By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
STOCKTON, Calif. (AP) - President Bush ( news - web sites) began a California crisscross Friday in search of cash for Republican Bill Simon's ailing gubernatorial campaign with an airport handshake and a fresh scolding of corporate crooks.
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The president was unswayed by Democrats' questions about how Bush's tough talk squared with a fraud verdict against Simon's investment firm.
Speculation had run high in this politically important state that Bush wanted no side-by-side viewing of the pair after William E. Simon & Sons, controlled by Simon's family, was slapped with a $78 million civil penalty last month.
But Simon was at the head of the receiving line when Bush stepped off Air Force One. Though Simon was later traveling on Bush's plane southward, he did not join the presidential motorcade to — nor was he mentioned during — a public campaign-style welcome rally at the historic Stockton Memorial Civil Auditorium, draped in red-white-and-blue bunting. Simon also was not expected at Bush's later public appearance before Hispanic advocates.
After an invitation-only luncheon benefiting Simon later Friday, Bush heads to Orange County in Southern California to harvest more much-needed political money at a private evening reception. Saturday morning would find the president hitting up more Republican donors over breakfast in Los Angeles.
The White House was calculating that canceling the private events, scheduled before the verdict, would be worse for Bush in a state he is hoping to cultivate for Republicans and himself.
Indeed, Bush's top political strategist suggested that the president's time in California had as much, if not more to do, with Bush's own prospects in 2004 as Simon's in November because of the grassroots organizing that presidential attention can mobilize.
"It's a state that if you ignore, you get what you play for — nothing," said Karl Rove. "This is a big state and a big important race."
Simon was not named in the suit and says he thinks the verdict, which is being appealed, will be overturned.
Bush said a day earlier he believes him. "Bill Simon assures us that when the courts look at this case he'll be innocent, and I take the man for his word," Bush said Thursday while in Oregon on another fund-raising swing.
And the president wasted no time before reprising his oft-repeated zero-tolerance of boardroom fraud.
"Like you all, I took a look out there and saw a problem and the problem is we had some folks who were trying to fudge the numbers. We had some people who decided they weren't going to tell the truth when it came to their assets and liabilities," Bush told a boisterous crowd. "It's an American idea to hold people accountable who betray the public's trust and that's what we're going to do."
Earlier targets of an expected $3 million for Simon and another $1 million for the state GOP were downgraded. Bush aides said the fund-raisers would bag a total of $2.6 million for Simon and $750,000 for the party.
Bush left a "working vacation" at his Texas ranch for three days of Western travel and GOP fund-raising. The president was visiting Oregon, California and New Mexico, all states he lost — Oregon and New Mexico by the thinnest of margins — to Democrat Al Gore ( news - web sites) in the 2000 election.
The total take for three days: more than $5.3 million.
Bush has recently ramped up an already record-shattering fund-raising effort on behalf of GOP politicians. From Aug. 6 when he left Washington until his return around Sept. 1, he will speak at 11 Republican money events.
The flurry of activity benefiting Simon had Democrats hardly able to contain themselves. The man Simon is trying to unseat, Democratic Gov. Gray Davis ( news - web sites), scheduled a bill-signing for Friday on three measures toughening the state's corporate accountability laws.
Back in Washington, Democratic National Committee ( news - web sites) spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said "Bush's hypocrisy is galling" as he raises money for Simon while also championing corporate responsibility at every opportunity.
