‘Outsider’ Bush Enlists Insiders in Run-Up to Iowa Straw Poll

Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush is asking business lobbyists to help him win the Iowa straw poll in August, according to an internal memo criticized by his GOP rivals.

The memo suggests the Texas governor is making an all-out push to win the early test of campaign strength in Ames, Iowa, and it underscores that Bush brings enormous political resources to the fight.

A self-styled political outsider, Bush is turning to Washington’s lobbying elite for help in cementing his front-runner status.

In the memo, Iowa organizer Sarah Taylor writes that the campaign’s goal is to “organize through supportive Washington trade associations-companies to mobilize and turn out 700 Iowans who would probably not otherwise attend the straw poll on August 14th.”

She asks supporters to identify “friendly national organizations” and persuade 50 of them to turn out 15 Iowans each to the straw poll. “In some cases, companies will be able to fill a bus, thus allowing for fewer trade associations that need to be worked.”

The memo was obtained Wednesday by Associated Press and confirmed as authentic by the Bush campaign, which said it was mailed Tuesday. Soliciting interest groups for help to organize Iowa is not unusual, but the scope of Bush’s plan is another sign of his political strength and eagerness to dominate the field.

“We are late in arriving to the field, and we’re trying to mobilize our resources,” Bush spokesman Dave Beckwith said. “I can’t imagine if you’re working seriously at winning you wouldn’t try to use every resource to get out supporters.”

With Bush far ahead in polls, fund-raising and endorsements, the memo provided his GOP foes ammunition to portray him as a political insider.

“It’s just another clear indication of how tied to the Washington lobbying and establishment crowd Mr. Bush is,” said Bill Dal Col, campaign manager for Steve Forbes. “He is now demonstrating that he will accomplish nothing if elected because he will be bought, sold and owned by the lobbyists.”

“We’re just using Iowans to recruit Iowans,” said Brian Kennedy, political director for Lamar Alexander. “He’s the candidate of Washington, and he’s using a lot of outside interest groups to come into Iowa and support him.”

Bush’s rivals are increasingly worried about cooling off his head of steam. A respected Iowa-based consultant allied with another campaign, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the non-Bush campaigns are working together to fashion similar messages that raise expectations for a Bush victory in Ames.

Bush advisors have been trying to play down his chances for victory, a task made harder by the revelation of the memo.

The memo refers to an attached list of trade associations and lobbyists that might help Bush. It is a Who’s Who of lobbyists, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Mining Assn., the Assn. of Builders and Contractors, and Union Pacific.

Beckwith said the list came from the Republican House campaign committee and was used as a starting point for contacting potential organizers.