Jessica Simpson Snubs President Bush  3/16/06

The Dukes of Hazzard beauty Jessica Simpson pulled out of a planned meeting with US President George Bush tonight (16MAR06), because she is concerned about "politicizing" the charity she supports.

The 25-year-old still plans to lobby members of Congress in Washington DC today in her representative role for Operation Smile - a non-profit charity which offers cosmetic surgery to facially disfigured children from around the world.

And Simpson has turned down an invitation to meet with President Bush at a major Republican party fund-raising event on the same day, because she doesn't want to affiliate herself to a political organization.

A Simpson aide tells Reuters, "It just feels wrong. She would love to meet the president and talk about Operation Smile... but she can't do it at a fund-raiser for the Republican Party."

But the National Republican Congressional Committee is surprised by her decision. Spokesman Carl Forti says, "It's never been a problem for Bono.

"I find it hard to believe she would pass up an opportunity to lobby the president on behalf of Operation Smile."