President Bush will visit Charleston next week, two days after the Democratic presidential primary, to discuss homeland security in a state where the Democrats running for the White House have been attacking him on the stump.

The White House would not confirm where Bush will be but said he will be in Charleston and the message will include protecting America's borders.

Charleston has several potential backdrops for Bush to use, including the waterfront around the Port of Charleston.

Democrats seized on the timing of the visit as an attempt by Bush to reclaim the media spotlight. Bush made a similar trip Thursday to New Hampshire.

"Don't let anybody think there isn't a political angle to it," state Democratic party Chairman Joe Erwin said Friday. "I never question the president needing to conduct legitimate business anywhere in America," Erwin added, "but it is interesting this pattern keeps playing out over and over again."

White House spokesman Taylor Gross declined to comment on the timing of Bush's visit but said it is part of a follow-up Bush is making on some of the national issues he outlined in his State of the Union speech.

"As far as the timing is concerned, no part of America is considered a no-fly zone for this president," he added.

Bush has a history of stealing Democrats' thunder in South Carolina.

Last May, the White House announced Bush would be the keynote speaker at the University of South Carolina graduation. They released confirmation of the visit at about the same time that the Democratic presidential candidates were in Columbia for an on-campus debate.

Bush has been a routine target of the Democratic hopefuls in the past week, including Thursday in Greenville when Edwards said Bush has spent too much of his time on foreign affairs while ignoring problems at home.

"A president has to be able to walk and chew chewing gum at the same time," Edwards said.

A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., was critical of Bush appearing in Charleston after Hollings has repeatedly said the White House has failed to address the needs of America's ports.

"Hollings has been working for years to get this administration focused on port security," spokesman Andy Davis said. "By virtue of their budget, it has not been a priority, clearly, because port security remains dramatically underfunded nationwide. But (Hollings) certainly welcomes the president's interest in the subject."

There are several port security initiatives for Bush to link up with in Charleston, the nation's fourth busiest container port. But they are largely the result of Hollings' efforts.

A major initiative is Project Seahawk, the nation's first port security command and control center, which is being piloted in Charleston. It is designed to bring together the FBI, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Customs Service, the Coast Guard, the State Law Enforcement Division, local law enforcement, the State Ports Authority and other agencies under one port security command center. The project was awarded $29.5 million in funding in a Senate spending bill passed last month.

Additionally, Charleston is home to a U.S. Border Patrol school, several Coast Guard air and sea patrol ships, and the U.S. Navy brig, which is housing terrorist suspects, including Jose Padilla, accused of being the dirty bomber.

Schuyler Kropf covers state and local politics. Contact him at skropf@postandcourier.com or 937-5551. Ron Menchaca of The Post and Courier staff contributed to this report.