Wichita ? With his approval ratings at all-time lows, President Bush came to this heavily Republican city Friday to visit a Boys and Girls Club and raise money for a steadfast supporter, Sen. Pat Roberts.

Hundreds of curious onlookers, supporters and protesters mingled along the streets leading to the Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas, hoping for a glimpse of Bush. His appearance at the Boys and Girls Club was followed by a closed fundraising reception at a private residence, hosted by the Roberts Victory Committee, a joint venture of the Roberts for Senate campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Roberts, the former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is considered one of the safest among the 21 Republicans up for re-election in 2008. But even in this GOP stronghold, Republicans are not taking anything for granted after last year’s surprise ouster of Rep. Jim Ryun from his eastern Kansas congressional seat.

More than 550 people attended the private fundraising event, which is estimated to have grossed more than $650,000, according to Roberts’ campaign.

Roberts said he didn’t think Bush’s attendance at a fundraising event for him would hurt his campaign despite the president’s low ratings in the polls. He said he and Bush don’t agree on all the issues, citing immigration reform as an example. Roberts said Bush has indicated his willingness to campaign for Republicans regardless of their position on issues.

Roberts also noted that Bush said at his fundraiser that the two sometimes disagree.

“This is a president that is absolutely committed to doing what he thinks is right. : The polls, he just simply doesn’t pay that much attention to polls as opposed to what he thinks he should do,” Roberts said.

Some protesters

Bush’s fundraising stop for Roberts rankled some along the motorcade route.

“This is payback for him (Roberts) protecting prewar intelligence. : Roberts sat on it and kept it quiet for political reasons,” said onlooker Michael Gould as he waited for Bush to drive by.

But Roberts said it was the Senate Intelligence Committee he headed that eventually showed previous information was wrong and that the nation needed intelligence reform.

“This wasn’t any payback. I never had any conversation with the president in regards to an intelligence matter,” Roberts said. “We just didn’t operate that way.”

Other protesters said they didn’t think Roberts’ seat would be in jeopardy, even if he continues to align himself with a president whose approval ratings are in the 30 percent range.

“I don’t think it is going to make any difference as far as Roberts is concerned – as much as I would like to see Roberts out of office,” said war protester Diane Wahto.

At the Boys and Girls Club, Bush wandered over to a group of teenagers playing basketball and shook their hands before posing for a group picture. He also went to the new activities center, where some children were playing foosball and pool while others worked on art projects and played in a percussion band. Bush played foosball with some of the girls.

He then thanked the people who had supported the club’s programs.

“I like the idea of mentors reaching out to children to set good examples and to encourage them to achieve big goals in life,” Bush said. “And that’s what happens here in this Boys and Girls Club in Wichita. This is a place where dreams are fostered, skills are given so that people can realize their dreams.”

The president spent about a half hour at the facility before heading for the Roberts fundraising event.

Iraq war a hot topic

Wahto said she supports the club but thought Bush was exploiting it.

“Bush’s war policy is responsible for more than 3,500 U.S. soldiers and countless Iraqi deaths,” she said. “We want our boys and girls of Iraq to come home.”

Bush also had supporters in the crowd, including Vicki Patton, who was so angry when she showed up and saw the protest signs that she went to a nearby beauty shop, bought five American flag scarfs and passed them out to others.

“We are just citizens who believe in our country and democracy,” Patton said. “We love President Bush, and we just want to come out and show our support.”