Bush all but forgotten in St. Paul

At the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week, it was the rare speaker who didn't invoke President Bush's name. With his popularity rating hovering around 30%, Democrats regularly took to the podium to pound the White House on issues such as the war in Iraq and a sour economy. The president may not have been in Denver, but he was very much a presence.

Not so in St. Paul, Minn. Republicans read the same polls, so planners of the Republican National Convention scripted him out. Abetted by Hurricane Gustav -- which forced a cancellation of his scheduled speech Monday  -- Bush called it in by video from the White House last night. And the amazing thing is that even the president was careful not to mention his administration.

Of the 17 speakers Tuesday night, only one -- First Lady Laura Bush -- mentioned the president. And none of her references were to her husband's administration; all were to him as a person.

And if that weren't enough, check out the Tuesday page at the Republican Party's convention website. You have to really dig to find any mention of the president or his remarks.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Tannen Maury / EPA