Bush to make McCain pitch at fundraiser

President Bush will outline the Republicans’ case for election up and down the ticket this fall as he looks to fill the GOP coffers at Wednesday night’s President’s Dinner.

The White House said Wednesday that the president will “express his strong support for John McCain and explain how the stakes in this election could not be higher.”

{mosads}The President’s Dinner is traditionally one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the Republican congressional campaign committees.

Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman, said the president will discuss “the pressures of the Oval Office and why it’s critical for the president to be a leader with experience and judgment.

“He will explain why John McCain is this type of leader,” Lawrimore said of the Arizona senator who hopes to succeed Bush.

She added that Bush will talk about the differences between Democrats and Republicans and how “Americans have a clear choice to make between two different directions on important issues such as the economy, spending, judges and the war on terror.”

New polls out Wednesday indicate that the president’s continued low approval ratings appear to be damaging McCain’s chances of winning in the traditional battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Despite that effect, Bush continues to be a prolific fundraiser for Republicans up and down the ballot.