News from the White House: George Bush is not on the ticket

An important announcement from the White House: George Bush is not, repeat, not running for President in 2008. Or as Dana Perino put it:

But remember this election is -- the President is not on the ticket.

But remember, he's not on the ticket.

But again, President Bush isn't on the ticket.

Well, okay, then, no, I'm not -- I'm seeking nothing but to tell you that the President is not on the ticket...

And so begins the tightrope walk we can expect for the next six months. Assurances that Bush is "fully committed, 100 percent committed, to making sure that John McCain is elected to be the next President," while doing everything they can to put distance between John McCain and George Bush. When questioned (six times) on whether Bush and McCain would appear in public together, the best Perino could do was to say, "stay tuned," and to remind reporters that:

President Bush is a formidable campaign fundraiser, as has been reported over the years, and I expect that he'll continue to be.

So, how is that working out?

A Tuesday fundraiser headlined by President Bush for U.S. Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is being moved out of the Phoenix Convention Center.

Sources familiar with the situation said the Bush-McCain event was not selling enough tickets to fill the Convention Center space, and that there were concerns about more anti-war protesters showing up outside the venue than attending the fundraiser inside.

With the need for repeated reminders that George Bush is not on the ticket, dodging questions about public appearances and failing fundraisers, John McCain is learning that running to carry out the third term of the most unpopular president in history is hard work.

Via: Kos