At the same time, the popularity of a likely Republican rival, Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, rose after he publicly criticized the Administration's handling of the affair.

His enraged supporters burned the offices of the Dayton Journal, the Republican rival to the Empire.

He said Mr. Clinton was willing to share credit with Republicans in Congress and even with Bob Dole, his likely Republican rival in the Presidential race.

Mr. Clinton's likely Republican rival, Bob Dole, backed away on Tuesday from efforts to repeal the ban on 19 kinds of assault weapons.

What the Bush stump speech does not include are hard-edged, head-on attacks on Mr. Gore, President Clinton and Republican rivals.

Two weeks ago, for instance, a Los Angeles Times survey showed him trailing his likely Republican rival, Gov. George W. Bush, by 23 points among independents.

Some Democrats and Republican rivals hoped this would anger the voters, but, with victory after victory at the polls, Mr. Bush proved them wrong.

Lag in Fund-Raising Even so, the campaign's fund-raising has lagged, with Mr. Humphrey's Republican rival outspending him by more than two to one.

In the campaign of 1960, Kennedy generated an excitement and sense of expectation that his more experienced Republican rival, Richard Nixon, was unable to match.

The President objected to the statements his Republican rival made this week while campaigning in Kentucky's tobacco country.

Senator Bob Dole of Kansas prevailed today in the first major face-off among Republican Presidential rivals in the Senate.

But Mr. Torricelli's three Republican rivals remain undeterred.

Mr. Cuomo's two Republican rivals today portrayed his proposal - which contained no specifics and was essentially a pledge to develop a plan - as hollow electioneering.

Mr. Weld's three Republican rivals, meanwhile, have begun battling for the Conservative endorsement.

Republican rivals are trying to picture them as out of date.

In turn, Mr. Pataki and Mr. Bruno are Republican rivals who have clashed recently.

Several Republican rivals have struggled to establish strong national fund-raising organizations.

Republican Mitt Romney's rivals focus on his Mormonism and earlier support for abortion in bid to prevent third primary victory.

Mitch Landrieu defeated five Republican rivals to win the right to succeed Blanco as lieutenant governor.

The Gallagher-Smith commercial does not go out of its way to let Florida audiences know that two Republican rivals are ganging up on a third.