Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver is questioning why his Republican rival, Jim Nussle, will not appear on the same stage tomorrow with President Bush.
Bush is scheduled to speak at a Des Moines fundraiser for GOP congressional candidate Jeff Lamberti and Democrat Chet Culver suggests Nussle is nervous about being seen with Bush. “I think it’s very telling that you have the leader of your party coming in — the President of the United States — who just raised you a million dollars in April in Des Moines at a $10,000 per plate fundraiser and now, with 10 days left, you don’t want to be on the same stage with him,” Culver says.
Nussle plans to speak at the Des Moines Rotary Club at noon on Thursday — the same time Bush will be speaking across town. Nussle campaign staffers say Nussle made the committment to speak to the Rotarians “months ago” and he will not back out of that committment. Culver says he doesn’t buy that explanation. “Perhaps it’s because of the fact that this president is not very popular. We have record deficits. We have record debt. We have a lot of scandal in Washington, D.C. and I don’t think Congressman Nussle should be allowed to run and hide from a bad record of 16 years in Washington,” Culver says. “Now, he doesn’t want to appear with the leader of his own party.”
Culver accuses Nussle of “hiding” so he won’t be seen in public with Bush so close to the election.