George Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger are both fighting political wars on many, many fronts. So of course it makes all the sense in the world for them to start firing on each other.
At one level, the dispute over the President’s fundraiser is the silliest political story of the week. On another level, it’s a reminder of the geographic, cultural and political distance between Washington and California. Washington politicians of both parties tend to be pretty tone deaf when it comes to California politics. There’s a case to be made that the White House and Republican National Committee ought to be looking for ways to support fundraising efforts for a GOP governor’s top political priorities.
On the other hand, the governor’s people should put this in some perspective as well. The special election is the most important thing in our world, but it’s only one of many, many things in Bush-land. The fact that it should be more important to the White House than it is may be a legitimate cause for frustration, but there’s no need for political spitballs.