The Associated Press

Fri, Mar 28, 2008 (2:52 p.m.)

President Bush is teaming up with an old partner to raise serious campaign cash for Senate Republicans.

The president was headlining a private fundraiser Tuesday night at the home of Fred and Marlene Malek in the wealthy Washington suburb of McClean, Va. The dinner was raising $2 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of the Senate GOP.

Malek, a local venture capitalist, was leader of a group bidding two years ago _ unsuccessfully _ to become the new owners of the Washington Nationals baseball team. Further back, he once co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball franchise with Bush.

Malek, a veteran of the Nixon White House, also advised Presidents Ford and Reagan and was the 1992 campaign manager for the first President Bush.