McCain Keeps Bush Fundraiser Under Wraps

UPDATE: Sen. Barack Obama hit McCain over the fundraiser at an event today in Nevada:

"I just had the privilege of visiting with Felicitas Rosel and Francisco Cano at their home here in Las Vegas.

Today, John McCain is having a different kind of meeting. He's holding a fundraiser with George Bush behind closed doors in Arizona. No cameras. No reporters. And we all know why. Senator McCain doesn't want to be seen, hat-in-hand, with the President whose failed policies he promises to continue for another four years."

EARLIER:

President Bush is lending his massively unpopular hand to help fundraise for GOP nominee John McCain tonight. The fundraiser will be behind closed doors. Bloomberg explains the dance that McCain is aiming to pull off, taking money from Bush while trying to distance himself from his policies.

John McCain's challenge in winning the presidency isn't unique. George H.W. Bush in 1988 and Al Gore in 2000 also struggled to chisel an identity separate from a two- term incumbent president of their party.

There's one big difference: in 1988, Ronald Reagan had a 51 percent approval rating, according to Gallup surveys, and in 2000 Bill Clinton's was 57 percent. Today, President George W. Bush's rating is 28 percent and the leading House Republican political analyst, Virginia Representative Tom Davis, said the president is "absolutely radioactive" for party candidates, including McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee.

Reuters also delves into McCain's contradictory relationship with the President:

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.

Comments

[FCBarca]

Administration still doing things under the cloak of secrecy??...Gee, what a surprise

[Ariesjill]

Remember Obama seeing in his head putting secret meetings on C-SPAN IN REAL TIME? kNOW about the DISCLOSURE bill he managed and in what groundbreaking ways?

O god WHAT IS BETTER than genius coupled with emotional health and real imagination/VISION. I have never seen anything lke this!!!!!!!!!!!

[julescator]

Bush and McCain remind me of those parents who beat their children to show them how much they love them. If they cared for our military as much as they profess they would take care of them when they returned home. The would certainly want to give them benefits as soon as possible. Not to mention that would figure out a way to stop the foreclosures of the homes of our military who are serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. These people don't care about our soldiers they just pay lip service. They care more about saving face and they don't care how many more have to die while they figure out just how to do that.

[Marlyn]

"parents who beat their children to show them how much they love them."

Oh yeah, tough love. It's a right wing thing.

[GingerB]

Read Dobson's books and you'll see just how twisted the right's thinking is on raising children (submissive bots). Start "disciplining" toddlers with force at 18 months of age.

[Ariesjill]

But in SHRUB'S CASE....the total absence of affect & real were far worse than beatings.

That Obama's mom was such a luminous renegade....a real original and Renaissance person with currency far beyond dead Presidents....his dad as well in his way.....is a very important thing to own.

[Big0725]

That's not very far from the Blow Monkey's childhood. The guy grew up in a loveless household. Christ, the person he loved the most when he was young died and he wasn't allowed to grieve. And they both had absentee fathers. It's not hard to believe that they are the way that they are, it's just scary that they have risen to places of power.

[Ariesjill]

Yes!!!!! Patinated, shut down nuclear environment. His parents played GOLF the day after his little sister died of leukemia!!!!!!

[lornejl]

FOX News, where Hillary and her friends can find a safe place to spin.

[kay]

What's happened to them? Maybe they were always this way. What do we know?

[SCG]

Kay you don't believe Ferraro goes on such a program without the knowledge and support of the Clinton campaign.

[lornejl]

We are learning ; )

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

The latter. Remember that Bill signed the Telecommunications Act of 96, which enabled Murdoch to own television stations, and he started Fox News a few months after that Act was signed. Marc Rich was one of the owners of Fox Studios who sold to Murdoch in the 80's. I believe Murdoch introduced Rich to the Clintons. And then there was the pardon...

[AMJordan]

What I find amusing with this is, can you imagine what FOX would be saying about Clinton if she was the presumptuous nominee?

[realwoman]

Come on Huffpost, be fair. We know that you're in the bag for Obama, but shouldn't you be honest in your reporting? ALL private fund raisers including those for Clinton or Obama are closed to the media. You didn't know that are you don't want to report that?

[AMJordan]

Ah, but this one was moved to a smaller venue because they couldn't sell enough tickets. If you don't like the reporting here, don't go down thread.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

How is your reply in any way related to the initial comment?

[kasinca]

The honesty is that they tried to sell tickets for McSame and Dubya and the interest was too minimal to keep the big arena. Only the 23%ers are interested in these thugs. Read the new book by Scott McClellan telling all of the lies.

[BWonka]

Their attempts to fill a stadium FAILED. Like everything Bu$h touchs. Like McLoser will do in Nov.

[juangault]

Don't you want your meeting with the president photographed?.

[HumeSkeptic]

To sign up as an "internet activist" (tr0ll) for Bob Barr click this:

http://www.bobbarr2008.com/join/

[Marlyn]

Troll not ...

[HumeSkeptic]

Just playing it safe. Thanx.

[AMJordan]

Ask not for whom the Barr trolls, he trolls for thee not me.

[Ariesjill]

Boy, I luv it here!

[tschlak]

I just signed up to do my part to take back America!

Right-wing blogs, here I come!! :-)

[HumeSkeptic]

LOL. Hey! You can do it right here. Just call yourself BarrForLiberty.

[BWonka]

Isn't he related to Roseanne? Will she be singing for him?

[Ariesjill]

Careful. The series Roseanne....which I was lucky enuff to catch in syndication and now own every season of on DVD (I lucked out on Amazon)....distinguished itself in a sea of merde by portraying a truly healthy model of family life and human interaction, love and raising kids...friendship, and celebrating individual humans...each wondrously imperfect.

[GeoLee]

Dan Abrams showed a photo of Bush and McCain together afterwards as Bush got on his plane. What distruurbs me is the emphasis on getting a photo of those two together. Why not make a concerted effort to photograph and identify who was there giving the money to McCain.? That would have been the much better story, folks. Sure wish we had a more intellectually curious media than one that stays on the less substantive parts of any story...but then if we were substantive, probably there would be entirely different candidates to be following in the first place!

[kay]

McCain has more corruption troubles.

Phil Gramm is bought and paid for.

Shocking, I know.

McCain calls Obama "naive". McCain didn't know his "economic guru", Gramm, was bought and paid for. The lady at my dry cleaners knows that.

[HumeSkeptic]

Bob Barr'08
http://www.bobbarr2008.com/?gclid=CI-BkoGIyJMCFREUiQodngIzjA

Donate!

Win Georgia for Obama!

[AMJordan]

I don't know, Hume. I've got a sneaking admiration for any politician that would lick whipped cream off a woman's breasts. In public, yet.

[HumeSkeptic]

What? You don't like whipped cream?

[AdLib]

I've got nothing but admiration for a Republican showing an interest in women.

[starboymikey]

Oh, and has Hillary Clinton had anything to say about the Bush/McCain love fest yet?

I didn't think so. She's too busy admiring McCain and continuing to diss Obama.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Hillary who?

[tschlak]

LOL

[AMJordan]

Who is this Hillary Clinton? Is she one of those right-wing wunderchildren like Coulter or Malkin?

[kasinca]

She is too busy blaming everyone for her running a shoddy campaign. It is everybody elses fault.

[starboymikey]

Senator McCain doesn't want to be seen, hat-in-hand, with the President whose failed policies he promises to continue for another four years."
_______________________________________________________________________

Good. This is exactly the kind of thing Obama needs to keep repeating. Jab, jab, jab, uppercut.

Meanwhile, I hope W. offers McCain some of his (W's) sage political advice, and that McCain keeps taking it.

[SCG]

That's one thing about the Obama campiagn, they are quick on the return. I like how they had a reply to Hillary's 3am ad out within that day.

[AMJordan]

Actually, they just don't want to be seen Frenchin'

[Big0725]

Methinks someone's gonna get a Monica soon?

[mari2JJ]

That and they also do not want the PUBLIC to know that they have moved the shindig to a home here in Arizona because they did not want the Newsies to broadcast the pitiful number of guests who have agreed to attend or contribute at the party. Even the usual Republican Arizona crowd is saying no thanks to a Bush/McCain duet. Seems like even Republicans here see the handwriting on the wall. Obama may even carry Arizona the way things are looking. For sure we Arizonans all know that the gas prices this Whitehorse crew has pushed us into are not turning out well for us at all. Course all of the Bushies are doing just fine.

[TheBrizz]

"Meanwhile, I hope W. offers McCain some of his (W's) sage political advice, and that McCain keeps taking it."

As long as he doesn't give him advise on how to steal elections...

[KarenKaren]

McCain...you there?...you think we didn't notice your opposition to the GI bill on the grounds that it was too expensive?

You think we didn't notice the Congressional Budget Office's prediction that shows Webb's bill would have no net loss (16% increase in attrition, 16% new enrollment) due to an increase in benefits ?

You think that those of us with family members serving in the military agree to waiting 12 years before being eligible to maximum benefits under your and Graham's bill?

You think that we don't know that transferability of benefits already exists under Webb's bill due to the MGIB?

You think we didn't notice that you had no bill to offer until days before Memorial Day?

You think increasing Americans' competitive edge by equipping them with an education isn't a good investment economic investment?

Oh, that's right, the economy isn't your thing (your words)--except when it comes to catching a piece for yourself from the failed savings and loan institutions.

And lastly, you don't really think we have confidence in you handling the war, do you?

[nick1936]

I am not a McCain supporter but this is the thing I had against Gore failing to support your president just shows you what a coward thes polls are

[swooge]

Huh?

[buckygreen]

Ok we get it. Youre very dumb. You can stop now.

[rosal]

Chimp and his evil twin. McWorse is coming to Reno tomorrow. Chimp won't be with him. I hope I can get off from work to go and "welcome" McPain. I hope lots of Obama's supporters go and "welcome" Grumpy Grandpa.

[yathink]

GW was in ABQ today. At the expense of the taxpayers, not his fave congressional candidate (who he was here raising money for).

[juangault]

I thinks yathink came from the lady cop in "Fargo". He's getting some jollies, cruzing in the 747. while he can, it's down to less than 8 months now.

[wbateman]

Slow boy picks nose while old man yells at cloud....

I don't really know why either one would want to be seen with the other... Didn't the Bush campaign (i.e., Karl Rove) spread the information in the Carolinas about McCains "black child?" If that were me, there would be absolutely NOTHING I would want you to do for me...

[tschlak]

McCain got the last laugh: he didn't vote for Bush!! Oh, wait -- yes he did.

"Where am I? Where's my notecards??? Damn kids..."

[LeonBNJ]

No press allowed = they don't want the truth to come out or for Bush to be seen with McCain.
I agree with what some others said - at any and all fundraisers a list of the attendees should be publicaly available on line, the amount they paid for tickets, respresentitives of the press allowed and all proceedings recorded on video. I bet someone will smuggle a camera phone in that can record.
It is a sad comment that the current President of the USA has to be seen as an ememy in their own party. The last time that happened was with Nixon and perhaps an apt comparision.

[AMJordan]

Maybe McCain is going to lick whipped cream off of Bush's chest a-la Bob Barr.

[SCG]

Ferrrrrro is on Sean Hannity right now.....poisoning the waters yet more.

[BWonka]

They deserve each other - pray for a power outage at the Faux Noise Studio.

[Independent voter]

If you were a hate filled, wrinkled up, useless old * you would be on Fox also.

[kay]

FOX. Her nightly appearance. The former democratic nominee for the VP is now a Friend of Fox.

It's upsidedownworld. I'm getting used to it though.

[SCG]

Lanny needed a night off.

[SaulGood]

kay....noooooooo! we mustn't get used to it, we must abolish it. we have to work together, our voices heard, and educate those who haven't the time or interest to care otherwise and show ourselves (and the entire global community) that we aren't the lazy, destructive maggots that we are perceived to be.

[lornejl]

Do her supporters think its freaky she is kissing FOX *** ?

[buckygreen]

Ferraro has become nothing but a pathetic joke, a sad caricature of her former self.

[SaviourMachine]

She reminds me of Nurse Ratched in One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

[AMJordan]

Without Ratched's redeeming features.

[rosal]

Birds of a feather.......

[Ariesjill]

Yes, and in this, predatory birds. Not swans, not doves.

[BethStuart]

I'm curious if Sheldon Adelson is attending any of these fund raisers. He's the third richest guy in the country with a net worth of $26 billion. He's also the moneybags behind Freedom's Watch, a white house front group run by Ari Fleischer, Bush's former press secretary. Adelson could fund McCain's whole campaign all by himself.

Freedom's Watch was running attack ads against the Democratic candidate in the special congressional election in Louisiana earlier this month.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

THAT was a waste of money!

[tschlak]

Good for them. Hope they continue to throw away millions and millions on the dying Bush legacy. Doing their bit in helping out the economy having all that currency in circulation.

[mari2JJ]

Speaking of Press Secretaries, did anyone see Bush's former Press Secretary spilling the Bush beans on MSNBC's show, The Verdict. All the dirty laundry re the Iraq War cover up out in the open, courtesy of Scott McClellan. Was great to watch. These guys will all devour each other before it is over, just like the Nixon convicts did. The first squealers seem to get off pretty well, so the race is on now.

[SaviourMachine]

Bu$h has his very own 'lil minnie me.

Aww so cute the love that dare not speak it's name.

[LuckyKay]

Hilarious! I actualy chuckled aloud at that.

[Ariesjill]

Pls grow up. All bigotry is the product of ignorance and fear. there are no exceptions and none should be tolerated.

[SaviourMachine]

Excuse me! Do you know me?

If you did then maybe you wouldn't be so quick to rush to judgment.

My suggestion read a profile before going off half cocked.

And if you don't see the play on words then that's your problem.