Bush raises $500,000 in Washington

BELLEVUE, Wash. – President Bush, deeply unpopular in Washington state, still raised more than $500,000 Monday for Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert and the state GOP, just hours after the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the $1,000-a-plate fundraising dinner at a Bellevue hotel. Most signs offered anti-war messages, but at least one person had a placard cued to the day’s news: “Gonzales gone: A Good Start.”

Bush made no reference at the dinner reception to Gonzales’ resignation, focusing instead on the Iraq war, international terrorism and domestic security.

“What happens in Iraq matters in America,” Bush said. “We will not be intimidated by thugs and murderers. I am confident we will succeed.”