Campaign Trail

Sun., Feb. 27, 2000

Gore says he is too a liberal

Vice President Al Gore, in Seattle paying a last call on Washington state before Tuesday’s presidential primary, ripped his Democratic primary challenger, Bill Bradley, Saturday night for running a hard-edged campaign of “wedge issues and phony labels.”

Addressing a friendly crowd of about 900 at a Democratic Party chili feed while Bradley campaigned across town, Gore spent most of his animated, arm-waving speech castigating Republicans George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain.

But he saved some shots for Bradley. Gore scoffed at Bradley’s contention that he is a closet conservative. He quoted the National Rifle Association and the religious right as calling him an unrepentant liberal who supports abortion rights and gun control.

“I wear those attacks as a badge of honor,” Gore shouted.

Bush ads shore up dams

Texas Gov. George W. Bush has placed himself firmly on the side of dam-breaching opponents in a radio advertisement that has begun to air in advance of the state’s primary.

If Bush is elected president, four lower Snake River dams “will stay right where they are, providing low-cost power and jobs for you, your family, your community and the entire Northwest,” Bush says in the spot.

Federal agencies are considering whether to recommend to Congress if the dams should be breached as part of an overall program to restore threatened Columbia Basin salmon runs.

McCain said in a campaign stop in Spokane on Wednesday that he would consider breaching the dams if it’s necessary to save salmon runs.

McCain added that he feels dam breaching is a state issue and he would be reluctant to enter into it.

Follow the candidates

Gore scheduled a public rally for 11 a.m. today at Franklin High School in Seattle.

Bradley also planned to address the NAACP event at Franklin High.

Bush is scheduled to campaign in Tacoma early this evening and to head to Bellevue and the Tri-Cities on Monday.

McCain is scheduled to headline a rally at Pacific Lutheran University near Tacoma, at 5 p.m. Monday.

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