Chao: Bee needs money to get his message out

In a signal of how vital Republicans view success in the CD8 race, state Senate President Tim Bee (R-Tucson) today received something few congressional challengers can boast: a direct money pitch from a Cabinet member.

Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor and the only original Bush Cabinet appointee to remain in her post, was in Arizona today to support Bee's candidacy against the 8th District. She first addressed members of the Tucson business community before heading to Phoenix, where she spoke before the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where Sen. Bee was being honored as one of the state's "top legislators."

Chao spoke in Tucson about her opposition to a bill in Congress, the WARN Act, which would increase the amount of advance notice companies would have have to give employees before closing a plant, and her stance that domestic labor should be compared, favorably, to workforces around the world.

She also addressed the state of the U.S. economy, attempting to allay the worst fears of citizens and economists that the U.S. is in a recession.

"Contrary to what some people might have thought, we are not in a recession," said Chao. Instead, she maintained. "We're going through a rough patch."

Chao said she didn't want to blame the media for heightening fears of a recession before blaming the media.

"There does tend to be an emphasis on the negative parts of the economy,” Chao said, “because bad news is good news."

That element of media coverage, she said, was the reason for her appearance with Bee.

"Tim needs to be funded, because he needs to have his own voice," said Chao. "He needs to bypass the media, newspapers, electronic media, and get his own message out.

"That's why I'm here," Chao continued, "why I made such an effort to come here. Tim needs to get his message out."

The visit, while sure to result in contributions for Bee's campaign, comes with its share of perils. Bee has already welcomed the support of former presidential candidate Steve Forbes and tax reform advocate Grover Norquist - both of whom, like Chao, support shifting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid toward more market-based solutions. The position is typically not a popular one, particularly among older citizens.

The Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans, the Arizona branch of a group that says it has 3 million members nationwide, has been consistently critical of Bee for associating with Forbes and Norquist.

"Tucson retirees are growing more and more concerned whether Tim Bee, candidate for Congress in CD 8, would push to privatize social security if elected," read a recent press release put out by the organization. "Tim Bee – if you are known by the company you keep, will you also try and privatize social security?"

Bee has said he supports "modernizing" Social Security by finding a "bipartisan solution" to the problem, but has so far declined to elaborate his position.

It must be noted, though, that the Alliance for Retired Americans is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, and usually takes a more pro-Democratic stance.

There is another risk as well. In a year where the going political wisdom sees President Bush as a liability for Republicans up and down the ballot, Bee has welcomed Bush associates to his cause. Chao was among President Bush's first crop of Cabinet secretaries and is the only one of the initial selections who remains. Bee also accepted the support of former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, who hosted a fundraiser for him in January.