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Recognizing
the impending political campaign and facing no primary challenge,
President Bush focused on building one of the largest war chests
in the history of politics. By late February, the president's
reelection campaign stood ready to unleash more than $140 million
on ads, grassroots development and other campaign work before
the party convention in late August.
Backed
with those finances, the Bush campaign has returned to his theme
of being a wartime president.
"The
American people have etched in their minds the president's leadership
in a time of crisis," Dan Bartlett, the White House communications
director, has said. "That's something voters find comfort
in going into an election. Whether it has to be emphasized or
not, we've made clear that one of the most important issues is
how the two candidates would conduct the war on terror and protect
America. There's a clear choice."
This message
of perseverance, one that has resonated throughout the president's
life, will be as much a cornerstone as his economic or health
care policies as the president works to avoid the fate of the
first President Bush, a single term.
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By Lee Banville, Online NewsHour
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