Bush to plug McCain’s independence, support on Iraq

ST. PAUL — President Bush will praise John McCain’s independence and continued support for the Iraq war, according to excerpts from his speech.
 
The president is slated to deliver the speech via satellite on Tuesday night. His in-person speech, originally scheduled for Monday, was canceled because of Hurricane Gustav.
 
{mosads}Bush will try to help Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) put some distance between the two of them as Democrats attack McCain for providing the equivalent of a third term for the unpopular president.
 
“John is an independent man who thinks for himself. He’s not afraid to tell you when he disagrees,” the prepared remarks say. “No matter what the issue, this man is honest and speaks straight from the heart.”
 
Bush will spend a significant chunk of his short address praising McCain for fighting to keep money flowing to the Iraq war:
 
“In the face of calls for retreat, I ordered a surge of forces into Iraq,” the remarks say. “Many in Congress said it had no chance of working. Yet one senator above all had faith in our troops and the importance of their mission — and that was John McCain. Some told him that his early and consistent call for more troops would put his presidential campaign at risk. He told them he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war. That is the kind of courage and vision we need in our next commander in chief.”