CONCORD, N.H. -- Sen. John McCain has figured out a way to spend more on television advertisements in New Hampshire.

In spending reports to the Federal Election Commission, the McCain campaign is counting only 17 percent of its spending for ads on WMUR-TV in Manchester toward McCain's New Hampshire spending limit of $661,000. The rationale? The station is considered part of the Boston market, only 17 percent of which is in southern New Hampshire near the Massachusetts border.

The move has raised eyebrows at rival campaigns, which note that campaign finance reform is the Arizona senator's cornerstone issue. But the campaign defends the move.

"We are following FEC guidelines to the letter," campaign spokesman Todd Harris told the Concord Monitor. "Where there should be concern is with the (George W.) Bush campaign, which has arbitrarily decided to throw all the rules out the window so they can spend more money than any campaign in the history of politics."

McCain is accepting federal matching money for his campaign, which means he must abide by federal spending limits. Bush and fellow GOP rival Steve Forbes chose not to be bound by the limits, and are not receiving public funds.

McCain and other candidates have been counting only 17 percent of their spending for ads on Boston television stations as spending in New Hampshire. But McCain apparently is the only candidate who has taken the same discount for ad buys on WMUR.

Trevor Potter, a lawyer for the McCain campaign who used to work at the FEC, says the move is entirely above board and could be used by any campaign.

Neither McCain's spokesman nor FEC officials could be reached for comment Tuesday.