Bush's public campaign appearances don't match 2002 pace

President Bush has logged far fewer public campaign appearances with GOP candidates during this election season than he did during the previous midterm cycle in 2002, reducing his visibility as Republicans find themselves in peril of losing control of Congress.

Bush, who was hugely popular in 2002 but far less so today, made fewer appearances in September of this year than First Lady Laura Bush, who is still popular. In late 2002, with memories of Sept. 11, 2001, still fresh and successes in Afghanistan, Bush's approval ratings were soaring in the 60-70 percent range. Today, as the war in Iraq drags on, his job performance rating is mired in the 30s and 40s.

Since the beginning of August, Bush has appeared and spoken publicly outside of Washington at political events with GOP candidates 15 times, compared to 29 such events from Aug. 1 through the middle of October 2002, according to a CongressDaily analysis.

The 2002 dates included fundraisers and several rallies billed as "welcome" events that might include candidates on the dais with the president. Most of the 2006 events have been fundraisers.

Bush made a total of four appearances this past August and four in September, compared to 13 in August 2002 and eight in September 2002. The number of events in October of each of the election cycles has been comparable, however, with the president appearing seven times so far in October and eight times by the middle of October 2002.

"I think that's a skewed way of looking at the cycle," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino. "The president has been actively campaigning," she said, adding, "This includes the entire range of campaign activities, both closed press and open fundraisers."

Indeed, the president this year has done a series of GOP candidate fundraisers that were open neither to the public nor the press. For example, Bush appeared Sept. 25 at events at private residences in Riverside Conn., and Cincinnati, Ohio, for, respectively, Connecticut Republicans and Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio. Bush, Perino said, "has done more events in this midterm cycle than he did in 2002."

While such events show Bush is still apparently an effective fundraiser, the White House gave no specific reason why his public appearances with candidates were scaled back.

"All of the president's time available for midterm elections is being allotted to those efforts," Perino said. "The vice president, Mrs. Bush, and [political adviser] Karl Rove are among those who are doing more events in this midterm cycle than in 2002."

Bush, she added, will be "aggressively campaigning" in the weeks remaining before Election Day.