By Thomas Ferraro
Reuters
Tuesday, March 16, 1999; 10:00 a.m. EST

WASHINGTON, March 16 — Publishing giant Steve Forbes, promising a "new information age campaign," on Tuesday became the first person to announce his candidacy for president on the Internet.

While looking ahead toward the 21st Century, Forbes, a self-described tax-cutting "Reagan conservative" Republican who opposes abortion and favours overhauling Social Security, also looked back to past Republican successes.

He called his campaign "the beginning of a national crusade to restore Ronald Reagan's vision of hope and prosperity for all Americans."

Forbes, 51, head of his family's publishing empire that features Forbes magazine, announced his candidacy for the 2000 Republican nomination in a taped address on his new website, www.Forbes2000.com, which came on line at 8 a.m. EST.

"This is going to be a new information age campaign about great ideas and enduring values," said Forbes, who tried and failed to win the party's 1996 nomination.

He arranged to appear later on Tuesday in New Hampshire, which will be the site of next year's first presidential primary.

Forbes is the fourth person to announce his candidacy for the party's 2000 presidential nomination, following Sen. Bob Smith of New Hampshire, conservative commentator Patrick Buchanan and former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander.

At least a half dozen other Republicans are soon expected to announce. They include: Texas Gov. George W. Bush, former Labour and Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole, former Vice President Dan Quayle, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Representative John Kasich of Ohio and conservative activist Gary Bauer.

Virtually all presidential candidates have their own websites, used to transmit schedules, speeches and biographies.

But Forbes was the first to actually announce his candidacy on the Internet. He said he intends to use his website for frequent "fireside e.chats" with online voters.

"I'm going to run the first full-scale campaign in American history on the Internet because I want you involved every stop of the way," Forbes said in his taped address, aimed at the tens of millions of Americans with access to the Internet.

Appearing on Tuesday on NBC's "Today Show," Forbes explained that Internet will allow one-on-one contacts with voters.

"It brings politics back to the American people," he said.

Polls show Bush, son of former President George Bush, as the front-runner for the party's nomination, followed by Dole, wife of defeated 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole.

Forbes spent about $32 million of his own fortune in his failed 1996 presidential campaign. Asked in an interview on Monday how much of his wealth he expects to shell out this time, Forbes said, "I assured my five daughters that I'm going to spend as little as possible."

Forbes said for this campaign, unlike in 1996, he intends to concentrate heavily on raising outside contributions nationwide.

While most candidates are shooting to raise $20 million to $25 million, Forbes said he expects his campaign to run "north of $25 million to $30 million."

He also rejected calls by some Republicans to eliminate the party's anti-abortion plank from its platform.

"The party should not abandon its principles," he said. "We should recognise that a lot of people disagree with us on abortion, and start a conversation to persuade them."

The centrepiece of Forbes' 1996 White House drive, which saw him win the Republican primaries in Delaware and Arizona, was a proposed flat tax, which he intends to offer again.