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George W. Bush Helping GOP Re-Election Efforts
Thursday, June 16, 2016 10:24 PM
By: Greg Richter
In an election year where many Republicans are distancing themselves from their presidential standard-bearer some are calling in an old friend: former President George W. Bush.
Bush is appearing next week at a fundraiser for Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt and has events planned for Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, The New York Times reports.
"I'm pleased he is coming," Blunt told the Times. "He hasn't given a political speech since he left, so I am interested to hear what he has to say. In Missouri he is still very popular, as he is more and more all over the country."
Bush wasn't so popular when he left office in 2008, his poll numbers sacked by two wars and a flagging economy headed into recession. But his popularity is now at 47 percent among the general population and he is hugely popular with Republicans.
With presumptive nominee Donald Trump's controversial statements sending Republicans in tight races shunning his help, they instead are going back to Bush.
That doesn't seem to concern Trump, who told the Times Thursday night, "I like that he's helping certain Republicans." He added that Bush's brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, "had a great chance to beat me" this election cycle, but didn't succeed.
"All the Bushes are people of integrity," Johnson told the Times. Johnson is facing a tough race this November with former Senator Russ Feingold.
