The candidate promised that enacting campaignfinance reform would be one of his top priorities.

"Money fundamentally distorts the democraticprocess," Bradley told Dartmouth students at adiscussion in a wood-paneled room at the campus'Sanborn library. Bradley said he would supportlegislation that would ban soft-moneycontributions.

He has promised not to take money frompolitical action committees (PACs) in his owncampaign.

"I hold myself to a higher standard," he said.

In addition to campaign finance, Bradley saidhe would make fighting child poverty a priority.

But for now, his top goal is raising hisprofile among New Hampshire voters. At this stagein the campaign, he is traveling the byways ofNew Hampshire along with his wife Ernestine,courting Democratic support vote by vote.

In Keene, Bradley spoke to about 400 CheshireCounty Democrats at a party fundraiser, sharing atable at the $8-a-head spaghetti dinner withGore's New Hampshire campaign head Bill Shaheen.

In Claremont, a small town in the ConnecticutRiver Valley across the border from Vermont, hedropped by a Dunkin' Donuts on Sunday morning totalk to voters.

Newport resident Peter E. Franklin, a member ofthe Class of 1953, was one of about 50 people whopacked into the small shop to hear Bradley speak.

"He sounded very good today," Franklin said.Franklin said that for Bradley to defeat Gore inNew Hampshire, he would have to connect withvoters.

"He has to do what he's doing now," Franklinsaid. "Meeting a lot of people, in small towns, inbig towns, everywhere."

But other New Hampshire Democrats said theydoubted Bradley had what it would take tochallenge the vice president successfully.

"I see Bill Bradley as someone who is reallyrespected, but doesn't have the charisma, theelectricity around his campaign, that he wouldneed to pose a threat to Gore," said Art Ferrier,an uncommitted delegate from Canaan to Saturday'sstate convention.

Bradley has a ready response to suchskepticism. Quoting Celtic great Bill Russell, whomBradley played against during his career with theKnicks, he warned that leads in politics, as inbasketball, can quickly evaporate.

"It's easier to become number one than staynumber one." he said