‘Backing Away From Bush’

May 23, 2006

A couple of months ago, when Maryland Republican gubernatorial hopeful Michael Steele decided not to appear in public with the president, the Bush gang scoffed at the notion that GOP candidates would distance themselves from the president. The RNC’s [tag]Ken Mehlman[/tag] insisted that the [tag]White House[/tag] received more [tag]invitations[/tag] for [tag]president[/tag]ial appearances than [tag]Bush[/tag] could possibly accept.

Even at the time it was a dubious claim, but now it’s just silly.

Last week, for example, Bush went to Virginia Beach to campaign for Rep. [tag]Thelma Drake[/tag] (R), who is considered one of the many vulnerable House GOP incumbents. The president’s visit served its purpose — Bush helped Drake raise some money — but the funny part is Drake didn’t show up for the appearance.

It’s become something of a trend. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) was notably absent from a Bush event in March in Ohio. Cheney was in New Jersey to help Senate candidate Tom Kean Jr., but Kean didn’t show up until Cheney was gone. Minnesota Senate candidate Mark Kennedy skipped an appearance by Bush at a 3M Corp. plant outside Minneapolis.

The Wall Street Journal reported it’s only getting worse for Bush.

President Bush goes to Pennsylvania tomorrow to campaign for embattled Republican House members in the Philadelphia suburbs. But one of the candidates isn’t expected to be there.

Mr. Bush “is really doing poorly in our state,” says Rep. [tag]Curt Weldon[/tag], explaining why he won’t be on hand and hasn’t asked for the president’s help. “I’ve got to win this by myself.”

True? Not really. Weldon doesn’t want to be seen with the president, but he’s already campaigned with John McCain in his district once, and is thinking about asking McCain to do it again. Weldon has got to win this by himself — and with McCain’s (not Bush’s) help.

Adding insult to injury, there are a number of GOP incumbents who want a high-profile White House insider to visit their district, but have eschewed Bush, [tag]Cheney[/tag], and [tag]Rove[/tag] — and opted for Laura.

First lady Laura Bush, whose approval rating is roughly double her husband’s, is going places the president would be less welcome and leveraging her popularity to raise money for Republicans in tough races this fall. […]

“She brings the assets and appeal of the White House to a district without hauling in all the political baggage of her husband,” says Amy Walter of the non-partisan Cook Political Report.

That has to be a shot to the president’s ego. Candidates don’t want to be seen with him, but they’re anxious to campaign with his wife.

Indeed, Mrs. Bush recently traveled to Vermont for Republican House candidate Martha Rainville, Rhode Island for Sen. Lincoln Chafee, and for several Republicans in Connecticut. Asked about the regional similarities between the visits, Susan Whitson, the first lady’s spokesperson, said, “Mrs. Bush is welcome everywhere.”

The president probably wishes he could say the same.

“The president probably wishes he could say the same.” – CB

More time to cut brush on the ranch.

I’m sure Boy George II might have his feelings hurt, if he even knew this was happening to him. Does he find out in that bubble of his?

And after all, look at who ran away from Clinton in 1998 and 2000 for comparison (if anyone 😉

I don’t know why Laura is popular, though. Is it just the belief she is nicer?

  • “Mrs. Bush recently traveled to Vermont for Republican House candidate Martha Rainville, Rhode Island for Sen. Lincoln Chafee, and for several Republicans in Connecticut. Asked about the regional similarities between the visits, Susan Whitson, the first lady’s spokesperson, said, “Mrs. Bush is welcome everywhere.” ”

    Let’s see, those “Republicans in Connecticut” wouldn’t include well-known civilized moderate Chris Shays, who agonizes over things at least as well as his “political bath house buddy” Lincoln Chaffee, before he votes the rightie’s agenda every time, would it???? Huh, maybe??????

    That Laura Bush is campaigning for these people tells you everything you need to know about the reality of “northeastern Republican moderates.” They always cave in, so why wouldn’t the Bushies send the First Lady to campaign for them??? The votes at the end are all that count, and on that, the moderats can be counted on, every time.

  • Tom’s right–the fact that the Republican candidates want to accept Bush’s dollars tells us everything we need to know about their policy priorities, blow to Bush’s ego notwithstanding. Bush still has a psychological presence with each candidate that takes one of his dollars, and in the end that is all that really matters. He will expect a return on whatever investment he makes.

  • Wow. Bush as Typhoid Mary. I can honestly say that in the early days after 9/11 and the selling of Target Iraq, that I didn’t think I would see the day. I hoped, but didn’t expect.

  • now bush knows how abramoff feels. it’s not that these candidates don’t want to be seen with bush–bush would probably still be a drawing card for contributors–it’s that they don’t want their picture taken with him, much like the abramoff pictures were purged by the white house photographer.

  • That has to be a shot to the president’s ego. Candidates don’t want to be seen with him, but they’re anxious to campaign with his wife.

    And with that observation, I’d like to predict that we see a lessening of Laura campaign/fund raising appearances. At some point the Dobson crew is going to be upset with a woman carrying water for the President. At that point, Laura will need time “to focus more on her foundation and helping children in our communities.”

  • If he and his party are so weak, why is Hayden going to be confirmed? This is really bad , Hayden has the mentality of a Brownshirt. Bush’s unpopularity is a diversion. This creepy general is Bush’s choice.
    I wish to Hell people would wake up!

  • Mrs. Bush recently traveled to Vermont for Republican House candidate Martha Rainville, Rhode Island for Sen. Lincoln Chafee, and for several Republicans in Connecticut.

    I’m waiting for the NYTimes article detailing how many nights George and Laura get to spend together.

  • I live in Weldon’s district. His people are always conducting telephone polls.

    With Fight’n Dem Joe Sestak campaigning to unseat Curt, Weldon can run but he can’t hide. He can’t hide from all of times he went along with the Bush Administration, and he can’t hide from all of times he marched to the call of Tom DeLay and the crony Republican leadership in the House.

    When Weldon does a photo op these days, it’s at a gas station to decry the high price of gasoline. He looks like a fool; he’s just not credible. Scared, yes–credible, no.

  • “That has to be a shot to the president’s ego. Candidates don’t want to be seen with him, but they’re anxious to campaign with his wife.”

    I can’t help but flash forward to the year 2014, when President Hillary gets the colld shoulder from vulnerable Dems, who are more than eager to appear with… Bill!

    Hey, it could happen.

  • GREAT LEADERS OF FUTURE WON’T BE FROM AMERICA — Weak, Mediocre Men Lead the USA”
    And our mediocre dissolute leaders will act like all bankrupt aristocrats. They’ll start selling state assets for private gain.

    “A friend of mine once told a college class that nobody ever woke up in 476 A.D. (the date historians define as the fall of the Roman Empire) and said, “Gosh, I’m in the Dark Ages.” His point is plain enough. Transitions happen gradually, and the people who live through them never realize what is happening.
    So it is with Americans. We are living in the ruins of a once-great republic. Now an empire utterly devoid of moral authority, the United States has nothing left but its military power and its capacity to consume on credit.”
    Nor do I agree the people living “through them never realize what is happening.” Oswald Spengler realized what was happening. Adolf Hitler could see “what is happening” in 1919. Plenty of others in all western countries have recognized what is happening all through the 20th Century. It’s the people who don’t realize what is happening who both mock the foresighted and resist changes necessary to stop or alter “what is happening”. They serve as a ready pool of useful idiots for evil minded folks who not only realize what is happening but profit from it, assist it, and speed it along.

  • I say Democrats should criticize the Republicans for disrespecting the office of the President of the United States.

    “You know, you might not agree with his policies, but that doesn’t mean you should spit in his face and not show up when he visits your state.”

  • What a blow this must be to Bush! Weldon doesn’t mind being seen or pictured with Sun Myung Moon and Moammar Khadafy, but he’s terrified of being linked with his own President. And he even has the gracelessness to say why! Is this what it’s supposed to be like being the so-called leader of the free world and of the Republican Party? If the stakes for this election weren’t so high for the sake of the country, I would just simply sit back and laugh!

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