THOMAS  (CONT)

Although Bush didn't check off the $3 public funding fee on his income tax return, he will accept public funding in the general election, but not in the primaries.

When reporters asked Fleischer whether there was "a dash of hypocrisy" or a "disconnect" between accepting federal matching funds but not contributing to the fund, he danced around the issue.

He replied that Bush is in "pretty good company" because only 12 percent or down to 8 percent of the American people check the box.

"That's the way our system works," he said.

All of the Democratic presidential aspirants have indicated that they will accept federal matching funds -- up to $44 million -- in the primaries. They lack the clout to tap into the big donors as Bush is doing.

Bush has two crowd-drawing pinch hitters already fanning out to back him up. His wife Laura has a couple of dozen fundraising appearances on tap before the end of the summer. Vice President Cheney is also making appearances on the high-stakes fundraising circuit.

Bush has told his affluent supporters that he has the "wind" at his back, an Irish expression of good luck.

In Bush's case, the wind takes the form of Republican friends who are rolling in dough and willing to shell out to help his reelection campaign.

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