WASHINGTON (AP) - For the second consecutive week,
President Bush will be popping up in a state where Democrats
have been bashing him during a presidential primary campaign.
This time, it's South Carolina.
Just as he did this week in New Hampshire, Bush will wait
until two days after the Democrats have cleared out. The
official reason for his trip is to discuss his anti-terrorism
agenda.
As in New Hampshire, South Carolina is a state where
residents have heard weeks of bitter criticism of Bush.
At the Democratic debate in Greenville on Thursday, for
instance, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina said, "A
president has to be able to walk and chew chewing gum at the
same time." He was arguing that Bush has concentrated on the
war on terrorism at the expense of domestic needs.
Bush easily won South Carolina in 2000.
It is also a state where Edwards is expected to run strong,
and many White House officials believe Edwards could be a
tough challenger to Bush because of the Democrat's appeal in
the South.
