Hoosier GOP congressman does not want Bush's help in campaign

If the Republican party retains control of the house, this guy might find his committee assignments not to his liking. John Hostettler's southern Indiana district is a conservative one, if he's in trouble this year, perhaps the blame goes to Hostettler, not the president.

From the Chicago Tribune, free registration required.

Members of Congress running for re-election know they're in trouble when, this late in the campaign, they need to ask the president to parachute in, put a warm arm around them, shake down the locals for campaign cash, and hopefully drag them across the finish line.

But here on the banks of the Ohio River the incumbent congressman is in such extremis that he believes a visit by President Bush would hurt more than help.

"George Bush is not a message I want to talk about," Rep. John Hostettler said before an appearance this week at an Evansville vocational school.

Hostettler does want to talk about the war in Iraq (he voted against it in 2002 but thinks there should be more troops on the ground now); stemming the tide of what he called "illegal aliens"; and warning of the prospect of Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, whom Hostettler charges in a radio ad would promote a "homosexual agenda."

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