Politics

All In The Family

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 9, 2002 / 7:37 PM EST / CBS

President Bush's public return to politics Wednesday was a family affair — a fund-raiser for his "big little brother" — and, as the White House described it, an election-year duty to democracy.

"These are serious times that face our nation and these serious times require serious leaders," said the president, star attraction at a reception to raise at least $500,000 for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's re-election campaign.

Turning to his younger brother, Mr. Bush added: "And you're here to support a really good, serious man. ... I want to thank you all for making his campaign more viable."

Mr. Bush, who avoided overt politicking late last year in deference to the war on terrorism, made a gentle first foray into what is already shaping up to be a bitterly fought midterm election.

In his 10-minute remarks to donors, Mr. Bush had not one critical word for Democrats but instead reiterated praise for two, Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Rep. George Miller of California, who worked with the White House on education reform.

With sister Doro and brother Marvin filling out the evening's "all-Bush" marquee, the president called the reception an "ole family reunion."

Beyond family loyalty and party politics, Mr. Bush has a strong reason of his own to support his brother: improving his chances in 2004 of carrying the state, where his contested, razor-thin victory over Democrat Al Gore gave him the White House in 2000.

Mr. Bush can be counted on to be increasingly active for like-minded Republican candidates. "That way, his ideas as president and commander in chief can be carried into law," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters.

The narrow Democratic majority in the Senate is at stake in November, as is the slender GOP edge in the House. Some three dozen governors' seats are up for grabs, and these, too, are important to Mr. Bush. Republican governors in key states can go a long way toward helping his 2004 re-election campaign.

Mr. Bush has not announced his intentions toward a second term, but his political team is preparing to run. On Monday, Mr. Bush travels to two states — Illinois and Missouri — that will be important to any 2004 aspirations.

Wednesday's fund-raiser originally was scheduled for last November. It was postponed after the White House and Florida organizers worried about appearing insensitive to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and ensuing war.

During last fall's unofficial moratorium on politics, Vice President Dick Cheney filled in for Mr. Bush at a fund-raiser for the Republican Governors Association. Neither stumped for losing GOP gubernatorial candidates in the off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey.

That changed with the new year.

The public is now ready for politics to resume in full, said Republican strategist Rich Galen. Bipartisanship "is what Americans want out of their president in a war setting. But with elections happening, Americans fully expec the president to fulfill his party obligations," Galen said.

Besides, he added, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle declared open season when he gave an address last week blaming Mr. Bush's tax cuts for looming budget deficits.

The president's rebuttal, in which he urged Democrats to unite behind him on the economy as they have on the war, made clear he will try to put to political use his record post-Sept. 11 popularity as commander in chief.

It's a tricky balancing act, said independent pollster Andrew Kohut.

"I don't think voters are going to say his partisan campaigning is inappropriate, unless he uses his success as commander in chief to try to push his political agenda. Then, he could suffer a backlash," Kohut said.

Before Wednesday, Mr. Bush tended to politics more quietly. After a town meeting in Orlando on Dec. 4, he met privately with his brother's political supporters. Reporters were similarly kept away when Mr. Bush greeted New Hampshire campaign contributors and volunteers during his visit to that state Tuesday.

Journalists were allowed to cover Wednesday's reception for Jeb Bush, but dinner was off-limits.

Florida GOP chairman Al Cardenas was coy about how much the party would raise over the $10,000-per-couple meal. "It's a nice-sized ballroom. We'll do very well financially with it," Cardenas said in an interview.

The political perquisites of being the president's brother were on display earlier Wednesday, too, as Jeb Bush was accorded an Oval Office signing ceremony for an environmental agreement on restoring the Everglades, a powerful issue in Florida politics.

Jeb Bush said his brother had an obligation to focus on his duties as commander in chief in the early months after Sept. 11 but that he thought it was now time for the president to wade back into the political waters.

"I think it's appropriate to slowly get back to helping other candidates and I'm glad I'm the first one out of the box," the Florida governor told reporters at the White House earlier in the day.

He and the president signed an agreement on restoring the Florida Everglades, a bouquet for the governor that allowed the two men to try to burnish their environmental credentials.

"He's my brother. I know it seems strange, but I help him and he helps me. We love each other," Jeb Bush said.

At the fund-raiser, Jeb Bush said, "Can you imagine the things that the president of the United States has had to do over the last three months? It's pretty amazing. I'm so proud of him. "