The
Baltimore Sun reports President Bush will appear in Baltimore tomorrow, Wednesday November 30th, at a fundraiser for Michael Steele's 2006 MD Senate bid.
One might wonder what positive effects an appearance by Bush, who in recent memory had just a 2% approval rating among African Americans and a dismal 36% approval rating in Maryland, will have on Steele's Senate bid in the blue state of Maryland.
How will Steele distance himself from Bush six months from now when, doubtlessly, he continues to paint himself as a moderate and independent consensus builder? Will he photoshop Bush & Rove out of his fundraiser photos and deny any liability for using Bush to pimp his Senate bid?
Time will tell but, as we all know, money is the prime mover here:
Tickets to the lunch range from $125 for general admission to $5000 for a photo opportunity with the president.
$5,000? Jack Abramoff and the President of Gabon would salivate over such a low cost to appear with the President. Still, I hope you're using a Nikon DSLR and not a disposable after shelling out 5,000 clams for a picture with Dear Leader.
Of course, Steele has a history of milking unpopular White House officials at fundraisers. Karl Rove helped rake in some $75,000 in July for Steele. Is a candid appearance next to a possibly indicted WH official worth it? Or are fundraisers simply side financial ventures with no substantial meaning other than a handshake, smile, recycled talking points, rah-rah-rah and stacks of cash?
At what point will GOP candidates recognize Bush is more of a liability than a boost? On a national level, Bush continues to appear at fundraisers for GOP candidates. Just Monday, Bush appeared on behalf of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and will appear today on behalf of Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO). If the GOP is to avoid making 2006 a referendum on Bush, there must be some willingness to recognize Bush's shaky public perception. However, recent reports suggest past GOP critics of appearing with Bush have been beaten into submission:
Despite his earlier statements that the president's slipping popularity make him such a political liability that he didn't want him campaigning for him, Representative J.D. Hayworth will be at President Bush's side when he visits Arizona tomorrow.
Perhaps the more pressing question is:
Can GOP candidates extricate themselves from Bush?
Particularly in light of the latest Zogby results:
George W. Bush's current low approval ratings were a major factor in defeats handed to Republican candidates and initiatives sponsored by the Republican governor of the nation's most populous state, surveys conducted in key 2005 battlegrounds by Zogby International show.
Republicans running next year must be considering how to distance themselves from Bush while doing so with a measure of reasonable civility to both Bush and party leaders. But, like the song goes, breaking up is hard to do. That divorce may not be plausible. Nor does it look as though the White House is allowing for such plans to come about.
Carol R. Hirshburg, a Republican consultant and member of the host committee of Steele's fundraiser aptly sums it up:
"I don't think having a president come in and help you raise money is a sign that you're proving your undying support to him. Michael Steele has the next year to tell people what he believes in, what his issues are, how he feels about national issues."
In the meantime, Steele continues to sell his soul for a few thousand dollars and pays his dues to the GOP establishment.