TIME >>> Bush to Rally the (GOP) Troops

[sabra]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1134982,00.html


Bush to Rally the (GOP) Troops
The Week Ahead in Washington: Facing mounting criticism, the President turns to one of his favorite parts of the job — campaigning



After a break of 13 months, President Bush returns this week to frank partisan politicking with a trio of GOP fund-raising stops. Aides say those events are simply a prelude to a heavy schedule in support of Republican candidates for next year's midterm congressional elections. And Bush advisers point proudly to his campaign schedule as proof that PLENTY of Republicans are happy to be seen with the President, despite a few recent snubs from candidates who either passed on the opportunity to appear with him, or indcated that they would rather not do so at the moment. But the GOP appearances carry a cost: They cast him in the role of Republican-in-Chief at a time when he is seeking the support of Democrats on issues important to his legacy — most prominently, the confirmation of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. for the Supreme Court, and the first overhaul of the nation's immigration laws since 1986.

But Bush aides say there will be no shying away. Republican officials note that Vice President Cheney has made so many appearances on behalf of '06 candidates that the administration has already surpassed its own contribution, at a similar point in time, for the GOP's '02 and '04 congressional campaigns. “Next year, you're going to see the President as a strong and eager participant in campaigns for House and Senate and probably governor,” said an official familiar with his plans. “Despite some of the polling atmospheric problems you're seeing in D.C., the President is still a tremendous draw across the country. Nobody can command the media attention that he can, and nobody has the ability to raise the kind of money that he does. Clearly, there are some districts where it won't make sense for him to go, as with any president.”

Bush's relish for the political game was underscored by his last-minute appearance on Nov. 7 for the floundering candidate for Virginia governor, Jerry Kilgore — who lost the following day by a surprising 6 points in a state that the President had easily carried. “We're not taking anything for granted,” Bush had said, with considerable understatement.

He is back on the road Monday with a template that he used repeatedly in the elections of '02 and '04 — conduct a brief public policy event and then make a political appearance, meaning that the cost of the visit is shared between the government and the campaign. In conjunction with remarks on border security and immigration reform, Bush will speak at a $1,000-a-plate dinner for Sen. John Kyl of Arizona, at the Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix. After an overnight stay in Phoenix, he will visit the U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters in El Paso, Tex., then jet to Denver for a $1,000-a-plate luncheon for two-term Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, whose tough district is closely watched by the national party. On Wednesday, the President is to make remarks on “the War on Terror” at the Navy Academy, in Annapolis, Md., then speak at a reception for Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele — a U.S. Senate hopeful who is the first black elected official to hold statewide office in “the Free State,” and one of the party's marquee candidates for the year — at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. State Republicans said that tickets for the business-attire event range from $125 for general admission to $500 for a VIP viewing area. Host-committee members who raise at least $5,000 will have a photo opportunity with Bush.

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Oh, Goody! Taxpayers get to pony up for more GOP fundraisers!

How much is AF1 costing us these days (not to mention the added security for Bush). :grr:

[TahitiNut]

2. Heavy doses of Narcissistic Supply for the Meltdown Moran from Midland.

Surround him with drooling dittoheads - do "ideological cleansing" of the attendees - amplify the applause - make the Idiot-in-Chief speak even more haltingly. The smirk-rate will be somewhere around 5/min - face thrust forward arrogantly. Just sprinkle the knuckle-draggers with every catch-phrase in the right-wing lexicon and Junior will suck up their brain farts like free cocaine. Codependency run amok.

[abbeyco]

3. I think he's in Colo this week

to stump for that hag, Musgrave :puke:. I wish he'd stay the hell at the Pig Farm or the WH - he jacks up traffic every time he's here.

[eeyore]

4. Ughhh....I can't fucking stand her!

I grew up in Fort Collins, and I can't believe what she has done to Northern Colorado. At least she seems to have rallied together the few liberals that are there.

[shraby]

5. When does he have time to govern?

Between vacations and campaigning there's no time to actually run the country. That might be a good thing though because when he does, he really really screws stuff up.

[...of J.Temperance]

6. Let's face it...

THESE are the ONLY things the Bush bastards talented at: Campaigning ie. giving HATE speeches, that are designed to WHIP 'EM UP IN A HATE FRENZY and playing partisan politics. These are his only talents, because they require a person to possess INTERNALLY RAW hatred for BASICALLY everyone...and Junior's stuffed to the gills with hate...he hates EVERYONE, he probably even hates his OWN supporters.

I've said this previously, and I'll say it again. Junior is a DEMAGOGUE:

Oxford Dictionary defination of the word:

Demagogue: "a political agitator appealing to the basest instincts of a mob."

YEP, that's Junior...this just sums him up perfectly. Just listen to his hate speeches, even a FEW minutes of them and he comes across as a political agitator and he IS by his very vicious words appealing to the basest instincts of the mob/rabble that he's ranting to...which is proven by their whoops and roars and clapping like trained seals for him.

Junior appeals only to the blackness in the human heart, he appeals only to the ugliness in mans soul.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Things were getting too weird around the White House ...

with the chimp around so Rove decided to put him on the road again.

It's pretty obvious Bush has nothing to do with the day to day running of the country otherwise he wouldn't spend all of his time either vacationing or campaigning.