President Bush has left Colorado, after a short campaign stop to raise money for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez.
Air Force One landed at Buckley Air Force Base shortly after noon.
The president was greeted by Mary Lester, a local volunteer leader with the Senior and Retired Volunteer Program, which works in the Denver Public Schools. He gave her a pin, symbolizing the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and commended her for her contribution to the community.
“His call to action had given me the interest in volunteering,” Lester said. “He said he hoped it would promote other people to volunteer.”
The president’s 17-vehicle motorcade left the airport at 12:22 p.m. to head to Englewood.
The fundraiser for Beauprez was at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center. Participants paid $1,000 each to attend. The president spent about 30 minutes taking photos with attendees.
Among the prominent faces spotted at the event, State Sens. Andrew McElhany, and Ron May, and State Rep. Larry Liston, all from Colorado Springs; and Chuck Berry, head of the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry.
Former Broncos quarterback John Elway was among the speakers, introducing Gov. Bill Owens. Beauprez and the president were introduced together.
President Bush called Beauprez “a clear thinker.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll make a great governor for the state of Colorado,” said the president.
By 2:30 p.m., the president was back at Buckley, preparing for departure, and in the air by 2:45 p.m.
Earlier today, the president campaigned for a Republican congressman in Arizona, saying that Democrats can’t be trusted to protect the nation from terrorist attacks. “Vote Republican for the safety of the United States,” he said.
In an echo of the election-year charges the GOP used in 2002 and 2004, Bush accused the Democrats of being soft on terrorism and argued the nation’s security is a key issue in the midterm elections.
The president is on a three-day, $3.6 million fundraising swing through Nevada, California, Arizona and Colorado.
At a $450,000 breakfast fundraiser for Republican Rep. Rick Renzi in Scottsdale, AZ, Bush criticized Democrats who voted against legislation allowing tough interrogation of terror suspects by CIA agents and a bill authorizing warrantless monitoring of phone calls and e-mails to detect terror plots.
“If the people of Arizona and the people the United States don’t think we ought to be listening in on the conversations of people who can do harm to the United States, then go ahead and vote for the Democrats,” Bush said.
“If you want to make sure that those on the front line protecting you have the tools necessary to do so, you vote Republican for the safety of the United States.” Democrats argue that Republicans have put national security at risk by their policies in Iraq and no longer have credibility with the American people.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
