Copyright 2000 Newsday, Inc.
Newsday (New York, NY)
February 3, 2000, Thursday ALL EDITIONS
SECTION: NEWS; Page A05
LENGTH: 964 words
HEADLINE:
CAMPAIGN 2000 / 'WARM-UPS ARE OVER' / GORE, BRADLEY VISIT NYC AS NATIONAL
CAMPAIGNS BEGIN
BYLINE: By Deborah Barfield and William
Douglas. WASHINGTON BUREAU
BODY:
On the
heels of a tight race in New Hampshire, Democratic presidential contenders Sen.
Bill Bradley and Vice President Al Gore jumped into the rough and tumble
politics of New York yesterday, in a quest for the next delegates up for grabs.
Gore kicked off his campaign here with an early morning rally at
LaGuardia Airport, and then dashed off to Washington to show his support for
abortion rights, a sensitive campaign issue used against him in the bitter New
Hampshire contest. Thinking he might be needed to break a tie in a Senate vote
on an abortion-related issue, Gore changed his schedule to return to Washington,
but his vote was not needed after all.
"It's a choice between the old
politics of Al Gore, the politics of rancor, of division and grandiose and
unfulfilled promises," Bradley told a crowd of more than 1,000 at Judson
Memorial Church in Manhattan yesterday afternoon, "and the new politics I offer,
which is the politics of conviction, belief, trust in people to lay out ways to
deal with the biggest problems of this country." The close New Hampshire vote
sets the stage for the national fight to win the March 7 primaries, including in
New York, a state fertile with delegates. Armed with more than $ 8 million of
the $ 27 million he has raised, Bradley and Gore, who has $ 5.7 million of the $
29 million he has collected, are likely to launch costly ad wars in big states
such as New York and California, which also holds its primary that day.
Bradley hopes to nail down New York, where he played professional
basketball for 10 years. Unlike in Iowa and New Hampshire where he faced a major
hurdle of not being well-known, the former New Jersey senator plans to take
advantage of his popularity here.
Gore, however, has already reeled in
support from many of the top Democratic state and congressional officials and
the powerful labor unions.
"The real question is how much is Bradley
willing to take off the gloves and go after Gore on the character . If he does,
Gore may be vulnerable in a state like New York," said Richard Himelfarb, a
political science professor at Hofstra University, adding that Bradley runs the
risk of being criticized for turning to divisive politics after pledging to run
a positive campaign. "I don't think Bradley has any choice but to go after
Gore," Himelfarb said.
Bradley went on the attack in the last days of
the New Hampshire campaign, raising questions about Gore's role in the 1996
campaign finance scandal and his changing position on abortion. By the end of
the week, Bradley had closed a double-digit gap in state polls and finished
50-46 behind Gore in the final tally.
"The ball is bouncing on," said
Bradley, as he bounced a miniature basketball on the podium at Trinity College
in Hartford, Conn., his first stop early yesterday. "The warm-ups are over. The
national campaign has begun."
Calling New Hampshire a "sweet win," Gore
also vowed to fight for the party's nomination. "We're two for two...but now
it's a national primary," Gore told the Fox News Channel yesterday morning from
Grand Central Station. "I think the competition has been good for me."
Bradley yesterday delivered his usual stump speech pledging to eliminate
child poverty, overhaul the campaign finance system and provide affordable
health care for most Americans. Earlier in the day, he showed support for nurses
assistants who are striking in Hartford by visiting their picket line outside a
nursing home.
Gore, whose commitment to keeping abortion legal has been
questioned by Bradley, abruptly stopped campaigning in New York City yesterday
and returned to Washington in case he was needed to break a tie in the Senate on
an amendment that would stop violent abortion protesters from
declaring bankruptcy to avoid paying fines.
But the
vote of the vice president, who flew a US Airways shuttle flight to Washington
because Air Force Two could not be ready in time, wasn't needed. The measure,
co-sponsored by Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.), breezed
through the Senate, 80-17. Gore received a call from Schumer and others while
shaking hands with potential voters at Grand Central Station.
"Clinic
violence is an offense to our democracy," Gore said. "It's an offense to the
American spirit. We cannot allow this kind of violence, depravation of rights."
He added: "This issue is so important, I'm not going to take a chance of seeing
it fail."
While Gore insisted that politics-particularly his race with
Bradley-had nothing to do with his rush back to Washington, some Republicans
weren't convinced. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) called Gore's dash to
Washington "theater."
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-Queens/Westchester) defended
Gore's record, saying he "has sat next to us on the phone dialing the numbers,
calling the members, trying to prevent these right-wing extremists from taking
away a woman's right to choose."
"The vice president supposedly cast a
tie-breaking vote, right?" Bradley said sarcastically as he left the Manhattan
rally. "I'd rather be in New York, quite frankly."
Bradley called on
Gore to "take responsibility for his campaign." Gore supporters allegedly threw
mud and shouted attacks at Sen. Bob Kerrey last weekend when the retiring
senator from Nebraska tried to talk to reporters at a Gore event in New
Hampshire. "When his campaign demeans a medal of honor winner like Bob Kerrey,
there should be an apology from Al Gore," Bradley said.
Gore, who has an
"air of inevitability" after his two victories, will have to be prepared that
Bradley will continue to "beat him up," on character issues, Himelfarb said.
"Those attacks could be harmful and come back to haunt him in the general
election."
GRAPHIC: AP Photo - Vice
President Al Gore leans into a crowd of students for handshakes at a rally
yesterday at Ohio State University in Columbus after visiting New York City. 2)
Newsday Photo by Sunh Woods - Former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley kicks off
his "n ational campaign" yesterday at Judson Memorial Church across from
Washington Square Park in Manhattan.
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February 3, 2000 
