John McCain Watch: Bush Scaling Back Fundraising?

Senator John McCain and presumptive GOP nominee for President and President Bush are to embark on a fundraising tour after the Memorial Day holiday. The Politico is all too happy to denigrate the Bush effort to augment the McCain campaign’s coffers.

President Bush is scaling back next week’s fundraising swings for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at the request of the campaign, which wants the events closed to the press, POLITICO has learned.

The change — in both Arizona and Utah — is part of McCain’s delicate effort to find the balance between embracing an unpopular president and taking advantage of his huge continuing draw with well-heeled Republicans.

The Arizona event, which was to be at the Phoenix Convention Center, was the first time Bush was to have appeared with McCain since their White House meeting in March.

A McCain aide said: “The McCain campaign has a policy that fundraising events are closed press. In keeping with that policy, the campaign requested the event be moved to a private home.”

On Tuesday, the president was to appear with McCain at the Phoenix Convention Center at a McCain for President and Republican National Committee Victory Reception.

And on Wednesday, Bush was to appear at Salt Lake City’s Grand America Hotel with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at a McCain for President and Republican National Committee Victory Reception (followed by a more exclusive dinner at the Romneys’ Park City home).

Now, both of the public events will be at private residences.

Big deal.

Most GOP fundraising events are closed to the press and isn’t this the real reason why the Politico reports this? They are pissed that they will NOT be let into the event.

Or is it that the Politico (in the tank for Mitt Romney since the primary season) is trying to tie McCain’s reluctance to embrace President Bush with his unpopularity? Why would McCain even bother with President Bush if he thought he would be a negative to the campaign?

There are many reasons why a fundraising tour with the President for the McCain campaign would be private. The biggest – being security. The second would be the reluctance of donors to be followed and hounded by the press or Code Pinko demonstrators. A third, is the reporting publicly the names of the donors and the photos of their wives and family on the internet a few minutes after they attend – their security.

The idea behind fundraising is to raise funds for campaign advertising. This is what President Bush will do for John McCain and the national GOP. Unfortunately for the Politico there will be NO show or circus.

McCain is not hiding an unpopular President as the Politico implies.