Posted on 10/03/2006 4:18:16 PM PDT by rocksblues
STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - President Bush tried to focus voters on the fight against terror Tuesday and away from the ethics questions that are making the Republican election campaign difficult this year.
Bush racheted up his charges against Democrats during a fundraising tour of California, flatly accusing his political opponents of being soft on terror, but could not avoid the scandals that are dogging the GOP. He was campaigning for two incumbents who were benefactors of corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff and was drawn into defending the House speaker from calls for his resignation over a sex scandal on Capitol Hill.
But even if Bush can't erase his party's problems, he provided plenty of cash to fuel their cause in November's elections. His fundraising told for three events Tuesday was $2.3 million.
He told cheering Republicans at a $400,000 breakfast fundraiser for Rep. Richard Pombo that Democrats would raise their taxes and "cut and run" in Iraq.
"They talk tough on terror, but when the votes are counted, their softer side comes out," Bush said. He made the same charges later in the Sacramento suburb of El Dorado, where he raised $600,000 for Rep. John Doolittle.
Bush criticized Democrats who voted against legislation authorizing warrantless monitoring of phone calls and e-mails to detect terror plots and another bill that would allow tough interrogation of terror suspects by CIA agents.
"If they feel we are safer without this program, the Democrats in the United States Senate need to explain to the American people which of the attacks that the CIA program stopped would they have been willing to let go forward," Bush said.
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said despite all Bush's talk about being "tough," Republicans have put national security at risk by bungling Iraq and ignoring warnings of the Sept. 11 attacks five years ago.
"The American people expect more than tough talk from their leaders," Reid said in a written statement e-mailed to reporters. "They expect tough and smart action."
Bush didn't mention the two Republicans' link to Abramoff. Both easily survived primary challenges this year from opponents who criticized them for their Abramoff donations, and both were expected to win in their reliably Republican districts in November.
Pombo received thousands of dollars in questionable contributions from Abramoff or his clients while supporting the lobbyist's causes. After the disclosures, Pombo gave $7,000 to charity that he had received from Abramoff. The congressman had denied taking any positions because of the money.
Doolittle used Abramoff's luxury sports box for a fundraiser without initially reporting it. Doolittle's wife and one of his former aides also worked for Abramoff.
Several hundred protesters lined Bush's motorcade route to the country club where the Doolittle event was held. Some greeted the president with welcome banners and signs that said, "We Stand with Congressman Doolittle." But the pro-Bush protesters were outnumbered by those who carried signs that read "No More Lies,""War starts with Dubya" and "Iraq Another Vietnam."
During a stop in Stockton's three-year-old George W. Bush Elementary School, Bush made his first comments on the revelations that Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., had sexually explicit Internet messages to teenage boys he met through the congressional page program. Foley resigned Friday when ABC News obtained copies, and House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Republican leaders are facing questions about why they didn't pursue the matter earlier.
Bush said he was "dismayed and shocked to learn about Congressman Foley's unacceptable behavior." Some, including the conservative Washington Times newspaper, have called for Hastert to resign, but Bush expressed confidence in the speaker's ability to resolve the matter.
Bush's final fundraiser was scheduled for Tuesday evening at a mansion in Beverly Hills. The event, hosted by investor Elliott Broidy and his wife Robin, was expected to raise $1.3 million for the Republican National Committee and was closed to the media.
The president was to wrap up the fundraising tour Wednesday with stops in Arizona and Colorado before returning to Washington.
People who vote according to the latest News are their target. Are you one of them?
It's Nedra Pickler, a true blue 'rat supporting presstitute. Rush loves to shred her biased cr*p....
You people have all but ignored the Patrick Kennedy story and how strings were pulled for him to let him off a DUI while driving under the influence of drugs, you've ignored William Jefferson and John Conyers and you ignored Gary Studds being given a standing O by the Party of Satan after schtoping a 17 year old!
People who are political junkies like those here on FR are not the ones you need to worry about. The peeples you need to worry about are those that:
1. Do not start paying attention to politics until about 4-6 weeks before an election.
2. Get their news from newspapers, nightly news, CNN, Fox News, or online at Yahoo News, the various news media web sites.
These peeples do not visit blogs, Free Republic, or spend any real time on political web sites.
These peeples number in the tens of millions and unfortunately can be swayed by the media.
I've read other hit pieces by Nedra and she is definitely not non partisan. She a flaming lib.
By Nedra Pickler????
ROTFLMAO!!!
YEA! We need a few more comments like yours on here with all the trolls that are around from the Dims!
Good, Keep it up Mr. President.
Don't let these sick whack jobs get away with not being answerable with their Rah Rah behavior toward the terrorists at expanse of this nation's security and well earned victories for our troops.
I meant what I said, the Dems went too damn far by protecting a pedophile to spring as a "surprise". The surprise is on them. I'm going to pound their butts every single morn and night till election day. I want these immoral sleazes to get what they deserve for daring to allow Foley to serve at expense of children at risk as well of their insanity for prefering bin Ladin over a Republican. Can all their hides.
I am not familiar with Pickler/Pickle. I just noticed that for every mention of good there was a mention of bad.
Amazing how far the Democrats will go to get their party back into power. NOT check my tag!
Beware the Pickler.
This garbage about Hastert is the biggest non-story ever, and the only reason it's even news is because the liberal media wants it to be.
*sigh* I'm afraid that those who say the MSM isn't powerful aren't quite as right as I'd like them to be.
When I think of you, Harry, neither "tough" nor "smart" come to mind.
ARRRRGH!
What made you think this was non partisan? "GOP Woes"? Like a booming economy, increase in new housing starts, record highs for the stock market, falling gas prices, stable interest rates, low unemployment, Iraq and Afghanistan with democratically-elected governments protected by Coalition and NATO forces while their own troops train up, no attacks on our soil after 9/11, Al Queda bemoaning its losses and the fact it's losing its grip - heck, even the hurricane season appears to be a no-show so far. The dems apparently think one Republican who got caught talking dirty with a page, and promptly resigned and is under investigation, is somehow going to make Republicans vote for the dems. I don't think so. It doesn't sound like a lot of "woes" to me.
Their I feel better!
I had to google him after your post (I learn something new everyday). Thanks for the inside scoop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Studds
A DNC press release dressed up as AP news. Go figure.
I misspelled his name. It's Gerry Studds, with d's.
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