Reuters: Bush hits 2008 trail; but do Republicans want his help?

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Bush hits 2008 trail; but do Republicans want his help?
Tue May 27, 2008 9:51am EDT

By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush has made
it clear he is excited to get out on the campaign trail this
election year to help Republicans keep the White House and
retake Congress -- but do they want his help?

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain has said he wants
help from Bush, who can haul in enormous campaign cash. But
McCain has walked a fine line with the unpopular Bush, backing
the president on the Iraq war while bucking him on how to
address climate change.

Bush will kick off raising money for McCain on Tuesday and
Wednesday at three events in Arizona and Utah, but they will
only be together at one and it will be out of the public eye.
That has raised questions about whether Bush helps or hurts
the Arizona senator.

"On the one hand (Republicans) want to keep their distance
from the president in order to avoid being cast as a third Bush
term, yet at the same time they need to tap into the fund-
raising capacity of the president," said Anthony Corrado, a
professor of government at Colby College in Maine.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2635544620080527

[yellowcanine]

1. I think Bush should go all out to help McCain. Remind voters that McCain has been steadfast in

supporting the Bush Iraq and energy policies.

[bdamomma]

2. and they are doing this behind closed doors, * helping McCain

with no media present, because no one will give any money. Having it in a private residence.

[gratuitous]

3. The GOP wants the money he can raise

Let's face it: There are people who have made out quite well from the imperial policies of the last seven years, they have amassed a lot of money, and they'd like to keep things as they are. They don't care much about public opinion (they're despised, but they think it's all just jealousy), but they do know how to count votes, and 300 million to 12 isn't a very fair fight, even when you have more money than Croesus.

So they'll host private fundraisers, and stick their donations into the GOP coffers behind closed doors, and Bush will get to hear over and over again what a swell guy he is. And Straight-Talkin' Johnny Maverick will gladly climb into those overstuffed pockets to keep his doomed candidacy going for another five months.

Then they'll spend the next 40 years or so whining about how unfair life is for the well-heeled.