Bush no-show at Republican convention could boost McCain: party leaders

NEW YORK - The cancellation of President George W. Bush's attendance at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul, Minnesota, could help shore up Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, according to some Republican leaders.
Republican strategists have worried all year about the possible impact of Bush's attendance at the RNC, which will begin Monday afternoon, as the president's approval rate lies at a near-record low.
WSo, when Bush canceled his planned appearance at Monday night's opening session to focus on preparations for Hurricane Gustav, there were more than a few sighs of relief among the Republicans.  "It's a good thing," said former Representative Dick Zimmer, the Republican candidate for Senate in New Jersey, where Bush is not especially popular.  "The first thing I was asked when I won the primary was whether I planned to ask President Bush to come to New Jersey to campaign for me. The answer was no," he said.
Dan Schnur, a former aide to John McCain, agreed. If Bush's speech had been Monday's main event as originally planned, he said, then media coverage of the convention might have turned into "one long Bush vs. McCain soap opera" focusing on tension between the two, he said.
Conflicting views of Bush among the Republicans have been mounting since the president's popularity plummeted during his second term.  Even before Hurricane Gustav forced Bush's decision Sunday, some Republicans said the president could help his party best by staying home this week.
"President Bush is history, and what we're trying to do is build a party and win an election based on what we're going to do in the future," said Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher, who for months has been urging the president to stay away.