George Bush Here in PhoenixTo Raise Money For John McSame nee McCain
Originally this fundraiser was scheduled for the Phoenix Convention center; but McCain wasn’t able to sell enough tickets and the event has been moved to the home of Jack Londen at the Biltmore, a private home in a gated community (2400 East Missouri Avenue). The event is “secret” and the press are specifically excluded. But the secret is out and protesters will be trying to make their feelings known.
George Bush is eager to hit the campaign trail to work make John McCain into his successor. For his part, John McCain and his lobbyist backers are eager to embrace the money aspects of politics that have made Republicans so popular all across the country.
Arizona Republic, May 27th
John McCain will bring his presidential campaign to town today, accompanied by the man he hopes to succeed.
President Bush will attend a private fundraiser for McCain at a home in Phoenix.
The White Hours said it is the president’s first campaign appearance with McCain since endorsing the Arizona senator in March. In a related story, George is reportedly eager to get out on the campaign trail himself this fall.
Bush also will stop at Silverado Cable Co., a small business in Mesa, where he will talk about the economy.
The fundraiser had been planned for the Phoenix Convention Center, but the site was changed. The Democratic Party said it will continue with planned protests there.
“This visit is a remarkable opportunity to show the rest of the country that John McCain will cozy up to anyone, even the most unpopular president in history, if he thinks it will get him one step closer to the White House,” state Democratic Party Director Maria Weeg said in a letter to supporters.
Bush Hits the 2008 Campaign Trail for John McCain
McCain says he wants help from George Bush
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.
The Reuters/Zogby poll last week found Bush’s approval rating had fallen 4 percentage points to 23 percent, a record low for pollster John Zogby.
In a time-honored practice by presidents on the trail, Bush has scheduled non-campaign events on his three-day, five-state trip, which helps defray the enormous costs of hosting the presidential entourage for which candidates must pay.
Despite wrapping up the Republican nomination, McCain has lagged his Democratic rivals in raising money even though they have not finished their contest. McCain raised $18.5 million in April while New York Sen. Hillary Clinton pulled in $21 million and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama attracted $30.7 million. Click here to read more about Bush / McCain.