FLORIDA GOP CANDIDATES WEIGH APPEARING WITH THE PREZ

President Bush appeared at a fundraiser for the Republican Party of Florida Friday evening in Lake Buena Vista, which governor and presidential brother Jeb Bush announced brought in $3 million.

But with the president's approval rating hovering at around 40 percent in Florida as elsewhere, candidates in this year's midterm elections have to think carefully about appearing with the chief executive.

According to this AP story, Dubya remains popular among wealthy Floridaians and the party loyal. But University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett said the president could become a political liability in the coming months if his approval rating doesn't improve.

However, Congresswoman and U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris (R - Longboat Key) dismissed those concerns, saying that she expects President Bush's rating to improve as voters become more aware of what she calls positive news coming out of Iraq.

Remember, she's saying this while in Fantasyland for an evening...

BTW: Congressional Bush lap-dog Adam Putnam (R - Bartow) was noted on TV last evening to greet the Prez when he landed in Tampa to address an invitation-only group of 300 business leaders at the city's port.