, and we have disagreements with him. But where we agree, we work wholeheartedly with him, especially the president's energy policy."

Bush himself acknowledged the unusual visit. "You've got a good guy running the Teamsters," he said during his speech. "I don't know whether (this visit) will help him or hurt him in his re-election campaign."

The Detroit Labor Day tradition of presidential visits by Democrat candidates - which has fallen by the wayside in the last few elections - usually took place in years when the candidates were running for office. Actually, this year, it's Hoffa who is running for re-election to Teamsters Union presidency, and he is considered a heavy favorite.

Hoffa's mention of the president's energy policy was a reference to drilling in the Alaskan Arctic. The Teamsters and the building trades support drilling, most other unions and Democrats don't. The Teamsters are also pushing Bush to increase inspections and safety standards for Mexican trucks crossing the border into the U.S.

Aside from those two issues, there's isn't a lot of potential for agreement on most issues between that Bush and organized labor. The Bush Administration has banned union-only construction labor agreements on federally funded projects. Bush's first choice for Labor Secretary was vehemently anti-labor. New ergonomics rules that would ensure good working health for thousands of workers, have been suspended and deemed too costly by the president. Bush continues to push for Fast Track trade authority, giving him alone the power to broker trade deals without review from Congress. Labor has long questioned his commitment to worker health and pay standards in such deals.

"We don't necessarily agree on every single issue, but we agree to listen," Bush told the Detroit audience. Bush kept his remarks focused on his tax cuts, educational reform, pushing faith-based programs, and maintaining a strong military.

The Teamsters have a history of supporting Republican presidential candidates. The union also has a recent history with federal oversight following charges of union corruption during the administration prior to Hoffa's. Hoffa is working to get the union out from under the federal review panel.

Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm said it's no surprise that Bush's visit is controversial.

"Maybe he's willing to raise the minimum wage, maybe he's willing to look at fair trade, or making sure worker safety rules are enforced," she said. "I question his commitment to working families."