BUSH, FORD HELP DOLE AIR CHARGES.

Byline: Adam Nagourney The New York Times

With two former Republican presidents in tow, Bob Dole began the last march of his campaign Friday with a triple punch that reprised a year of Republican assaults on President Clinton's ethics and character. Dole, in a new proposal, also called for abolishing political action committees.

``It breaks my heart to see the White House now under fire - not for policy, about which we can have an honest difference, but because of integrity and honor,'' declared former President Bush.

``A Dole White House will be a drug-free White House,'' said former President Ford, referring to reports of past drug experimentation by some White House employees.

``A president should be a source of inspiration,'' asserted Dole, landing the third punch. ``And this president is a source of cynicism. He has led an administration without a compass and without a core. We deserve an ethical White House.''

The attacks by Dole and the two presidents, who have barely campaigned with Dole and are not particularly close to him, represented a coordinated attempt to anchor the start of Dole's promised nonstop, 96-hour tour to a wide series of behavior and ethical incidents Dole has repeatedly raised against Clinton.

Dole, in a speech before a gym packed with screaming, sign-waving college students in Ashland, Ohio, noted that President Clinton had chosen to give a speech today on campaign finance reform, after two weeks in which Dole has prodded him over irregular campaign contributions from overseas associates. Dole asserted that the administration was ``in the midst of a growing scandal involving the flow of foreign money into the Democratic Party that bought access to the White House.''

``I know the president is giving a speech - if you can believe it - on campaign finance reform today,'' Dole said. ``Apparently all the money has been in and has been counted. Now he can go ahead and make the speech. The receipts are in - OK

What we've seen in this administration in these last few weeks is evidence that we really need campaign reform.''

Still, even with the intensity of the attacks Dole's campaign Friday had the light, manic and nostalgic air of the last weekend of summer camp. There were cameras everywhere and Dole's considerable entourage, including many people who had traveled together for much of the year, were trading phone numbers, making post-Election Day lunch dates, and sharing vacation and job plans - in the event that polls are correct and Dole does not win.

Members of Dole's mostly young staff, wearing white T-shirts and caps emblazoned with a blue streak reading, ``96 Hours to Victory,'' were already punch-drunk as they prepared for what has been described as four days without sleep. And Dole himself was jaunty and obviously determined to enjoy what might be his last four days in public life. On his airplane Thursday night, he ventured to the back of his campaign plane, offering reporters trick-or-treat plastic pumpkins brimming with deodorant and toothbrushes for the hygienically challenged trip ahead.

And Friday at noon, Dole commanded the public address system aboard his aircraft.

``It's High Noon: 96 hours and counting,'' Dole exclaimed. ``Ninety-six hours to victory. We're on the way. The clock is ticking. One, two, three, four. We're on the way to the White House!

``Hang on!''

Ford, 83, and Bush, 72, were sitting in the first-class section of the plane, with Ford taking the window seat on the port side of the aircraft.

As Dole spoke, his staff handed out T-shirts, emblazoned in blue with the name of the tour.

Bush picked his up and read it quizzically: ``Ninety-six hours to victory?''

``Once you get there, is there skiing?'' Ford inquired archly.

Still, the very presence of Ford and Bush lent an air of spectacle and history to the entire day: two Republican presidents helping one of the last members of their political generation campaign for the presidency during a time of obvious difficulty. Among them, the three men had held at least one spot of every Republican presidential ticket going back to 1972.