George W. Bush ends exile, helps Republicans raise money
Source: Reuters
Politics | Fri Jun 17, 2016 8:02pm EDT
George W. Bush ends exile, helps Republicans raise money
WASHINGTON | BY STEVE HOLLAND
Former President George W. Bush had every intention of sticking to his self-imposed exile from politics, but found that the phone kept ringing with appeals from Republican U.S. Senate candidates for help, friends say.
As a result, Bush has embarked on a rescue mission to try to preserve the Republicans' narrow Senate majority in a year in which many party figures fear presumptive nominee Donald Trump will drag them down to defeat in the Nov. 8 elections.
Republicans control 54 seats in the 100-member Senate.
"I think that this is a one-off, temporary thing that where he can be helpful he will be," said Dana Perino, who was Bush's White House press secretary.
Condoleezza Rice, who was Bush's secretary of state and is now a political science professor at Stanford University, is also raising money for Republican candidates, but on Friday ruled out speculation that she might be drafted as Trump's vice presidential running mate.
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