By Bruce Schreiner, The Associated Press
and Patrick Crowley, The Cincinnati Enquirer

LOUISVILLE - Just about two weeks ago, President Bush gave the famous "Gentlemen, start your engines" call at the Daytona 500 NASCAR race in Florida.

During a fund-raising visit here Thursday, he put the pedal to the metal of his re-election campaign, giving what was described as a rousing election-year stump speech.

"It was a barn burner," said lawyer Michael Plummer, a member of Fort Mitchell City Council. "He was in full campaign mode."

Backers say that in November Bush can again carry Kentucky. In 2000, Bush carried the once-Democratic-dominated state by 16 points.

"His ratings here are excellent," said retired NASCAR driver and Kentucky native Darrell Waltrip, who attended the fund-raiser as the guest of Kentucky Speedway president Jerry Carroll of Fort Mitchell.

Waltrip is a consultant to the speedway.

"There are more and more Republicans in Kentucky, and more and more Kentuckians are voting conservative," Waltrip said.

Bush will also appeal across the country to "NASCAR dads," a voting bloc of mostly white men who as a targeted political demographic are filling the role suburban soccer moms did in the last two elections.

"Hey, there are NASCAR moms, too," Waltrip said. "These are just family folks who, for the most part, are Republican and conservative, who have strong religious beliefs and are very patriotic."

Many saw Bush's Daytona appearance as a direct appeal to NASCAR dads.

"They are going to be huge this year in the election," Waltrip said.

'Whatever it takes'

Bush used the Louisville visit to urge Congress to make permanent the tax cuts he championed.

Failure to do so, he said, would amount to a tax increase just as the economy rebounds from terrorism, corporate scandals and war.

"For the sake of our economy, for the sake of American families, for the sake of small business owners and for the sake of job creation, the tax cuts need to be permanent," Bush said.

The president spoke for about 40 minutes at an economic forum at ISCO Industries, a family owned company that makes and distributes plastic pipe products.

He also attended a fund-raiser at a downtown hotel, which raised more than $1 million for his re-election campaign. His speech there focused on the U.S. war on terrorism.

"I will defend the security of America, whatever it takes," Bush said.

Carroll was impressed with Bush's comments on national defense.

"9-11 changed everything, but Bush made it clear the buck stops with him," Carroll said. "He was talking about taking the bull by the horns when it comes to threats facing America, and that's just what people want to hear."

Dozens of Bush protesters gathered downtown as police on horseback kept watch. Demonstrators held signs protesting tax cuts, the Iraqi war, Bush's opposition to gay marriage, and federal education policy.

Kenton County GOP Chairman Greg Shumate said Bush could handle the campaign the Democrats are going to throw at him.

"Bush differentiated between his leadership style and the Democrats' leadership style," said Shumate, who raised $20,000 for the event. "And his style is making tough decisions and not pushing his problems off on the next administration."

Kenton County Democratic Chairman Nathan Smith said one problem Bush pushed off on the next several administrations is a multibillion-dollar budget deficit.

"He sure has left my children with a huge debt to pay off," Smith said. "Republicans keep saying Democrats are tax-and-spenders, but Bush cuts taxes for the rich corporations and then spends like he's on an out-of-control shopping spree."

Bush told a friendly crowd at the ISCO plant that the economy is growing, noting that 100,000 jobs have been created since January. A sluggish job market looms as a potential liability for Bush. But Carroll said the economy is coming back.

"All the indicators point to a recovery, and (the economy) is not going to be the issue it once was," Carroll said.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com