***Loven hit parade! Notice the number of words below. Coincidence? I think not! LOL.
September 14, 2004, Tuesday, BC cycle
SECTION: Political News
LENGTH: 666 words
HEADLINE: Bush spends little time at White House before election
BYLINE: By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
If you're looking for President Bush, don't bother searching the White House.
Bush has not spent a full day in Washington since Aug. 2 - roaming the country rather than staying in the Oval Office as he seeks a second term.
On Wednesday, he'll break a 44-day, outside-the-Beltway streak to host a concert and reception at the White House in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. But not for long: He's back on the road the next day...
-T
September 14, 2004, Tuesday, BC cycle
SECTION: Political News
LENGTH: 666 words
HEADLINE: Bush spends little time at White House before election
BYLINE: By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
"Add to that the often-favorable local media coverage a president gets on such visits and the modern-day necessity for politicians to espouse a dislike for all things Washington, and you have a recipe for plane-hopping.
There's likely more to it as well, said Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar at George Washington University in Washington.
"Beside the obvious reasons, he does seem to enjoy it," Hess said. "This fellow, more than almost anyone I've seen, doesn't want to be fenced in."
Indeed, Bush seems to bask in the attention from the supporters-only crowds he speaks to on the road. And a venue that the Bush campaign uses frequently - the "Ask President Bush" format in which the president, mike in hand, casually and with lots of humor, interacts with his audience - plays to his strengths as a campaigner.
In a switch from earlier in the year or last year, the vast majority of Bush's trips this summer have been openly declared to be campaign-related. Previously, "official" White House appearances were arranged in key electoral states or tacked onto days that also included a campaign event. That allowed Bush - like other presidents before him - to travel at least partly at taxpayer expense."
*** Thank oyu Ms Loven for pointing out what every campaign does: "bask in the attention from the supporters-only crowds"
-T