AL GORE: Says He’s More Like McCain Than Like Bradley
Vice President Al Gore continued his assault on Bill Bradley's health care proposals, this time saying that his ideas were more in line with GOP presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the Boston Globe reports. Gore said: "McCain and I have in common putting money from the surplus into Medicare and keeping it from being drawn down when the baby boomers retire. McCain recognizes, as I do, that you should put money in the program. Bradley's assertion is that it is not needed." His comments, while on the campaign trail in Florida, "are his most extensive" since he and McCain both won the New Hampshire primary. Gore continued to highlight his differences with Bradley while at a retirement community, saying, "Most all the experts in both political parties have said, 'let's put money in now.' That's a key difference between Senator Bradley and myself" (Scales, 2/9).
Medi-Scare!
But Bradley spokesperson Eric Hauser said that "Gore was reviving the 'Medi-scare' strategy Democrats used against Republicans in 1996." He added, "It is all about scaring people -- not about debating the issues. The vice president so long ago lost any vestige of credibility" (Griffin, Orlando Sentinel, 2/9).
Forbes Quits
According to two of his senior advisers, Steve Forbes has decided to abandon his GOP presidential bid after spending "tens of millions of dollars and nearly four years on the road." The Washington Post reports that Forbes will formally announce his departure during a press conference tomorrow (Fournier, 2/9).