South Portland, MAINE–

Senator John McCain campaigned in Maine today beginning with a private fundraiser with Kennebunkport resident Former President George H.W. Bush at his estate, Walker’s Point.

Appearing next to the 41st president at a press conference, McCain said if the troop surge in Iraq continues to be successful he sees U.S. troops being withdrawn within two years, as long as conditions continue to improve, “I think they could be largely withdrawn as I have said we have succeeded. This strategy is not succeeding, we have succeeded. And of course as we all know it has to be based on conditions on the ground,” McCain told reporters, “But whenever you win wars, and we are winning, then we will be able to come home.”

The Republican nominee-in-waiting said there are challenges in Afghanistan, and there needs to be more troops sent there as troops leave Iraq, “We will be withdrawing, having further troop withdrawals as we continue to win in Iraq, which Sen. Obama had said we were gonna lose. So I have been steadfast in my position that we needed to worry about Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Bush praised McCain calling him “very good friend” and a man he admired, “My respect for him has no bounds. He will be a great president. I’m confident of that.”

McCain mentioned Barack Obama’s trip today to Iraq and said without the troop surge Obama would not be able to visit because of the lack of security in the country and then went after his rival for opposing the surge,  “The major point here is Senator Obama could not have gone to Iraq as he did because he opposed the surge. It was the surge that succeeded. It was the surge that is winning this war. He opposed it. He said it wouldn’t succeed. He has still yet to say that it has succeeded.”

Obama’s trip to Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Europe this week has attracted a media frenzy all over the world. McCain said he did not know if he will be able to compete with the media attention, but that he will continue to campaign hard adding “it is what it is.”

The former President didn’t go after Obama instead deferring those questions to McCain saying he doesn’t “follow this day to day anymore” and instead he enjoys sitting by the ocean and watching “the tide come in and out.”

Sen. McCain will co-host an event with the less controversial Bush July 21 when he heads up to Kennebunkport, ME for a fundraiser with Bush 41 and his wife Barbara at the Walker’s Point Resort.

It will cost donors $2,300 for entry to the VIP reception and a photo opportunity

The last time McCain appeared with the former President was February 18, when Bush the elder endorsed the presumptive GOP nominee in Houston.

Ellisville, MS–

Addressing a small community destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, President Bill Clinton spoke about the disaster and recovery to a crowd gathered in the re-built Pass Christian High School. The former building was flattened by the storm.

He focused on what he and his family did for the community after the storm highlighting the work he did with former President George H.W. Bush. He pinpointed what he did for this specific community, “In Pass Christian — and I think there were over 350 houses of worship in this city that got money to help take care of people. And we did things for the colleges that were damaged and other things.”

He quickly moved on to his wife’s accomplishments after Katrina and how even former critics like former Mississippi Senator Trent Lott praised her work describing later that he was “practically in tears” when talking about how his wife helped his state.

“Hillary was complimented by a man who had been one of her severest critics, Senator Trent Lott, for being one of the most aggressive people outside Mississippi trying to help solve the problems,” Clinton continued, “Move the money down here, get rid of the backlogs, get things solved.”

Clinton took questions from the crowd—something he hasn’t done since South Carolina—and spoke in depth about home insurance with residents. This is a serious problem for residents here because many people could not get insurance money after Katrina when insurance agencies deemed the damage done by storm surge instead of wind. Clinton called for federal legislation to fix the problem.

“On the wind and flood insurance the federal government has to act here because you can’t expect any individual insurance company with a few thousand people to– in affect roll the dice—because what happens to them one bad year will put them out.”

On a more personal note, I covered Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath from the Mississippi Gulf Coast including towns like Pass Christian and Biloxi. It was good to see some recovery take place like the re-built high school.  The foundations of many houses are still visible and they have not been re-built, but much of the housing away from the coast has been reconstructed which was amazing to see. The debris in Pass Christian is gone, but the resiliency of the people remain. Please click here to see some of Rick Leventhal’s excellent reporting from September 2005.