布什预测共和党将赢得总统大选
    
    布什说，在2008年总统大选中，共和党人仍占有基石一样的位置，共和党人所坚持的强大的国防、低税率和个人自由的立场，仍受到选民的欢迎。
    
    “我说我是如此自信，是因为我了解美国人民的思想，”布什说。“我了解我们的候选人的思想。我对此毫不怀疑，有你们的支持，2008年将是一个伟大的一年。”
    
    媒体指出，在共和党州长占绝对优势12年后，2006年民主党州长重新赢得了绝大多数，在全国50个州长职位上占有22席。
    
    但共和党州长仍占有着较大的财力优势，2006年筹得2200万美元，而民主党只筹得1300万美元。共和党州长协会为其筹款900万美元，而民主党州长协会只筹了700万美元。
    
    在谈到伊拉克问题时，布什在演讲中誓言将会在执政的最后一年做出一切决定，来“确保我们在伊拉克的胜利”。媒体指出，虽然经济问题已超过伊拉克战争，成为美国选民最关心的一个问题，但美国人对这场战争早已厌倦。
    
    布什在筹款晚宴上接着表示，“我相信美国人民理解在伊拉克所取得的必要胜利对于美国人民的长期安全来说，是非常必要的，”布什说。“我们将选出继续在伊拉克战斗来确保伊拉克是安全和自由的候选人进入白宫。”
    

    
    布什和劳拉一起出席RGA年度筹款晚宴
    
    目前，共和党的初选形势是，只是前阿肯色州州长哈克比仍然未宣布退出，但最有希望获得总统候选人提名的是来自亚利桑那州的麦凯恩。相比之下，民主党的初选形势仍难分胜负。
    
    盖洛普民意测验中心最新公布的民调结果显示，麦凯恩持续累积能量，领先对手哈克比差距已扩大到45%；而奥巴马和希拉里则继续展开拉锯战，难分高下。
    
    民调显示，麦凯恩以高达65%的支持度，领先哈克比的20%。麦凯恩在7天内，从53%，一路上升到65%，哈克比则从29%降到20%。
    
    在民主党方面，奥巴马以47%，领先前第一夫人希拉里的46%。奥巴马与希拉里已连续3天在两个百分点的差距内缠斗，并互有领先。来源：美联社
     WASHINGTON—President Bush predicted Monday that voters will replace him with a Republican president who will "keep up the fight" in Iraq. "I'm confident we'll hold the White House in 2008," Bush told donors at the Republican Governors Association annual dinner, which raised a record $10.6 million for GOP gubernatorial candidates.
    
    "And I don't want the next Republican president to be lonely," Bush said. "And that is why we got to take the House, retake the Senate, and make sure our states are governed by Republican governors."
    
    The pep talk came in the midst of a presidential campaign that largely has overshadowed Bush's final year in office. Bush has promised to be an active fundraiser, and he had no trouble slipping into enthusiastic campaign mode Monday evening.
    
    He said Republicans still offer the bedrock positions that voters embrace: strong defense, low taxes and personal freedoms.
    
    "When I say I'm confident, I am so because I understand the mentality of the American people," Bush said. "And I understand the mentality of our candidates. And there's no question in my mind, with your help, 2008 is going to be a great year."
    
    Democratic governors have a 28-22 edge nationally, having regained a majority in 2006 after 12 years of GOP dominance. Eleven seats are up this year.
    
    The Republican governors still have the financial edge, with the Republican Governors Association raising $22 million last year, to $13 million for its Democratic
    
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    counterpart. That includes $9 million cash on hand for the RGA, compared to $7 million for the Democratic Governors Association.
    
    In Congress, Democrats took control of the House and Senate in 2006. Bush has sought to remain relevant through his veto power and bully pulpit.
    
    On Iraq, he pledged Monday that he would use his remaining time in office to make whatever decisions are needed to "make sure that we succeed in Iraq." The country has long grown weary of the war, although economic concerns have overtaken Iraq as the top concern among voters.
    
    "I believe the American people understand that success in Iraq is necessary for the long-term security of the American people," Bush said. "And we will elect somebody to the White House who will keep up the fight to make sure Iraq is secure and free."
    
    Republican governors, as chief executives and effective fundraisers, see themselves as the key to turning around their party.
    
    Four of the last five presidents, including the current one, were governors.
    
    One former Republican governor, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, remains in the presidential race, but the next president is all but certain to come from the Senate—Republican John McCain, or Democrats Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton.
    
    About 1,400 people attended the event at the cavernous National Building Museum, where they dined on grilled shrimp, spring rolls, gumbo and crab cakes before filtering into an adjacent room to hear Bush. _(网文转载) (博讯 boxun.com)