Bush quietly raises money for McCain

OKLAHOMA CITY — President Bush played the role of invisible man on the campaign trail Friday, headlining a closed-door fundraising luncheon for John McCain and the Republican Party with tickets costing as much as $25,000.

McCain was in New York while Bush was in Oklahoma City. The two have not been seen together since a brief appearance after a fundraiser May 27 in Arizona, as McCain tries to put some distance between himself and the unpopular Bush.

No need for McCain to spend the day in Oklahoma, a solidly Republican state and friendly territory for Bush. Even state Democrats acknowledge that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has little chance of winning Oklahoma's seven electoral votes.

Obama, portraying himself as the man of change, has been telling voters that electing McCain would mean another four years of Bush politics. That argument played well in the summer. But more recent polls find that McCain has made progress in separating himself from Bush.

The White House said Friday that Bush is expected to do more fundraisers that will benefit McCain, but it's not sure if the two will appear side-by-side.

Bush did offer off-the-cuff praise for McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, after highlighting health savings accounts at a round-table discussion here. A reporter asked him if he had watched Palin's television interview Thursday night. At first, Bush declined to answer, then he smiled and said: "She did just fine."

Those attending Friday's luncheon, at the home of John Cresap, a wholesale beer distributor, paid a minimum of $1,000 a person. Couples wanting a photo taken with Bush paid $5,000 and those wanting to go to a private reception with the president laid down $25,000.

A Republican official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for the McCain campaign, said the president would raise $1 million at the Oklahoma City event, which will benefit McCain and other GOP candidates. The dollar amount raised at the three earlier events Bush attended for McCain has not been disclosed.