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Analysis: Bush relationship a balancing act for McCain

  • Story Highlights
  • Analysis: Sen. John McCain needs to keep a distance yet not alienate GOP's base
  • McCain emphasizing his differences with President Bush, says CNN's Ed Henry
  • McCain camp concerned over Bush's low ratings, war, economy, Henry says
  • Some GOP convention delegates say they're eager to turn the page on Bush years
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By Ed Henry
CNN White House Correspondent
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) -- President Bush addressed the delegates at the Republican National Convention after all, reminding everyone once more about what a complicated relationship he has had with Sen. John McCain.

Sen. John McCain wins President Bush's official endorsement in a vist to the White House in March.

Sen. John McCain wins President Bush's official endorsement in a vist to the White House in March.

They were bitter rivals in the 2000 presidential race, especially in the South Carolina Republican primary, where false rumors spread about McCain allegedly having a black child out of wedlock. Bush allies swore they had nothing to do with the attacks, but McCain intimates to this day are still not sure who was to blame.

Nevertheless, Bush and McCain patched things up in 2004. Bush was in a close race and needed McCain's independent bona fides, so the senator was a good soldier (probably with an eye on 2008) and campaigned vigorously for Bush.

Now Bush would be willing to return the favor, but the last thing the McCain camp wants is to have the president campaign too aggressively for him.

The economy is in tough shape, a majority of the American people want the war in Iraq to end, and Bush's approval ratings remain low.

That's why McCain aides designed Tuesday to be "Maverick Night," to highlight the many times the senator has broken with his party and the president.

The problem is Democrats have a ad out this week showing a clip in which McCain boasts about supporting Bush 95 percent of the time, which plays into the Obama camp's claims that a McCain victory would be a third Bush term. Video Watch the Obama ad linking McCain and Bush »

That conundrum is also why rank-and-file delegates said privately they were not too upset when Hurricane Gustav delayed the president's planned speech Monday -- they are eager to turn the page from the Bush years.

"The only way to handle this is to look forward, not backward," said Republican strategist and CNN contributor Alex Castellanos.

The McCain camp moved swiftly to rearrange the convention schedule so as not to look callous to victims and invite comparisons to the Bush administration's woeful reaction to Hurricane Katrina.

Last weekend McCain rushed down to Mississippi to check on storm preps and vowed, "I am confident we will not repeat the mistakes of Katrina."

Bush remains popular with the conservative base of the Republican Party, which is why the McCain camp was willing to show the president the respect of at least a speech on Tuesday night. Video Watch Bush call McCain "the man we need" »

Bush tried hard to pass the mantle to McCain, particularly when it comes to the war on terror.

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"We need a president who understands the lessons of September 11, 2001: that to protect America we must stay on offense, stop attacks before they happen and not wait to be hit again," Bush said. "The man we need is John McCain."

McCain has a tricky balancing act: Bush is still popular with conservatives here in the arena, but not with independent voters watching at home.

All About John McCainGeorge W. BushRepublican Party

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