McCain Hopes Bush Can Revive his Campaign or At Least his Fundraising!
But there is trouble in Paradise! Poor Ticket Sales are Reported and the Event has been moved to a undisclosed home. Meanwhile lots of demonstrators are hoping to attend.
Bush to Raise Money for his man!
Unpopular President - Popular Republican Pastime
The Washington Post, May 24th
President Bush is hitting the fundraising circuit for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the White House announced yesterday.
The president will be featured at three McCain campaign fund-raisers in Arizona and Utah next week. The events will be secret and closed to the media, but the White House told reporters that there could be a joint public appearance.
“President Bush is fully committed, 100 percent committed, to making sure that John McCain is elected to be the next president of the United States of America,” spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
McCain has been walking a fine line between receiving fundraising and other assistance from the president and not appearing too close to the unpopular Bush. This will be the first time the two have appeared together since March 5, when the Arizona senator came to the White House for a formal presidential endorsement.
Meanwhile Nobody’s Buying Any Tickets; McSame and Bush Move Event to “More Intimate” Venue
Poor ticket sales, expected protests scuttle Bush-McCain fundraiser at Phoenix Convention Center; It is Being Moved to a private, undisclosed living room in the Pheonix area.
From the Pheonix Business Journal
May 23rd, 2008
A Tuesday fundraiser headlined by President Bush for U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign is being moved out of the Phoenix Convention Center.
Sources familiar with the situation said the Bush-McCain event was not selling enough tickets to fill the Convention Center space, and that there were concerns about more anti-war protesters showing up outside the venue than attending the fundraiser inside.
Another source said there were concerns about the media covering the event. They certainly don’t want pictures of Bush and McCain on the front pages again!
Bush’s Arizona fundraising effort for McCain is being moved to private residences in the Phoenix area. A White House official said the event was being moved because the McCain campaign prefers private fundraisers and it is Bush administration policy to have events in public venues open to the media. The White House official said to reconcile that the Tuesday event will be held at a private venue and not the Convention Center.
Convention Center personnel confirmed the event has been canceled at their venue.
Tickets to the event were to range from $1,000 to $25,000 for VIP treatment. Money was to go toward McCain’s presidential bid and a number of Republican Party organs.
Anti-war protesters were planning to be out in force. President Bush’s job approval rating stands at 31 percent, according to RealClearPolitics.com.
The McCain campaign referred questions on the fundraiser change to the White House press office.