First Lady comes to bolster state GOP in speedy swing

10/26/2006

Laura Bush stumped for GOP candidates across Minnesota and seven other states.

Bob Von Sternberg and Eric Black,
Star Tribune staff writers
Last update: October 25, 2006 – 10:27 PM

ROCHESTER - For a few minutes Wednesday, the First Lady was the First Campaigner, sharing the stage at the Mayo Civic Center with Rep. Gil Gutknecht, Rep. Mark Kennedy and Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

“These great Republicans need your support, and our country needs them,” Laura Bush told several hundred of the Republican faithful.

Bush, who stopped earlier in the Twin Cities to attend a fundraiser for Sixth District candidate Michele Bachmann, was midway through an eight-state tour, stumping for GOP candidates at a time when the party is trying to build a firewall against major Democratic gains on Nov. 7.

While President Bush has cut back the frequency of his campaign appearances, his wife, with far higher approval ratings than he enjoys, has had a grueling schedule.

She spoke about the nation’s security and the war in Iraq, saying “Minnesota Republicans understand the needs of our troops. Congressman Gutknecht has assured that our armed forces have the resources they need to keep American safe. ... Gil is a champion of the men and women of the United States military.”

She said Gutknecht, Kennedy and Pawlenty “appreciate our troops’ sacrifice. They know America faces challenges too important to be reduced to politics.”

During her 13-minute Rochester speech, Bush also praised the trio’s records on tax cuts and on helping the nation’s young people, and called them “passionate advocates for Minnesota families.”

Referring to the political polarization that has intensified for years, Bush said Americans should “have a serious national conversation, marked by civility and respect.”

Gutknecht, a six-term incumbent locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger Tim Walz, introduced Bush.

“As they say on Wall Street, the trend is your friend,” he said, referring to national generic congressional polls that have recently showed Democrats’ anticipated big majorities shrinking. “One I saw yesterday showed they were only four up. If we’re only four down on election day, I’ve got news for you: We’re going to gain seats. Everything’s going our way.”

Earlier, Bush spoke in Minnetonka at the Bachmann fund-raiser. About 200 GOP supporters paid $500 for breakfast and a 10-minute pep talk from the First Lady.

Bush praised Bachmann for supporting making her husband’s proposed tax cuts permanent and for “understanding the needs of our troops.”

Bachmann, whose race against DFLer Patty Wetterling has become one of the most closely watched races in the nationwide struggle for control of the House, has now attracted fund-raising visits from the president, the vice president, the First Lady, the speaker of the House and White House political guru Karl Rove.

Asked after the event why she had welcomed so much help from the Bush team, while other candidates have distanced themselves, Bachmann said “because the country is doing fabulously well right now.” She credited the Bush economic policy for the low unemployment record and the recent record highs in the Dow.