http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5810451/Schwarzenegger to praise Bush’s character
President nominated for second term on night of domestic policy
Republicans turned to conditions at home as they formally nominated President Bush for a second term Tuesday night. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got star billing on the second day of the party’s convention as it extended its outreach to moderate Democrats and independents after a first night devoted to saluting Bush as a wartime president whose leadership is “rock solid.”
Schwarzenegger was to put his star power to work for Bush, praising him for “perseverance, character and leadership” in a time of war and terror, according to excerpts released in advance of the address he was to deliver at the Republican National Convention.
Notwithstanding his praise of Bush, Schwarzenegger has been cautious so far in promoting the president’s re-election. The two have appeared together in California, but Schwarzenegger has sent mixed signals about campaigning for Bush outside the state.
Schwarzenegger’s popularity in Democratic-leaning California rests in part on his bipartisan, moderate image, which could be tarnished if he embraces Bush too closely, analysts say. Bush’s approval rating stood at 40 percent in California in an August poll, compared with 65 percent for Schwarzenegger. The two disagree on several issues, including abortion rights, which Schwarzenegger supports, and amending the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, which he opposes.