http://www.talk.newsweek.com/politics/default.asp?item=611352

May 31, 2007

And For Five Thousand Bucks More, You Can Get Your Picture Taken
Without Me In It

by Holly Bailey - Posted: 1:05:04 PM

Gas prices may be up, but there's something that's apparently a little
cheaper these days:

A photo with President Bush.

Yesterday, Bush headlined a fundraiser for the New Jersey state GOP,
where donors could pay $5,000 to pose for a photo with the Commander
in Chief.

Expensive photo op, right?

Well, that's actually cheaper that what donors paid just a year ago
for a grip and grin with Bush.

Last summer, GOP officials around the country charged at least $10,000
a pop for presidential photo op, a bargain compared to the
$25,000-a-flash Bush commanded during some Republican National
Committee fund-raisers back in 2000 and 2004.

Maybe it's just a Jersey thing.

Although Bush's poll numbers are low nationally, the president is
particularly unpopular in New Jersey, where his approval rating is
just 25 percent according to one recent poll.

In fact, Bush hadn't campaigned in the state since 2005.

Last summer, the GOP relied instead on other administration emissaries
like Karl Rove, Vice President ***** Cheney and former President George
H.W. Bush.

They all campaigned for Tom Kean Jr., who ran for (and ultimately
lost) New Jersey's U.S. Senate seat.

For the record, a photo with Rove cost donors $1,000, while pictures
with Cheney and Bush's dad were priced at $5,000.

But that's peanuts.

In June 2006, donors at a Kean fundraiser paid $10,000 a piece for a
photo op with First Lady Laura Bush.

At least President Bush can feel good about one thing: Wednesday's
event took in about $675,000 for New Jersey Republicans, not a bad
haul in a state where most people would rather get a souvenir pic of
the president walking out the door.

___________________________________________________

Ain't gonna be many Repug candidates taking pics with Li'l Georgie or
his fat spouse Pickles this time around.

Harry