Bush greets astronauts at senator’s re-election fundraiser

President Bush greeted astronauts back home from a space mission and set about helping Senate Republican John Cornyn rally to raise money for re-election.\nBush attended a brunch Thursday at the manicured mansion of Richard Kinder, chairman of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners. He was attending a second fundraiser for Cornyn later in San Antonio. The aim was to raise $1.3 million to get out the GOP vote in Texas.\nAt one point Bush took time out to shake hands and be photographed with a half-dozen returned Space Shuttle astronauts and their families on the tarmac at Ellington Field.\nThe president also planned a visit with wounded fighting men and women at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.\nCornyn is way ahead of his opponent, Democratic state Rep. Rick Noriega of Houston, in the race for campaign cash. The latest campaign disclosure reports show Noriega with about $500,000 cash to spend and Cornyn with $6.6 million.\nLast week, Vice President Dick Cheney attended a fundraiser in Dallas for Cornyn and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.\nTexas Democrats claim Cornyn knows he faces a tough re-election race because he’s so closely aligned with Bush, whose popularity has waned.\n“Cornyn has been a foot soldier for the White House,” said Amber Moon, a spokeswoman for the Texas Democratic Party. “He has tied his fortunes to Bush and he’s going to have to face that in November.”