US: President George W Bush may be unpopular with voters but he can still help Republican congressional candidates - as he showed when he raised $27 million at a single fundraising dinner. Tickets for the "President's Dinner" in Washington were $2,500 each and donors who gave $25,000 were allowed to be photographed with Mr Bush.
Mr Bush told his 5,000 well-heeled supporters that Republicans must retain control of Congress for America to effectively combat terrorism and keep the economy healthy. "The most important responsibility we have in Washington is to defend the people of the United States. When this country sees a threat, we must deal with it before it fully materialises," he said.
Mr Bush's dinner on Monday has put his party far ahead of the Democrats in collecting money before the mid-term elections.