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The L.A. Times reported yesterday that President Bush is planning a campaign trip to our state in order to raise money and bolster the campaign of GOP Senate candidate Bill Jones. He will make appearances with Governor Schwarzenegger as well as with Jones. The President lost to Al Gore in California in 2000 by 1.2 million votes.
It ought to be noted: Schwarzenegger has refused to campaign for the President outside California - he wants to keep his distance, as Bush is locally unpopular. He has agreed to speak at the Convention, but only after his demand for a plum speaking spot was satisifed. And rumor has it that the topic of his speech is "The New Republican Party." Will this master of P.R. blast the Bush administration's hard-right ways in order to cultivate his public profile? It's possible - John McCain seems to do it every other day.
The oft-quoted U.C. professor Bruce Cain disputes the notion that Bush can help the Jones campaign win the election against the heavily-favored Boxer:
"I do not think they can make the state competitive at this time," Cain said. "But I am sure that they owe some attention to California, since they are exporting campaign funds from the state in massive amounts."
