Bush tries giving McCain a boost
TEXT OF STORY
Renita Jablonski: There’s one friend in particular that’s gonna try to help John McCain. President Bush has near record-low approval ratings at the moment, but he’ll be fundraising in Arizona today with the man he hopes will replace him. The question is, will that help or hurt the presumptive Republican nominee? Jeremy Hobson reports from Washington.
Jeremy Hobson: In April, John McCain raised only about a third as much as his two Democratic opponents combined. President Bush, meanwhile, remains a fundraising force. He’s already raised tens of millions of dollars this year for the Republican Party and congressional candidates.
And former Reagan Speechwriter Clark Judge says Senator McCain ought to take note:
Clark Judge: There’s a big part of the party that still thinks he’s pretty good.
Judge says the president may only have support of about 25 percent of the country, but McCain needs those people — and their money — to win.
Judge: Whatever you do, it’s tough to run for president, and you need all the support you can get. And the president has very significant areas of strength, and Senator McCain needs them.
Among President Bush’s remaining supporters, Judge says, are ardent Iraq War backers and supply siders. Still, some strategists say candidates should think twice about using President Bush — even to raise money.
In Washington, I’m Jeremy Hobson for Marketplace.
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