Randy Graf

Call it a game of guilt by association. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) wants to paint her challenger as a slave to the Republican Party, and Arizona Senate President Tim Bee (R-Tucson) wants to flip the accusation back on Giffords and the Democrats.

Since announcing his intention to run for Congress in January, Bee has fundraised and campaigned with such Republican Party bigwigs as Karl Rove, Steve Forbes, Elaine Chao, Grover Norquist, and George W. Bush. And Democrats want to make sure voters know it.

“Having the president campaign for you is a very big deal,” Giffords said of Bush’s July fundraiser in Tucson which reportedly netted Bee’s campaign coffers $600,000. “I think it’s important for the people of southern Arizona to know if the Senator supports the president of the United States on issues.”

“He has embraced one of the worst presidents in American history,” said Emily DeRose, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party. “It seems to me a reasonable assumption to make that who your friends are would dictate where you are on policy.”

More from PolitickerAZ.com: Kolbe, Bush put AZ-8 back in national spotlight

Former U.S. Rep. Jim KolbeThe decision by former U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe to back out of actively supporting state Sen. President Tim Bee (R-Tucson) in his congressional campaign has caused a stir among the nation's political media - as has the announced fundraising trip by President Bush on behalf of Bee.

Kolbe's move was first reported by the Sierra Vista Herald on Friday, and since has been picked up by The National Journal's Hotline and RealClearPolitics.com.

The Hotline article praised Bee as a better candidate for the seat than Randy Graf, the Republican nominee current U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) defeated in 2006, for his "image as a bipartisan legislator." The article also noted, however, that Bee's social conservatism might be out of step with some Republicans in the district.

District 8 Democrat Gabby Giffords has been serving in the U.S. Congress for little more than a year, but she is already looking at a tough battle for re-election.

“Republicans will make it as tough as possible for her,” says Giffords campaign chair Michael McNulty.

Republicans have chosen a candidate to face off against Giffords: State Senate president Tim Bee.