Schwarzenegger Rallys Behind Bush

The Bush campaign tonight harnessed the star power of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who lauded the president as “a man of action” in helping the nation recover from the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“There is optimism all over the country because President Bush is leading the way,” Schwarzenegger said before a boisterous crowd in Columbus, Ohio. “He is fighting for all of us.”

Schwarzenegger had to wait several minutes for the cheering crowd to settle down before he could speak and introduce the president. “I’m here to pump you up to reelect George W. Bush.”

The evening rally went far more smoothly than a morning event in New Hampshire as Bush sought to turn the campaign’s focus back to the 9/11 attacks, appearing at a political rally with several relatives of prominent victims of the terrorist strike and highlighting their heroic sacrifice

But his speech in Manchester, N.H. was marred by several mishaps. Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling pulled out of his scheduled appearance with the president at the last minute. And the event was interrupted twice by demonstrators, and by the premature release of fireworks and confetti - accompanied by a series of explosive pops - that startled many inside the sports arena, including Bush himself.

Despite Schilling’s withdrawal, Bush was set to harness new star power for his campaign later in the day in Columbus, Ohio, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was scheduled to appear with Bush in the crucial battleground state.

In a rare departure, Bush did not mention his opponent at all in his speech, and he devoted only a small segment of his speech to the economy, citing a litany of economic indicators while asserting that his four across-the-board tax cuts were “working.”

“Today our economy is strong and it is getting stronger,” he said.

For the most part, however, Bush celebrated the bravery of first responders who rushed to the World Trade Center, many of whom lost their lives when the twin towers collapsed, and the selflessness of the passengers of American Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field after they sought to foil the hijackers.

“The September 11th families will always be in our thoughts and always be in our prayers. This nation must never forget their pain,” the president said as the cheers of thousands of supporters reverberated in Verizon Wireless Arena. Half of the hockey stadium was closed off, and the rest was about two-thirds full. Many of the attendees held signs reading “Red Sox Fans for Bush.”

As Bush introduced the various 9/11 family members and lauded the heroic deeds of their loved ones, he also segued to his own actions in the aftermath of the attacks, which the president’s political strategists believe remain his strongest suit in his reelection bid.

“On the day of that tragedy, I made a decision,” Bush said. “America will no longer respond to terrorist murder with half measures and empty threats. We will no longer look away from gathering dangers and simply hope for the best. We’re pursuing a comprehensive strategy to fight the terrorist enemy and defend America. We will not relent, and we will prevail.”

At the first of the day’s four political rallies, Red Sox pitching star Curt Schilling - who was supposed to introduce Bush here - did not show up. The White House said the ace’s foot injury prevented him from traveling to New Hampshire.

The two interruptions caused by hecklers here were a rare event because Bush’s rallies are by invitation only. The first protest was mounted by seven people who each unfurled a letter or number reading “386 tons” - a reference to the missing cache of highly explosive munitions that have been the focus of controversy all week. After the group began chanting, the crowd tried to drown them out by shouting “four more years.” The protesters were escorted from the hockey arena.

The second interruption was by a lone man who unfurled a banner reading “Republicans for Kerry.” Although he did not shout or otherwise disrupt the event, he was hustled from the stadium by local police and Secret Service. The end of Bush’s speech was marred when a miscue led to a premature burst of fireworks and confetti - and left some jangled nerves. The mishap was triggered when the president ad-libbed a line in his speech, saying “God bless you, Arlene,” to one of the 9/11 family members. The crew had been told to release the fireworks and confetti with the president’s usual last sentence, “God bless you.”

Bush appeared to be taken aback by the commotion. But he quickly continued with his remarks, finishing his final few minutes of his speech in a blizzard of paper.

“If that’s our biggest problem for the next four days, I’ll take it,” Bush advisor Karen Hughes told reporters near the stage.

The president’s campaign aides also sought to downplay the absence of Schilling, who had expressed his support for Bush on national television and thus was quickly recruited by campaign officials to appear at the rally. (Boston also is the home of Bush’s opponent, Sen. John F. Kerry.)

“While I am a Bush supporter and I did vote for him with an absentee ballot, speaking as I did the other day was wrong,” Schilling said in an e-mail sent to fans today. “While I hope to see him reelected, it’s not my place, nor the time for me to offer up my political opinions unsolicited.”

Hughes declined to express disappointment at Schilling’s withdrawal. “He made it clear that he supports the president,” Hughes said during the rally. “He made it very clear where his heart is.”

Other 9/11 family members who attended the rally here, and whom Bush acknowledged, included: David Beamer, the father of Todd Beamer, who was a Flight 93 passenger and helped lead an on-board rebellion against the terrorists; Jimmy Boyle, the father of Michael Boyle, who was a firefighter who gave his life at the World Trade Center; Arlene Howard, the mother of George Howard, who was the Port Authority officer killed at the World Trade Center, whose badge she gave to the president; Cheryl McGuinness, wife of Tom McGuinness, one of the pilots of American Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into the World Trade Center.

Karl Rove, the president’s chief political advisor, defended Bush’s use of 9/11 family members in a political setting, saying: “9/11 is one of the great unifying moments, whether we like it or not, for America.”

In response to the Manchester rally, Kerry campaign officials pointed out that more than 150 relatives of 9/11 victims have endorsed the Massachusetts senator.

In one of the endorsement letters signed by the 9/11 families, these relatives write: “America is not a safer place three years after 9/11. We believe John Kerry and John Edwards would do a far better job of fighting terrorism than the current administration,” Kerry spokesman Phil Singer said in a statement.