THE Republican presidential contender, Mr Bob Dole, will attack President Clinton on "ethical" issues at tonight's debate in San Diego which could be the challenger's last chance to turn around a disappointing campaign.
Going into the debate, Mr Dole trails in all opinion polls with a gap varying from 14 per cent to 18 per cent. But the Republican camp is now hoping that the trend can be reversed if Mr Dole succeeds in embarrassing the President over a series of so-called scandals which have plagued the White House.
These include the improper use of up to 900 FBI files on Republican opponents and the sacking of the travel office staff. Mr Dole is also expected to raise again the question of presidential pardons for former friends who have been convicted of fraud in connection with the Whitewater property development in Arkansas.
Mr Clinton has not ruled out the possibility that they could be pardoned while saying that he has not given it any consideration. Unsuccessful attempts have been made to get some of those convicted to testify against the President and Mrs Clinton who were partners at one stage in the Whitewater development.
Mr Dole has said that Mr Clinton "better make it very clear - no pardons, no pardons for anybody he did business with who may be in jail."
Mr Dole is also expected to question Mr Clinton on the revelation that a wealthy Indonesian banking family has been channelling money into his campaign. The Clinton camp, while admitting that contributions up to 5450,000 (£281,250) have been made by the Indonesians, denies any illegality.
But the revelation is embarrassing following a report that the Democratic Party has already been obliged to return a 5250,000 contribution from a South Korean company after it was revealed by a newspaper as against campaign funding rules.
On the Indonesian contribution, Mr Dole said that it raised the question as to whether it persuaded the US to take a soft line against human rights abuses by Indonesia in the annexed territory of East Timor. "We re going to raise the questions every day until the President has properly responded," Mr Dole said.
President Clinton has been preparing for tonight's debate in Albuquerque where he has been coached by former Senator George Mitchell, who is taking a break from chairing the Northern Ireland all-party talks.
The White House spokesman, Mr Mike McCurry, has denied that the Indonesian contributions affected US policy on East Timor. He called the Republican attacks "desperation polities".
Commentators say that it will be difficult for Mr Dote to attack President Clinton on the "ethical" issues in the "town hall" format of tonight's debate. The two contenders will be questioned by an audience rather than a moderator.
It is a format which suits Mr Clinton better as it allows for an informal style at which the President excels. Polls have also shown that voters generally do not approve of personal attacks by candidates on each other.
But the stage has been reached where Mr Dole may have to risk such disapproval in order to disrupt the Clinton campaign as it cruises to apparent victory.
Martin Walker adds: Tonight's debate, which takes the form of a meeting with the questions being put by a carefully chosen selection of the public, 30 Democrats, 30 Republicans and 30 independents, may be the last chance for Mr Dole to get back into the race.
Only in the immediate aftermath of his party convention in San Diego did he even narrow the opinion poll gap to single figures.
Tonight's debate allows Mr Dole to revisit the scene of his own election year triumph, an opportunity he fumbled by saying as he left his campaign plane to say "I'm glad to be back in San Francisco."