WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2008
The Invisible Man Of Campaign '08
President Bush Has Yet To Appear In Public At Campaign Rally For GOP Or Any Republican Candidate
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President Bush (2007 photo) (AP)
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Play CBS Video Video McCain Avoids Bush In Campaign Early on it seemed that President George W. Bush would join Sen. John McCain on the campaign trail. As Bill Plante reports, once Mr. Bush's approval rating dropped, he was dropped by McCain.
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Photo Essay Endorser-In-Chief President Bush backs Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain.
Not once this year has President Bush appeared in public at a campaign rally for the Republican Party or any of its candidates.
And on Tuesday night, when he attends a million dollar fund-raiser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, it will be the last political event he does before Election Day.
Tuesday’s event brings to 46 the number of GOP fund-raising events Mr. Bush has done this year, but nearly all have been of the stealth variety. All but four of them have been closed to press coverage.
It’s a deliberate effort on the part of the White House, the Republican National Committee and the McCain Campaign to help Mr. Bush maintain a low political profile.
Even the four fund-raising events he did for McCain were off-limits to reporters.
Aides say Mr. Bush has accepted the fact that his approval ratings are in the cellar and no Republican candidates want him campaigning for them. Even Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who’s engaged in a tough race for re-election to his U.S. seat from Kentucky, is willing to tell reporters that Mr. Bush is “deeply unpopular.”
It’s a point the White House does not dispute. “We’re very aware of his approval rating,” said Press Secretary Dana Perino, “but he’s not about making decisions to be popular.”
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Not only is Mr. Bush invisible on the campaign trail, he is viewed as something of a political Kiss of Death. Democrats try to taint John McCain by saying his policies would amount to a third term for George Bush. And in recent days, McCain has expanded his efforts to distance himself from the incumbent by indignantly declaring: “I am not President Bush!”I intend to have as much possible campaigning events together, as it is in keeping with the president's heavy schedule. And I look forward to that opportunity.
John McCain, in March 2008Only once since McCain visited the White House on March 5 to receive the president’s formal endorsement, have the two of them been seen together in a political context.
That was May 27, when Mr. Bush attended a campaign fund-raiser for McCain in Phoenix. It was closed to press coverage, but afterwards, the two men rode back to the airport together and were seen for a few seconds on the tarmac shaking hands and patting one another on the back before the president boarded Air Force One.
Since that day, Mr. Bush has been persona non grata for the McCain campaign - though he did do three more fund-raisers for his would-be Republican successor, all behind closed doors.
It makes it laughable what McCain said that day seven months ago in the Rose Garden with Mr. Bush: “I intend to have as much possible campaigning events together, as it is in keeping with the President's heavy schedule. And I look forward to that opportunity.”
It might prove to be the biggest whopper McCain has uttered during his presidential campaign.
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The secrets of tennis legend 
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See all 376 CommentsPosted by doctor--cool at 08:31 AM : Oct 23, 2008
Don''t call a dem the deregulator in chief, aka the bomber in chief, McSame.
Posted by doctor--cool at 08:12 AM : Oct 23, 2008
LOL. Who was in charge ? One word : deregulation.
Posted by doctor--cool at 04:24 AM : Oct 23, 2008
How do you call Bush''s bailout of the banks ?
GOP politics: privatize profits, nationalize debts.
Now I will be voting for John McCain in November for many reasons...including having the insight to recognize that our country is better off with a moderate Republican than a far left hardcore liberal like Obama (with a Democratic controlled Congress).
As for Barack Hussein Obama...once Barack, as Commander-In-Chief, is given our countries top military secrets... he will find a way to give the information to his "brothers" in the middle east. For anyone that doesn''''t think this is possible...think again.
How soon Americans everywhere forget how unprepared we were for 9/11. Intellectually we could not accept the real danger of such an attack. Now we are unprepared to accept the real threat that the next attack to destroy America will come from within....that threat is Barack Obama.
This country has sold out common sense and intelligence in their efforts to prove that a black man can become elected President. Not measuring Barack Obama''s character and political allegiance by his association with people like Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan, Tony Rezko, and William Ayers or organizations as corrupt as ACORN... is unforgivable.
Obama will finish the job of ruining this country started by George W. Bush...but Barack will prove to be the catalyst to the final fall of America and the ending of the American way of life.
This war is really a continuation of the holy wars that began so many thousands of years ago. And unfortunately, it appears that religion has shown itself to be the biggest catalyst of hatred that the human race will ever see.
I invite you to my website: www.FreetheGods.com. There you will find a political discussion forum where political ranting is highly encouraged, especially opposing viewpoints!
TheMasses1,
Das ist genug.
This is a civilized forum.
There is no need to call McCain "ein Schweins"!
Posted by hermitdave
None of them had $150,000.00 makeovers like Palin''s family did. Frauds, sleazoids.
"Not once this year has President Bush appeared in public at a campaign rally for the Republican Party or any of its candidates."
As if ANY candidate would want the worst American political leader in the history of of the United States anywhere NEAR their camp...
Is this a man who pushed his failed party ideology and is the fall guy?
Is this man, who after 8 years in the Presidency, still isn''t qualified to be president?
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