Bush tries to rally GOP troops

President Bush paid a visit to the Republican National Committee’s headquarters Tuesday morning to thank aides for their hard work and also to rally them for the last week of campaigning. 

White House press secretary Dana Perino said the president would outline his view of the GOP, a party that is facing a toxic political environment largely because of the policies of the Bush administration.

{mosads}White House spokesman Scott Stanzel, who traveled with the president to RNC headquarters, said the president encouraged staffers there to “work hard for John McCain and keep turning out the vote until the final ballot is cast next week.”

“He also took the opportunity to thank the staff for all of their efforts during this election cycle and for their support of him over the last eight years,” Stanzel said. “He spoke to the staff about the importance of American leadership on the issues of the economy, the war on terror and freedom. He thanked Chairman Mike Duncan for his leadership of the RNC.”

Bush has largely been absent from McCain’s campaign efforts, and the Arizona senator has run harder against the president in recent days, intensifying his criticism of Bush’s policies.

And while McCain said Tuesday morning that recently convicted Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens (R) should resign from Congress, the White House said Tuesday that it would have no comment since Stevens said he plans to appeal his conviction.

One RNC aide  in the meeting said president stressed the importance of Democracy in the Middle East and said that his staff is sprinting toward the end of Bush’s administration.

“He told us Sen. McCain is in striking distance and he expects our organized efforts to push him over the edge,” the aide said.

Bush acknowledged that “a lot of people are saying they don’t expect us to win,” according to the aide. However, Bush noted that people had also written him off in 2000 and 2004.

“Then he cracked a joke: ‘They also said that in 1978…oh wait they were right that one time’,” the aide said. Bush was referring to his unsuccessful run for Congress.  

The aide added that the president “indicated that he believes the American people will ultimately choose the more experienced candidate to face” the trials facing the country.