McCain would welcome Bush on campaign trail

King, seemingly surprised, asked, "Despite his low popularity?"

McCain replied: "I'm not the kind of person that looks at people's popularity. I have a very good relationship with this president. I'm glad he won in 2000 and 2004. We have had some disagreements, but we share many, many values and principles of our Republican Party. And I'm not going to -- it's just not me to say that somehow because someone may not be popular that they shouldn't campaign with me. In fact, I welcome it."

In the 2000 campaign, McCain slyly challenged Bush in New Hampshire before and after the Texas governor won Iowa. As he did in this campaign, McCain worked the Granite State hard all summer and fall, holding endless town-hall meetings.

At breakfast on election day, advisor Karl Rove knew Bush would lose by 15 percentage points. The final was 19 points, a serious shellacking that seemed to give McCain's "Straight Talk Express" momentum. But Bush stopped him three weeks later in South Carolina.

McCain ultimately endorsed the party's victor.

In a recent interview on Fox, Bush declined to endorse any Republican but called McCain "a true conservative," and said he would help the Arizonan if he wanted it, a subtle go-ahead signal to Bush's allies. The president's brother Jeb and Rove have now contributed to McCain's campaign.

Past as prologue

Roger Simon, the veteran political writer now slinging words for Politico, raises an interesting point.

Hillary Rodham Clinton has argued for months that she would be a stronger candidate in the fall because she has withstood several Republican attacks. In fact, some of the more notable set-tos have become searchable keywords: Whitewater. Vincent Foster. Rose Law Firm.

But skepticism abounds, especially since Clinton has declined to make her income tax returns public; Barack Obama released his last year for 2006. And records from her eight years as first lady remain closed in Bill Clinton's presidential library in Arkansas.