By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat John Kerry said on Wednesday he would formally accept his party's presidential nomination at the Boston convention in July but keep exploring ways to reduce President Bush's financial advantage for the general election.
The Massachusetts senator had been considering delaying acceptance of the nomination until after Republicans nominated Bush in early September, giving Kerry an extra five weeks to freely raise and spend money.
"On Thursday, July 29, with great pride, I will accept my party's nomination in the city of Boston," Kerry said in a statement, adding his recent fund-raising success had given him "the capacity to fight back against the Republican money machine."
Under federal campaign laws, Bush and Kerry will each get a check for $75 million in public taxpayer funds to finance the general election campaign when they formally accept their nominations. No money raised during the primaries can be spent after that time.
But the Democratic convention in Boston begins on July 26, while the Republicans do not open their convention in New York until Aug. 30. The convention schedule means Kerry will begin spending his general election money five weeks before Bush.
By waiting a month to accept the Democratic nomination, Kerry would have leveled the playing field and been able to continue freely spending the money he is raising now.
'EVERY WAY POSSIBLE'
"We believe it is right to start the general election on the same day as our opponents, and we will continue to explore every way possible to level the playing field against the Republicans' five-week advantage," Kerry said.
At a fund-raiser in Seattle on Wednesday night that brought in $2.2 million for Kerry's campaign and the Democratic Party, Kerry asked backers to dig even deeper as the result of his decision to accept the nomination in Boston.
"I know it puts us at a disadvantage financially," Kerry said. But he said it could be offset if supporters who had already helped him exceed his previous goal of raising than $80 million for his cause helped with additional contributions.
"The decision I made today raises the bar," Kerry said. But he added: "We have a few things going for us that they don't. We have people and ideas, and we have passion about how we are going to change our country."
Kerry's possible delay in accepting the nomination, made public last week, drew condemnation from Republicans who said it was another example of him bending the rules for political expediency. They kept up the theme even after Kerry's decision.
"Only John Kerry could be for the nominating convention but against the nomination -- before he was for the nomination," said Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt.
Kerry's trial balloon had also been criticized by officials in Boston, who were exasperated they might be spending millions of dollars to put on a convention that would have been meaningless.
The situation was created when both candidates decided not to accept federal funds for the presidential primaries and the spending restrictions that go with them, leaving Kerry free to raise as much money as he could.
Bush has raised more than $200 million and had $71.5 million on hand at the end of April. Kerry's campaign had raised $115 million and had $28 million on hand.
Kerry raised more than Bush in April, and his campaign said his $115 million broke Bush's 2000 record of $100 million for a challenger running for president.
Kerry's idea of delaying the nomination had not been cleared by the Federal Election Commission, which had said it would explore whether the move would violate any federal laws. (Additional reporting by Patricia Wilson and Thomas Ferraro)
