Dem Foibles Make Bush A Fundraising Giant

This remarkable AP photo of President Bush emerging onto a stage could have been used to symbolize that it's curtains for Bush -- a probable story given his abysmal poll performance -- but he is actually in high demand, stepping through curtains and up to the podium time after time to fire up the Republican faithful, and is raising millions for the GOP nationwide. WashTimes reports:

President Bush may be unpopular inside the Beltway, but to Republicans nationwide, he remains the fundraiser extraordinaire, and he is expected to pull in more than $200 million for Republican candidates by Election Day 2008.

Although his approval rating hovers in the 30s, between 70 percent and 80 percent of Republicans support his policies, including the "surge" of troops to secure Baghdad. Even though the next elections are 20 months away, the growing partisanship and polarization makes the president an even bigger draw for campaign cash.

"The higher level of partisanship, particularly on foreign affairs, has helped inspire and energize Republicans in terms of being more supportive of Bush," Republican fundraiser Wayne Berman said. "It has strengthened his appeal among partisan Republicans."

This underscores the truth that became evident to anyone paying attention as the election results unfolded on November 7 last year: That the vote proved nothing.

America is not anti-war.

America is not anti-Bush.

American is not asleep at the wheel in the war on terror.

A tiny, temporary majority of Americans voted in a way that gives Dems the idea that America feels the same way they do and therefore has empowered them to act, but as more time goes by, the more evident it is that the Dems are over-reading the results. The fact is, some Americans feel one way, some Americans feel another, but America ... America has no concensus whatsoever on these critical issues of this most critical time.

As the Dems continue to behave as if America is anti-war, anti-Bush and doesn't care about the implications of a retreat from Iraq, Bush's popularity on the speaking circuit increases. There could not be a more clear proof of the dynamic energy the Dems' mis-reading of the election is pumping into the GOP.

It is the surest sign I've seen since the election that 2008 means more, much more, to the GOP base than it does to the Dem base. Let's hope the Dems keep doing what they're doing, poring over the last six years to find ways to embarass the Bush Admin. instead of leading country.

If they do, GOP coffers will swell and the Dems' tiny minority will travel rightward, reshuffling the power in DC none too soon.