Nation IN BRIEF: WASHINGTON, D.C. : Bush Campaign Close to $50-Million Mark

Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s campaign will report raising more than $50 million by the end of September--more than any presidential candidate ever has had available to seek the nomination, a senior official in his campaign predicted. With half a dozen events in September, the campaign expects to add to the total before the Sept. 30 reporting deadline. But the figure is not expected to reach $60 million, one senior Bush aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Bush raised a record $37 million through June 30 and has continued to take in money since then, including $250,000 at a $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser in Nebraska. “I know there are some who are talking about my capacity to raise money, particularly some of my opponents,” Bush said while campaigning in Omaha, Neb. “I would suggest that if you ask them, they would like to trade places.”