Treasury secretary staying on campaign sidelines

With Republican control of Congress hanging in the balance, leading members of President Bush's Cabinet have busy travel schedules filled with political events designed to boost the fortunes of imperiled GOP candidates.

But the campaign to keep Congress in GOP hands will not be able to draw on the new star of the Bush Cabinet, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who refuses to campaign. Paulson's decision contrasts, at least to some degree, with the approach of former Treasury Secretary John Snow, who made a series of appearances in states vital to President Bush's re-election effort during the final days of the 2004 campaign.

"Secretary Paulson believes that the Treasury Secretary should not participate in partisan political activities," a spokeswoman said. She declined to elaborate. With the exception of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Paulson is the Cabinet's most high-profile member. The Defense and State secretaries traditionally do not participate in political events.

"Paulson feels very strongly about the Treasury secretary not even being perceived to be involved in partisan activity," said one senior administration official. "He's a good and proud Republican, but he just feels very strongly about the perception of the Treasury secretary."

This source noted that Paulson was not personally inclined to do a lot of media, preferring to work behind the scenes to advance policy and speaking only when he has "something important to say." Paulson also believes a partisan role might undermine his intention, announced at the outset of his tenure, to work in a bipartisan manner.

While other Cabinet officials hit the campaign trail, Paulson's schedule this week includes a Treasury Department Iftaar dinner that breaks the daily Ramadan fast, which he hosted Tuesday night, and the kickoff Thursday of a nationwide effort to teach teens good credit habits.

Snow had similar misgivings about political activity, according to a former Treasury official. But according to Treasury records, he appears to have been a dutiful soldier -- even if in an unofficial capacity -- in the Bush re-election effort.

He was practically camped out in battleground states during the lead-up to Election Day, logging several appearances in Florida and making stops in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Minnesota during the last two weeks of October alone. And he engaged in at least one overtly political event with a member of Congress during the 2004 election season, appearing with House Financial Services Chairman Michael Oxley, R-Ohio.

"I think it was important to him to work with members who needed support for the work they'd done on issues," the former Treasury official said. Snow was also by temperament inclined to get behind the microphone to promote administration policies, he added, saying Snow enjoyed his public appearances.