For a politician, the moment would seem too good to miss.

Air Force One lands at your city's airport, the president steps onto your hometown soil and the sleek trappings of the White House snap into place as you're whisked away in a motorcade. All the while, local television cameras capture the moment.

Yet for President Bush, the ritual he has performed again and again is no longer such a simple act of showmanship. These days, in the face of persistently low approval ratings, some Republicans suddenly seem to be unavailable when the president comes to town.

In Ohio, Sen. Mike DeWine cited scheduling conflicts during three presidential visits this year. In Pennsylvania, Sen. Rick Santorum appeared briefly with Bush during a visit late last month, but held no public events together. And in Illinois, Judy Baar Topinka stood by as an aide said the Topinka campaign would like the president to raise money in the governor's race only "late at night, in an undisclosed location."