[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/08/art.romney.cnn.jpg caption="Romney remained tight-lipped on Bush's role at the convention."]
(CNN) - It's one of the more tricky political tasks the McCain campaign faces at this summer's Republican convention: how to successfully present an incumbent president whose approval ratings hover at or below 30 percentage points.
Speaking on CNN Tuesday, top John McCain surrogate Mitt Romney remained noticeably tight-lipped about the chances of the party's presumptive nominee appearing with the unpopular president.
"You know I am not much of a choreographer, I have to be honest with you," Romney told CNN Tuesday when asked whether the two men would appear together on stage during the convention. "I don't know how convention choreography is going to work. Of course we want to hear from our president and hear his perspectives.”
Watch: Romney discusses the Republican convention
The White House announced last week Bush would speak on the four-day convention's opening night, presumably long before the Arizona senator touches down in the host citiy of Minneapolis. McCain will accept his party's nomination on the convention's last evening.
Pressed if McCain is willing to be photographed with Bush at some point during that high profile week, Romney said it was a decision for the "political powers-that-be to decide."
"But this is clearly John McCain's convention," the former presidential candidate said. "This is his chance to lay out his vision, for our party and for America, and he is certainly going to be the highlight of this convention and I'm looking forward to it."
McCain has long sought to distance himself from his party's leader, and the two have only appeared publicly together twice since the Arizona senator became his party's presumptive nominee five months ago: once at an official endorsement ceremony at the White House and once before a party fundraiser in Arizona.
Watch: Is McCain like Bush?
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/08/art.rove.gi.jpg caption="Rove is a former top Bush aide."](CNN) - The future Karl Roves of the world may be outlawed from working in the White House.
Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman, the chairman of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, suggested to a Capitol Hill newspaper that he is considering legislation that bans the use of federal money to fund a position similar to the one the longtime Bush aide held in the White House.
Rove, who orchestrated both of the president's successful electoral victories, headed the White House's Office of Political Affairs and the Office of Public Liaison during Bush's first term. Democrats have long accused Rove of using those offices - which include interacting with political committees and interest groups - to essentially run the president's 2004 reelection campaign.
“Why should we be using taxpayer dollars to have a person solely in charge of politics in the White House?” Waxman told The Hill. “Can you imagine the reaction if each member of Congress had a campaign person paid for with taxpayer dollars?”
Ethics rules in the Senate are considerably clearer when it comes to conducting political business: congressional aides are banned from using government phones, e-mail, and computers for any politically-related job.
Waxman's office confirmed the accuracy of the quotes, but would not comment further.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/08/art.ingrid.betancourt.jpg caption="Do you have a question for Ingrid Betancourt?"]
(CNN)–Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt will be a guest Thursday in “The Situation Room.” She was rescued last week after being held hostage in the jungle for 6 ½ years. What questions do you have for her about her time in captivity and what she’s going to do now? Submit your video questions and we’ll ask her some of them.
Be sure to keep your questions clear and concise and put them on video! Then watch “The Situation Room” Thursday to see if you made the cut.
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