Bush quietly raising money for McCain

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- President Bush on Tuesday plunged into a fundraising tour for Sen. John McCain, but don't expect to see much of the two men together.

The president begins a three-day Western trip in Arizona, home state of McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee. Bush will cap the day by holding a closed fundraiser with McCain in Phoenix.

The event marks the first time Bush, whose popularity still sags at record lows, will appear with McCain since he endorsed him at the White House nearly three months ago. The two will appear together in public only briefly, for a photo at the Phoenix airport.

Bush is also holding two private fundraisers for McCain on Wednesday in Utah. Those events will also benefit the national Republican Party.

In the Albuquerque area, Bush touched down long enough to lead a private fundraiser for Republican congressional candidate Darren White, a local sheriff. New Mexico's 1st Congressional District, historically a safe one for Republicans, is considered wide open this year.

The incumbent, Rep. Heather Wilson, passed up a re-election bid to run for the Senate. Bush is putting his effort behind White, who is seeking his party's nomination on June 3. The event is also raising money for other Republican candidates in the state.

Later, Bush planned to visit an industrial cable company in Mesa, Ariz., where he was to tout the government's economy recovery efforts before he heads to the McCain fundraiser.