Lame duck presidents and candidates they hurt

Clinton did campaign in Kentucky one week before the election, but not in other contested states.

Associated Press White House correspondent Terrence Hunt reported that Gore's staff feared that “Clinton's presence in battleground states could alienate swing voters, particularly women whose support is vital for the vice president.”

In the final days of the campaign, Clinton said a vote for Gore would be "the next best thing" to a third term for himself, a comment that caused some Democrats to cringe.

The conventional wisdom among Democrats is that the more Bush is a part of the 2008 campaign, the better it is for Democrats.

That’s why Obama supporter Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. was smiling Thursday night when he said, “I don’t think there’s any question he’s getting himself involved, but he was involved prior to today.”

Is Bush credible?
One remarkable aspect of the Bush Knesset controversy is that most Democrats have argued since 2003 that Bush has no credibility — and yet they still react to him as if they feared his words might be believed by some voters.

“He’s still the president of the United States,” said Casey. “What does it do to our standing around the world when the leader of our country is saying the kinds of things he’s been saying lately about Democrats? When he goes to the length he has gone to damage the Democratic candidates I don’t think that helps us in the world.”

Asked if there were Republican risks to Bush's speaking out as he did at the Knesset, Sen. John Cornyn, R- Texas said, “He’s still president of the United States. He’s entitled to comment on those matters (Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran), but this shouldn’t be an election between George Bush and Obama.”

“The Democrats are trying to make an issue out of Bush and claim that somehow McCain is running for Bush’s third term,” the Texan said. “So I think that’s a risk. But I don’t expect the president not to express himself on the important issues of the day, but I also am not surprised when Democrats try to make it part of the presidential campaign.”

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