During the final two weeks of the campaign, where can President Bush go?
During the two weeks before election day 2000, President Clinton was a busy man.
He spent nearly half his time out of town, campaigning for Democratic candidates in New York (his wife and others), Kentucky, California, back to New York, and Arkansas. He spoke at several political events in Washington, D.C., too.
There were private receptions and public rallies. And even as Al Gore, the Democrats' presidential candidate and Clinton's vice president, sought to distance himself from the president to leave no doubt about his own political identity, Clinton was aggressive -- and very out there -- on behalf of Democratic candidates.
Compare that itinerary with President Bush's schedule as the campaign to elect a new Senate and House completes its final two weeks, and as John McCain and Sarah Palin campaign to succeed Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Let's see.
Friday is pretty busy: Briefings at the National Security Agency, an Oval Office meeting with the secretary-general of NATO, and a ceremony bringing Albania and Croatia into the Atlantic alliance.
The president is spending this weekend at Camp David, the ultra-private presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains.
On Monday, he is meeting with the president of Paraguay, and, with Laura Bush, he is speaking at a White House reception marking the 150th birthday of Theodore Roosevelt.
And on it goes.
What's missing?
Hint: Is there an election taking place?
When he blessed McCain's bid for the presidency last March, Bush said he would campaign for or against the Republican -- whichever would help.
That was before the Wall Street meltdown and broader global financial crisis. So, we're not likely to be seeing any picture like this one -- at the White House or anywhere -- in the next few days:
As of now, with his poll numbers continuing to bump along near record lows for an incumbent president, and even McCain structuring much of his campaign as a contrast to the last eight years, Bush is neither working for nor against his preferred successor.
He's just disappearing.
For the president's public schedule, click on Read Full Story...
-- James Gerstenzang
Upper photo: President Clinton at a Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza rally in 2000. Credit: Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times. Lower photo: Sen. John McCain and President Bush at the White House in 2008. Credit: Joyce N. Boghosian / The White House.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 22, 2008
This Information Subject To Change
THE WEEK AHEAD
Thursday, October 23, 2008 | Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, October 23
10:15 am THE PRESIDENT meets with Participants of the U.S. Middle East
Partnership Initiative
EEOB – Room 350, The White House
STILLS AT TOP
Friday, October 24
10:00 am THE PRESIDENT participates in Briefings at National Security Agency
National Security Agency – Operations Building | Fort Meade, Maryland
CLOSED PRESS
5:20 pm THE PRESIDENT meets with the Secretary General of NATO
Oval Office, The White House
CLOSED PRESS
6:10 pm THE PRESIDENT participates in a Signing Ceremony for NATO Accession
Protocols for Albania and Croatia
East Room, The White House
OPEN PRESS
RON: Washington, DC
Saturday, October 25
RON: Camp David
Sunday, October 26
RON: Washington, DC
Monday, October 27
10:55 am THE PRESIDENT meets with the President of Paraguay
Oval Office, The White House
POOL AT BOTTOM
6:00 pm THE PRESIDENT and Mrs. Bush make Remarks in Honor of Theodore Roosevelt’s 150th Birthday
East Room, The White House
OPEN PRESS
Tuesday, October 28
NO PUBLIC EVENTS
Wednesday, October 29
1:15 pm THE PRESIDENT meets with the Prime Minister of Czech Republic
Oval Office, The White House
POOL AT BOTTOM
Thursday, October 30
10:10 am THE PRESIDENT makes Remarks at Graduation Ceremony for Federal Bureau
of Investigation Special Agents
FBI Academy | Quantico, Virginia
TBD PRESS
# # #
What Would Hoover Do
When President Hoover was faced with a stock market crash, economic slump and declining tax revenues, he raised taxes and increased protectionist tariffs on foreign imports. Economists universally agree that this recipe led to disaster for Americas economy, sending the U.S. into the Great Depression. Barack Obama is offering up the same program of tax increases and protectionist trade tariffs as President Hoover did and that should concern all Americans.
Posted by: Iron Man | October 25, 2008 at 05:43 AM