ELECTION 2004 Vice President candidate John Edwards. The Enquirer/STEVEN M. HERPPICH

• Edwards puts emphasis on plan to create jobs • Cheney says Bush election crucial to win terror war • Bush campaign raises $260 million, doubling previous contribution record • Kentucky poll finds Bunning well in lead • CBS apologizes for Bush military report ENQUIRER EDITORIALS • Kerry/Edwards offer plans for healing Iraq • Q&A: Edwards discusses war on terrorism, economic change • Election 2004 page

The Republican incumbent took in $18 million in August, his last month of campaign fund raising before accepting full government financing for the general election. That lifted his total to $260 million, more than double the presidential record of roughly $106 million he set in the 2000 primary race - when he had GOP opponents.

Bush spent nearly $224 million from the official start of his re-election effort in May 2003 through last month, according to a monthly campaign finance report he filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission. He spent about $14 million in August.

Ads consumed roughly $87 million of Bush's money, according to an analysis by the Political Money Line campaign finance tracking service.

Bush finished the primary campaign with nearly $37 million on hand and only about $21,000 in bills to pay. He cannot spend the leftover money on his own campaign, but can give it to Republican Party committees and candidates.

At the conclusion of their respective conventions, Bush and Democratic rival Sen. John Kerry each accepted $75 million in government financing for the general election, which ended their spending of private donations on campaign expenses.

Kerry has to make his funding last a month longer than Bush. Kerry was nominated in late July, while Bush accepted the GOP nomination Sept. 2.

Kerry raised $233 million and spent at least $185 million from the start of his campaign in January 2003 through July, according to the most recent figures available for his campaign.

While they can no longer raise campaign money for themselves, the two candidates can accept donations to campaign legal compliance funds and can raise money for their national party committees, which can spend unlimited amounts supporting them.

Bush was headlining a Republican National Committee fund-raiser in New York City on Monday night that was raising $3 million, money the party can spend supporting Bush. The RNC began the month with nearly $94 million in the bank, a report it filed Monday with the FEC shows. It raised about $271 million from January 2003 through last month and spent roughly $182 million, including about $20 million in spending last month.

The Democratic National Committee also has raised tens of millions for its efforts to win Kerry's election. Since the party convention in Boston in late July, the DNC spent $51 million on TV and radio ads supporting Kerry and opposing Bush. Its August campaign finance figures were not immediately available Monday.

"We either pull out all the stops over the next few weeks or we will live to regret it," Democratic strategist James Carville told prospective donors in a DNC fund-raising letter sent last week.

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