ANCHESTER, N.H. - With his lead in the polls here either vanishing or gone, Texas Governor George W. Bush said yesterday he will shift his Granite State strategy into a more aggressive mode, laying out sharp differences with his closest competitor, Senator John McCain, whom Bush has so far been reluctant to attack.
''I haven't started drawing the distinctions yet,'' Bush said in an interview. ''I intend to do so between January and Election Day.''
Bush said the shift is part of an overall intensifying of his New Hampshire effort, which will see him campaigning for the better part of 15 days in the state beginning Jan. 5. Bush allies say the plan has been in the works for at least two weeks, and they insist it is unrelated to heat the candidate has taken for spending much less time in New Hampshire than most of his GOP competitors.
Bush said he plans to use the added time on the stump here to build a case on taxes, campaign finance reform, education, and defense spending, that shows he, and not the Arizona senator, has the answers to move the nation ahead. McCain, he said, has won easy headlines for a campaign finance plan that would be harmful to Republican candidates because it does not adequately regulate union contributions to Democrats.
''Is that the kind of leadership you want?'' Bush asked. ''I can't imagine, `Elect me, I'm the kind of leader willing to hurt the Republican party.'''
In addition to a more pointed approach on the campaign trail, Bush will begin targeting McCain in his television advertising, launching a series of ads that ''compare and contrast'' his positions with McCain's, according to a senior Bush campaign official.
But while he is cranking up his effort, Bush otherwise showed little outward concern about his waning support here. Slouched on the sofa aboard his campaign bus - the one with the `Live Free or Die' slogan painted on the side - and with his black cowboy boots propped up on a chair, the Texas governor said he expects the tide to turn when New Hampshire voters get a clearer sense of his candidacy.
''There's a feisty side of me that you haven't seen yet,'' Bush said.
A Boston Globe poll published Sunday showed McCain leading Bush by 37 percent to 33 percent, a substantial change from just one month ago, when Bush held a comfortable lead. Though they are statistically deadlocked - the gap between the two is less than the poll's margin of error - McCain runs even with Bush among registered Republicans and has a commanding lead among independent voters who plan to vote in the Republican primary.
The Texas governor acknowledged that he is in a duel for votes with McCain, but said the rivalry has its benefits.
''The competition in the state has kind of fueled our troops, given our troops something to fight for,'' he said. ''Just bring 'em on. ... It's now time to get after it.''
Bush also said he expects out-of-state supporters to flood the Granite State in the final weeks before the primary.
''The more they hear about how tight a race it is in New Hampshire, the more friends of mine are saying, `Can I come up and help?''' he said. ''Our organization in New Hampshire is getting geared up for a group of folks, friends, relatives, legislators from all around the country as we put out the call.''
The Bush campaign's plan to devote more time to New Hampshire and to address McCain head-on, is a turnabout from the tack taken for much of this year. Bush's own supporters here have criticized him for months for not spending more time in New Hampshire and for not using more of his time to take questions from voters as McCain does.
And in his comments about McCain, Bush has tended to speak more as a friend or defender than a competitor. Typically, when asked about McCain, Bush would simply repeat that the Arizona senator is a good man and a friend, someone he has campaigned for.
It one telling moment, two weeks ago, in the Bedford Town Hall, a woman stood to tell the governor that she was torn between him and McCain. She then asked Bush to tell her something that would help her make up her mind. Bush fumbled the chance.
''I'm glad I'm in the finals,'' he joked, then told her that he refused ''to tear down'' his opponent.
Yesterday, however, Bush was more specific in his criticisms of McCain. At the same time, he said he would keep his comments respectful as he attempts to solidify his vote. The governor said he does not want the Republican primary to begin to resemble the Democrats' increasingly combative campaign.
''It sounds like it's getting a little ugly,'' Bush remarked, referring to the tussling between Vice President Al Gore and former senator Bill Bradley.
Among the issues Bush said he would stress:
Taxes. McCain will have to answer for his criticism of Bush's $483 billion tax cut over five years. McCain has said it is too large. ''We have a difference in taxes and this is going to be an issue,'' Bush said.
Education. McCain, Bush said, has not made education a sufficient priority in his campaign. ''I have an education record that is a strong education record, not only as a governor of a state, but I have a plan that will encourage educational excellence for every child. This is an issue in the campaign,'' Bush said.
McCain has proposed funding a school voucher plan by cutting subsidies for ethanol and other ''special interests.'' Bush has stressed the need to boost student performance, and has proposed cutting federal dollars to schools that fail to meet certain standards.
Campaign finance. McCain, Bush said, will have to explain why he walked away from ''a labor loophole'' that allows unions to spend union members' fees on political campaigns. ''I'm for campaign funding reform, but I'm not for a plan that hurts the Republican Party and I will make it clear why,'' Bush said. ''That has not been made clear yet in New Hampshire. I'm going to make it clear.''
McCain communications director Dan Schnur said the senator is eager to talk about those issues, as well as internet taxation, school vouchers, Social Security and increased spending on military salaries.
''We would be very disappointed if Governor Bush reneged on the commitment he made... when he promised to run a positive campaign,'' Schnur said. ''We hope that falling poll numbers wouldn't be enough to break that promise to the people of New Hampshire, but questioning his opponent's party loyalty and leadership skills doesn't seem like a very auspicious beginning.''
