Loaded And Loving It

Al Gore is wrapping up his fund raising with about $9 million remaining to carry his Democratic presidential campaign through the summer.

George W. Bush, who spent almost twice as much as Gore to capture the Republican nomination, has less in the bank but is still raising cash and expects to continue outspending Gore.

Gore faces a spending limit because he accepted federal matching funds. Bush, who didn't take the taxpayer money, can spend whatever he can raise during the remainder of the primary season.

Bush's spent $73.4 million to lock up the GOP nomination. He spent $10.1 million last month, when he stopped a tough challenge from Arizona Sen. John McCain, according to Bush's campaign finance report filed Thursday.

Gore spent $37.7 million, including $4.7 million in March, to fend off former Sen. Bill Bradley, his Federal Election Commission report showed.

Because some of that spending was exempt from the legal limit, Gore can spend $9 million more before bumping the ceiling, said spokesman Douglas Hattaway. He's already raised almost all of it.

"We understand that we'll continue to be outspent, but we'll use our resources wisely and beat him on the issues," Hattaway said of Bush.

As of the end of March, Gore had more money: $8.7 million, including matching funds due from the government, to Bush's $5.7 million. The figures take into account debt of about $1 million for each.

Bush spokesman Scott McClellan noted that the Texas governor collected another $1.8 million in the first half of this month, and plans another fund-raiser in Greensboro, N.C., next Thursday.

"We're going to have plenty of resources to continue spreading the governor's compassionate conservative message," McClellan said.

Neither candidate should suffer the fate of 1996 Republican nominee Bob Dole, who was down to $2 million by this time and watched his campaign sink from public view while he awaited the nominating convention, which brings each party nominee an infusion of taxpayer cash.

Gore will keep raising cash for the Democratic Party even though he's appeared at his last presidential campaign fund-raiser, a $100,000-plus event last weekend at the home of computer company executive Jesse Singh in Silicon Valley.

"We're not holding any more events. We will be doing some fund raising through direct mail and via the Web site," Hattaway said.

Hattaway said Gore expects to qualify for a record $15 million in federal matching funds for the primary season, surpassing 1996 Republican nominee Bob Dole, who received about $13 million.

Taxpayers match the first $250 of each individual contribution.

On Thursday, Bush added another 15 names to his list of 156 "Pioneers" fund-raisers who have brought in $100,000 or more.

Hattaway said Gore, who last year released a list of 25 top-level fund-raisers, doesn't plan to give out any more names.

Bush's big donors included millionaire developer George Argyros of Costa Mesa, Calif., former owner of the Seattle Mariners; Gregory Slayton, chairman of the Palo Alto, Calif., tech company My Software; and Jim Haslam, a Knoxville, Tenn., founder of a chain of convenience stores.

J.C. Huizenga, founder of National Heritage Academies, one of the nation's largest chains of for-profit charter schools, and Mark Guzzetta, a fund-raiser for Bush's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, were also on the list.

In March, Gore raised $1.9 million and Bush raised $5.9 million.