President Bush to visit Oklahoma on Thursday

Monday, August 26th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) _ His August fund-raising nearly finished, President Bush turned to giving Republicans a policy record to win on in November and preparing the nation for an extended, expanded war on terror.

``Oh, the hill might be steep at times; it might be a rugged terrain like you're used to out here in New Mexico,'' Bush said Saturday with his back to a giant American flag at New Mexico State University.

Bush was returning to the ranch Saturday night for the final week of his August getaway. Before returning to the White House at week's end, he'll make a dash up to Oklahoma and Arkansas on Thursday to raise money for GOP Senate and gubernatorial candidates there. The White House plan was to meet all of Bush's fund-raising obligations by September so that he could then focus on turning out the Republican vote on Nov. 5.

The Democrats' one-vote majority in the Senate is up for grabs and only a six-seat swing in the House could end Republican control of that chamber.