Clinton Teases Bush About Donations

President Clinton lamented Friday that he had helped Texas Gov. George W. Bush build a huge campaign war chest.

“You know, my economy has made it possible for those Republicans to give George Bush all that money,” Clinton said in a partisan speech to the Democratic National Committee’s annual fall meeting.

Although Clinton generally has refrained from attacking Bush, he criticized the Republican presidential front-runner for saying he would have signed the Republicans’ $792-billion tax cut bill. Clinton vetoed the bill Thursday--the same day Bush promised to increase defense spending.

“And I thought to myself,” Clinton said, “this is a nice speech, but if I sign this tax bill that [Bush] is for, there won’t be any money for the promise he just made.”

Bush did not seem perturbed by the attention. “I’m flattered that once again the president has taken time from his busy schedule to talk about me and my policies, even before I’ve won my party’s nomination,” he told reporters in Texas.

“Given the projected surpluses,” Bush said, “I believe America’s military can be strengthened and our taxes cut.”

Vice President Al Gore and former Sen. Bill Bradley are scheduled to address the Democratic National Committee meeting today in their first back-to-back appearances in the White House campaign.