President George W. Bush’s daughters, Jenna and Barbara, visited the Bates College campus today to extend a thank-you to Bates Republicans for continued efforts to re-elect their father.

Approximately 125 students from Bates and other colleges attended an invitation-only rally in Skelton Lounge, Chase Hall, where the 22-year-old twins addressed an SRO crowd and then circulated among them, shaking hands and posing for photographs. Earlier in the day, the Bush sisters attended a similar gathering in Orono at the University of Maine.

Outside of Chase Hall, scores of placard-holding student and community protesters demonstrated during the visit.

Meanwhile, Bates has become a crossroads for presidential campaign visits. Last week, social activist Peter Camejo, vice presidential running mate for independent candidate Ralph Nader, addressed students in a course about American protest in wartime, taught by Associate Professor of History Hilmar Jensen. Yesterday, Chris Heinz, step-son of Democratic candidate John Kerry, discussed campaign issues over lunch with a group of students.