Oh, good Lord, the chimp is in town.

President Bush arrives this afternoon in Pittsburgh to raise money for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, but the public is not likely to get a glimpse of the commander-in-chief.
Bush will be whisked from Pittsburgh International Airport across the Ohio River to the Sewickley Heights home of former Allegheny Technologies chairman Richard P. Simmons for a two-hour reception with 500 guests who paid $1,000 to attend. Photo opportunities with the president are available for $10,000, organizers said.

Bush and Santorum, a Penn Hills Republican, will not appear together in public.


http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/pittsburgh/s_436393.html

DNC: Bush and Santorum: Who Is Avoiding Whom?

Fri Mar 24, 11:53 AM ET

To: National Desk

Contact: Damien LaVera of DNC Press Office, 202-863-8148

WASHINGTON, March 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the Democratic National Committee:

Bush and Santorum: Who is Avoiding Whom?

Tonight, President Bush will be in Sewickley Heights, Pa., to raise campaign cash for scandal-plagued Republican Senator Rick Santorum. With the American people losing confidence in the Bush Administration's dangerously incompetent handling of the war in Iraq, the President's visit would seem an ideal opportunity for him to explain to voters in the Keystone State why he insists on maintaining a permanent commitment to a failed strategy in Iraq. Instead, tonight's fundraiser is closed to the press. Of course, it is difficult to tell if the decision to hide tonight's fundraiser is intended to protect President Bush or Senator Santorum. Considering President Bush's plummeting approval ratings, particularly his 34 percent approval rating in Pennsylvania, it is no surprise that Senator Santorum doesn't want to be seen in public with the President. (Survey USA, 3/16/06)

Or maybe President Bush doesn't want to be seen in public with one of the leaders of the Republican culture of corruption in the Senate. Santorum leads the fabled "K Street Project," the Republican effort to install their partisan cronies in key lobbying positions. Senator Santorum has been criticized for accepting a $500,000 home loan from a bank run by one of his campaign donors, and accused of misusing his Political Action Committee's funds. According to reports, Santorum has spent just 18 percent of the money his PAC has raised on candidates, with the rest of the money being spent at fast food restaurants, Starbucks, and retailers. (phillynews.com, 2/21/06; Roll Call, 3/1/06)

"With President Bush's poll numbers in the tank and Senator Santorum mired in scandal, it is difficult to tell who is hiding from whom," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "Apparently Senator Santorum is happy to collect campaign cash from President Bush's special interest friends, as long as he doesn't have to be seen in public with one of the least popular politicians in the state.

"Santorum's game of duck and run isn't fooling anyone. Pennsylvania voters are hungry for change, not more of the same culture of corruption that we have seen from Republicans like Rick Santorum. Democrats have a bold vision for America based on honest leadership and real security that will move our country forward. It is time for Republicans in Washington to get on board."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060324/pl_usnw/dnc__bush_and_santorum__who_is_avoiding_whom115_xml