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Good point! I just saw on AOL Update News where Pres Bush launched his fundraising campaign and Ari was asked what he intended to do with the money. Here is the AP article:

Bush Launches Fund-Raising Blitz

By TOM RAUM
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush was launching a fund-raising blitz Tuesday for his 2004 re-election campaign, beginning the job of raising tens of millions of dollars that the White House said would be spent in part to counter attacks from the Democratic contenders.

``Given the fact that there are nine Democrats who every day criticize the president, it's important for the president to have the ability to respond and to set the record straight,'' said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.

He had been asked what Bush, expected to be unopposed for the GOP nomination, planned to do with all the money.

Bush was attending his first fund-raiser Tuesday evening in Washington, a $2,000-per-person reception at the Washington Hilton.

The president will do similar events on Friday in Greensboro, Ga.; June 23 in New York; June 27 in suburban San Francisco and Los Angeles; and June 30 in Miami and Tampa, Fla.

The White House on Tuesday announced three more fund-raisers, bringing the total to 10: Dallas on July 18, Houston on July 19, and the Detroit area on July 24.

During the next several months, Bush was expected to raise perhaps as much as twice the record $100 million he collected for the 2000 primaries.

The Bush campaign has declined to accept federal matching funds for the primary campaign season, exempting him from the spending restrictions that come with those funds and allowing him to spend much of what he raises. That gives him a huge financial advantage over the field of Democratic candidates.

``Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages in the political season, the way the Democrats are running, with nine Democrats,'' Fleischer said.

``That many voices all speaking out so negatively does mean the president will need to respond to set the record straight and to make sure the American people know what he's done and why he's done it.''

At the same time, Fleischer said it was premature to talk about running television and radio ads advocating Bush's re-election.

``It's much too early for the White House to get into that,'' Fleischer said.

``Of course, he will do what he needs to do to prepare, and that's why he's fund raising,'' Fleischer added.

06/17/03 12:28 EDT