Oh, yuck.

The White House sends Sharon to Miami to help two Bushes. That's certainly what it looks like, but the move might just backfire.

Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, will appear in South Florida with Gov. Jeb Bush on Sept. 9 — the day before Mr. Bush's would-be challengers meet in the Democratic primary — at a pro-Israel rally where international affairs will share a stage with domestic political concerns.

Israeli consular officials in Miami said today that Mr. Sharon's appearance had nothing to do with the re-election campaign of President Bush's brother. But Florida Democratic leaders denounced the appearance as the latest instance of what they described as White House intervention on behalf of Governor Bush's campaign. They argued that the visit would help the governor this November and enhance the prime minister's standing with the White House at a time when the administration is torn by conflicting demands from Israeli and Arab leaders.