A fundraiser headlined by President Bush for John McCain has been called off due to poor ticket sales and expected anti-war protests.

Sources familiar with the situation said the fundraising event, scheduled for Tuesday in the Phoenix Convention Center, was not selling enough tickets, the Business Journal reported.

They added that there were also concerns about higher presence of anti-war protesters outside the venue than the number of people attending the fundraiser inside the arena.

A White House official has claimed the event is being moved out of Phoenix because the McCain campaign prefers private fundraisers.

Tickets to the event were being sold from $1,000 to $25,000 for VIP treatment. Money was intended to aid McCain's presidential bid.

MD/HAR