Poor ticket sales scuttle Bush-McCain fundraiser

This is from The Phoenix Business Journal (Via TPM Election Central):

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.

Bush's Arizona fundraising effort for McCain is being moved to private residences in the Phoenix area. A White House official said the event was being moved because the McCain campaign prefers private fundraisers and it is Bush administration policy to have events in public venues open to the media. The White House official said to reconcile that the Tuesday event will be held at a private venue and not the Convention Center.

Convention Center personnel confirmed the event has been canceled at their venue.

Tickets to the event were to range from $1,000 to $25,000 for VIP treatment. Money was to go toward McCain's presidential bid and a number of Republican Party organs.

Anti-war protesters were planning to be out in force. President Bush's job approval rating stands at 31 percent, according to RealClearPolitics.com.

The McCain campaign referred questions on the fundraiser change to the White House press office.

Talk about an albatross hanging on McCain's neck. First we've got poor ticket sales to fill this McCain fundraising event at the Phoenix Convention Center, headlined by President Bush. Then it turns out that there may be even more anti-war protesters outside the convention center than there are Republicans attending the fundraiser--and let us not forget that the media will be covering this event, which will report the discrepancy between the larger number of protesters verses the attendees at the McCain fundraiser. And finally, the McCain campaign is referring questions about the fundraiser change to the Bush White House. It is almost like the McCain campaign wants President Bush's help in attending such events for raising money, but doesn't want to be involved with the Bush administration in coordinating these fundraising events.