Behind closed doors, McCain will be "snuggling up" to Bush

The road for the third Bush term runs through Phoenix today -- in private. But, we're getting some analysis of the relationship between Bush and his heir apparent, John McCain:

So why is the Arizona senator going to appear with Bush in Phoenix tonight for a closed-door fundraiser? McCain, whose fundraising totals are dwarfed by those of Democratic candidate Barack Obama, needs Bush to bring in money and signal to conservative Republicans that he can be trusted.

``Any sitting president, even one whose approval rating is in the low 30s, can raise money,'' said Jim Pinkerton, a Republican strategist. ``McCain has to distance himself from Bush, but he also has to reassure the Republican base -- and that means snuggling up.''

McCain, who has long been viewed with suspicion by his party's conservative base, ``needs to pay penance'' for setting himself apart from Bush, said Pinkerton, who worked on the first President Bush's strategy to distinguish his record from Reagan's.

The fundraiser marks the first time Bush, 61, has campaigned for McCain, 71, with whom he has a thorny relationship. The two last appeared together March 5, when Bush endorsed McCain at the White House.

And, after some googling, this appears to be the first report that the fundraiser in Phoenix was a financial bust:

A Tuesday fundraiser headlined by President Bush for U.S. Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is being moved out of the Phoenix Convention Center.

Sources familiar with the situation said the Bush-McCain event was not selling enough tickets to fill the Convention Center space, and that there were concerns about more anti-war protesters showing up outside the venue than attending the fundraiser inside.

Another source said there were concerns about the media covering the event.