Bush says he wants to work with McCain

Mr. McCain's proposal to outlaw soft-money contributions from corporations and wealthy individuals was a central element in his signature drive for campaign-finance reform.

In an interview a day after clinching the Republican presidential nomination, Mr. Bush said "there is plenty of common ground" on which the two Republicans can agree - short of a ban on soft money.

'I believe it's a constitutional right for people to be able to contribute," Mr. Bush said, sitting in the library of the Texas Governor's Mansion.

Mr. Bush has said it would be "unilateral disarmament" for Republicans to agree to ban soft money while similar donations flowed to the Democrats from big labor.

Federal law limits the amount of contributions to a candidate's campaign. But soft-money contributions are unlimited and unregulated donations to political parties. They can be used for issues advertising and party-building but not to assist an individual's campaign.

Intermediaries from the Bush and McCain camps have begun looking for ways to forge an alliance that could help attract independents and Democrats to the GOP ticket in the fall.

A senior McCain adviser said the Arizona senator is still angry over Bush campaign ads questioning his commitment to breast cancer research, but said he would be willing to help Mr. Bush if there were some accommodation on campaign-finance reform.

The adviser said the senator's political team was incensed by a quote from Bush spokeswoman Karen Hughes, who dismissed suggestions that Mr. Bush negotiate with Mr. McCain. "Negotiations? Governor Bush won," she said.

Asked Wednesday if he contemplated accommodating Mr. McCain on individual soft-money donations - the central issue dividing them - Mr. Bush said: "No, I don't."

"I would like to make amends with John. I'd like to work together for reforms and I think we can," he said, suggesting areas such as limits on labor dues collections, in which they already agree.

"I believe the most obvious common ground is he doesn't want Al Gore to be the president, either," he said.

Gore idea dismissed

Turning his attention to Mr. Gore, the Texas governor dismissed the vice president's proposal Tuesday to halt political advertising funded by soft money.

"I don't trust him," he said. "He is trying to divert people's attention away from going to Buddhist temples to raise money. He'll say whatever it takes to get elected."

Mr. Bush also rejected the vice president's call to forgo political ads and engage in a series of televised debates. Mr. Gore made the same offer to Democratic rival Bill Bradley, who rejected it.

"Bradley called it a gimmick, and so am I," Mr. Bush said.

On other subjects, Mr. Bush said National Rifle Association vice president Wayne LaPierre went too far when he said President Clinton is "willing to accept a certain level of killing" to advance his gun-control proposals.

And Mr. Bush said he would not oppose requiring manufacturers to install permanent trigger locks on guns.

Looking ahead to the November matchup against Mr. Gore, Mr. Bush said his biggest challenge would be to "make the case that this country needs a fresh start after eight years" of the Clinton-Gore administration.

Mr. Bush acknowledged that he's calling for change at a time when the economy is good and the nation is at peace.

"Obviously, I'm fighting against the Dow Jones industrial average and an economy that's been robust," he said. "If people are happy with the status quo, I'm not the candidate."

"But I happen to think they are not happy with the status quo," he said. "I think they are not happy with schools, not happy with the state of military readiness. I don't think they are happy with the atmosphere in Washington, D.C. I may be wrong, but I hope not. That's what campaigns are all about."

Staff matters

Addressing party issues, Mr. Bush said he anticipates that Republican National Committee chairman Jim Nicholson will remain at his post, but said other people close to the Bush campaign probably will assume top roles in the party organization.

"I want to take a step back and assess our strengths and weaknesses," he said. "I want to take a good hard look at what went right and what went wrong over the last year.

"We've had a plan, but I want it reassessed," he said, including changes in personnel, budget and other matters.

"No personnel decisions have been made," he said. "Nicholson will be chairman of the RNC, but I'll bet there will be some coordination."

Although Mr. Bush declined to discuss details, other Bush associates said finance chairman Don Evans, fund-raiser Jack Oliver and campaign political director Maria Cino could move to the national party office.

On another matter Wednesday, the Bush campaign released a list of all of the overnight guests at the Governor's Mansion in Austin.

The watchdog Center for Public Integrity released a separate study saying that 60 of the 131 guests had contributed or raised more than $2.2 million for Mr. Bush's presidential campaign. Mr. Bush has raised a record $73 million for his White House bid.

Bush campaign officials said they had opened the mansion to relatives, longtime friends and Republican officials, not fund-raisers.

The Dallas Morning News first reported two years ago about the overnight guests, who have included Ted Fortsman, a national advocate of private-school vouchers; former Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed; and Washington lobbyist Tom Tauke.