Bush’s speech will not be ‘reprise’ of his presidency

The White House said Thursday that President Bush will focus on Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and not his own legacy when he addresses the Republican convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul next week. 

White House press secretary Dana Perino said that while it is "premature" to offer a preview of the president's speech, which she said is nearing completion, Bush "is going to spend the majority of his time in his speech making the case for John McCain, for John McCain to be president of the United States."

{mosads}"It will not be a reprise of the past seven and a half years," Perino said. "This will focus on John McCain and why he's the right person to be president of the United States, and looking forward rather than looking back."

Democrats are eager to tie McCain to Bush, whose approval ratings remain historically low, and they are preparing to roll out a number of efforts to do so. But Perino said the decisions for Bush to speak later in the evening and then to leave the Twin Cities and stay overnight at Camp David are not unusual and should not be taken as any kind of attempt by McCain to distance himself from the unpopular president.

"The speech is later, but that is because the president of the United States will be the last speaker of the evening, so the build-up of the night will lead to the president," Perino said. "But the president of the United States himself decided that he would follow precedent from other presidents who got out of town, because this is — he is not on the ballot, this is about John McCain, and we intend to allow the spotlight to shine fully on him during this convention next week."

Perino, when asked about the historic nature of Democrats on Wednesday officially nominating the country's first black candidate, said that Bush has already applauded the historical significance of Sen. Barack Obama's (Ill.) nomination.

"I would point you back to what President Bush said when Barack Obama successfully secured the nomination back in the spring, in which he held it up as a wonderful moment for not just African Americans, but for all of America," Perino said. "And so he has continued to feel that way. And now the contest is between two candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain."

Bush continues to be a villainous character in the play that is this week's Democratic convention, as he has been the object of criticism by just about every speaker to take the podium. 

Perino said she did not know how much Bush has been following this week's events in Colorado.