On the front lawn of the White House, the President said: "The American people will decide if I deserve a second term," but for now, he added, he's going to concentrate on creating jobs for Americans.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said that Bush will soon make an official announcement of his intentions to seek a second term, adding that Friday's move is a legal requirement that allows the president to raise money for his campaign, hire staff members and open a campaign headquarters, which is expected to be located in northern Virginia.
The first solicitations for campaign money will probably be mailed to potential donors in the next few days, and Bush plans to make his first appearance at a fund-raiser in June.
Spokesman Ari Fleischer also said White House political director Ken Mehlman had been appointed manager of the re-election bid.
No date for Mehlman leaving his White House post was given.
"Today ... the legal structure for a re-election campaign was put in place as a result of the filing of what's called FEC Form 1 and FEC Form 2," Fleischer said. "These are the legal forms necessary so that the structure around which a campaign will eventually be built can begin to take place.
"This is the legal structure that is required, so that grass-roots activities can begin, the fundraising can begin. This is the required legal step that must be taken for other events to follow on."
Fleischer said a statement by the president announcing his re-election bid was a "follow-on event that would happen sometime substantially down the road - no time soon."
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