Republican congressional candidate Tim Bee showcased his national party support Tuesday, hosting a top GOP official in town for a series of fundraising and speaking events.

The stop by Tom Cole, an Oklahoma congressman and chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, underlined the significance of the state Senate president's bid against incumbent Gabrielle Giffords in the 8th District, the Bee campaign said.

And Bee used the platform to blast the Democratic congresswoman's position on the Iraq war, telling a group of veterans at VFW Post 549 at 1884 S. Craycroft Road that "you can't talk about the troops and talk about immediate withdrawal."

"That is surrender," he said, the latest in what has been an increased effort by the Bee campaign in recent days to criticize Giffords.

Giffords has voted for continuing funding of the Iraq war. But in an interview after the event, Bee specifically criticized Giffords for voting against the troop surge and said he would have supported it. Giffords has said that while the surge has reduced violence, it hasn't accomplished one of its stated goals: To bring political structure to the country.

But Bee said troops should stay, with a timetable based on goals, not dates. The aim, he said, would be Iraq's having the ability to defend itself militarily.

Pressed on whether he would have supported the original invasion of Iraq in 2003 — something Giffords has said she would not have supported — Bee said that based on information at the time, he would have. He stressed the need for greater investments in accurate intelligence, but said "the truth is Saddam Hussein was a horrible ruler who killed a lot of innocent people. The people there have a better opportunity for life than under his leadership."

Emily DeRose, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party, defended Giffords' record, saying "the most supportive thing you can do for the troops in Iraq is bring the war to a safe end."

And she criticized Republicans for not adequately funding equipment and care for returning soldiers.

"Taking care of our troops involves more than dropping them in Iraq and neglecting them," she said. "It means making sure they are deployed on missions that are most critical to the security of our country."

Cole's organization, the NRCC, has a prominent role in races like Bee's. Much like its counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Republican committee funnels money into races through independent expenditures and has taken much of the lead in criticizing Giffords.

The event Tuesday, part of a day of activities that involved a fundraiser headlined by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, offered a stark contrast to two years ago, when national Republicans made local waves by getting involved in the 8th District Republican primary.

When Republican Randy Graf — who was not the Republican committee's favored choice — pulled off a win, the committee essentially forfeited the race to Giffords. There was no doubt Tuesday — as Cole spoke highly of Bee to the VFW crowd — that this candidate has national support. The question now is: Will it be of any use?

At the end of June, the organization had $8.5 million on hand to spend on races like Bee's. The Democratic committee had nearly $55 million.

But Cole shrugged those numbers off, pointing out that Democrats had less money in 2006 — when they won Congress.

"Frankly, if money won elections we would have never lost the majority," Cole said.

And Cole made it clear the 8th District is a top priority for his committee. Asked if the committee would attack Giffords, allowing the Bee campaign to stay above the fray, Cole said, "Campaigns are all about choices," and the committee simply points out the differences between the candidates.

Cole recently grabbed headlines for advising Republican candidates: "Don't be afraid to say you are disappointed in fellow Republicans . . . don't hesitate to be anti-Washington, D.C."

And while Bee and Cole spoke forcefully about the need for what they called success in Iraq, Cole reiterated his political advice.

"I don't think anyone in America thinks that Washington is working very well," Cole said. "I happen to agree with them.

"I don't think our candidates should be shy about it, and frankly I don't think they should be shy if they think Republicans have fallen short on their ideals."