ANCHESTER, N.H. - Bob Dole, the 1996 GOP nominee, will enter the primary fray tonight with a television ad hammering Steve Forbes for giving comfort to Democrats by aiming negative ads at Republicans.
The commercial is paid for by the Republican Leadership Council, a Washington-based group with ties to Governor George W. Bush of Texas, although there is no evidence that Bush had anything to do with the ad. This is the third spot aired by the council and targeted at Forbes. Some observers, such as the state Republican chairman, have said Forbes is getting a bum rap.
''I emerged the Republican nominee, battered, bruised, and broke, and a much easier target for the negative Clinton- Gore fall campaign,'' the announcer in the ad says, quoting Dole. ''I speak up now only because it may be happening again. I believe the Republican Party and our eventual presidential nominee could be damaged again.''
The announcer then concludes: ''Mr. Forbes, stop the negative ads. Don't help the Democrats.''
Mark Miller, the executive director of the Republican Leadership Council, said his group will air the ad more than 100 times on Boston and Manchester television stations between now and Tuesday's primary. Miller said the council put up the spot because Forbes is running an ad that criticizes Bush for breaking a pledge against raising taxes in Texas.
''We're trying to hammer our message that we need to unite to win,'' Miller said.
In 1996, Forbes launched an advertising blitz in New Hampshire that some believe was responsible for seriously damaging Dole's chances in that state. He came in second after Patrick J. Buchanan.
Last night, officials from the campaigns of Forbes and John McCain charged that the Bush campaign had orchestrated the ad.
