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Saturday Morning News

Bush Unveils New Endorsements; Gore, Bradley Discuss Campaign Finance Reform

Aired January 29, 2000 - 9:01 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: We begin with presidential politics in wintry New England.

Texas Governor George W. Bush, who is playing catch-up to John McCain in New Hampshire, has picked up a couple of key endorsements, just ahead of next Tuesday's state primary.

CNN's Carol Lin is in Manchester with all the latest political news for us.

Good morning to you, Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Miles.

Before we get to that endorsement, we just want to let you know, and a reminder here, just three days left before the New Hampshire voters go to the polls. And we want to share the latest polling figures with you. The numbers are starting to change.

The latest CNN tracking poll shows a virtual dead heat for the front-runners in the Republican race. George W. Bush is now the choice of 37 percent of likely voters, with John McCain at 36 percent. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

For the Democrats, Vice President Al Gore continues to lead Bill Bradley, 56 percent to 40 percent. Bill Bradley's campaign bank account is up to $20 million, almost double that of Al Gore's.

Campaign finances were a topic of discussion at a Democratic Party fund raiser that both Gore and Bradley attended.

And CNN's John King was there as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was an overwhelmingly Al Gore crowd at Friday night's New Hampshire Democratic Party dinner. But rival Bill Bradley nonetheless warned the vice president's role in 1996 fund-raising controversies would make him an easy general election target.

BILL BRADLEY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we don't clean our house, the Republicans will clean it for us in the fall. KING: It was another example of Bradley's more aggressive posture in the final weekend before Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, his call for campaign finance reform mixed in with condemnation of Gore's role in 1996 fund-raising abuses.

BRADLEY: They were disgraceful for both Republicans and Democrats. But they were most embarrassing for Democrats, because we're the party of the little guy.

KING: Gore spoke first, and he compared the economic distress of New Hampshire seven years ago with the boom times now.

ALBERT A. GORE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today's prosperity, which I've talked about here this evening, did not happen by accident. It happened because you were willing to fight for a set of policies that were extremely controversial when they were enacted.

KING: The vice president said Bradley's plan for universal health care coverage would spend too much of the federal budget surplus on one program, and Gore suggested he would be the more vigorous Democratic candidate in the fall campaign.

GORE: Make no mistake about the passion that will be needed for the fight that lies ahead. Make no underestimate of the forces of resistance that are out there, hungry to take back the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Campaign finance isn't Bradley's only line of attack as he tries to close the gap in the final days of the New Hampshire campaign. The Bradley campaign today launches a new ad questioning the vice president's commitment to abortion rights, an issue of paramount importance to many liberal Democratic voters.

Gore acknowledges votes against federal funding for abortion early in his congressional career, but his campaign quickly released a letter from 42 congressional Democrats praising Gore's leadership on the issue now.

John King, CNN, reporting live from Nashua, New Hampshire.

LIN: Thank you, John.

A more confident George W. Bush is campaigning in southern New Hampshire this morning. Atop a snowmobile Friday, he was shooting a new campaign ad that may or may not run in the final days of the campaign here. Bush picked up the endorsement of former New Hampshire governor and White House chief of staff John Sununu yesterday.

Elizabeth Dole is campaigning for him today.

In the early days of campaigning here in the Granite State, as few as 40 people came to hear Senator John McCain. But after more than 100 town hall meetings, the numbers have grown.

CNN's Jonathan Karl is following the Straight Talk Express. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): McCain's aides say you don't need to look at the polls, just look at the crowds. McCain's New Hampshire town hall meetings are growing in size and enthusiasm.

More than 800 people packed into this event in the town of Exeter. Back on the bus between events, McCain shrugged off his slide in some polls here.

SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I don't know, because I've said before, they bounce back and forth, up and down, all over the place. And so -- and I've always predicted that this was going to be a very close race.

KARL: Further stepping up his attacks on Democrat Al Gore, McCain ridiculed the vice president's offer to forego TV commercials in exchange for frequent debates.

McCAIN: I look forward to asking him why he debased every institution of government in the 1996 campaign. I look forward to debating him in every possible venue. But to say that you are therefore not going to purchase any television commercials -- you know, that's just crazy, particularly since he's been in recent weeks just excoriating Bill Bradley with his commercials.

KARL: McCain says he's glad he didn't have to sit through the president's State of the Union address.

McCAIN: I would never have proposed such a huge new laundry list of spending. I would have been before the Congress proposing a long list of spending cuts that are needed.

KARL (on camera): McCain is irritated by George W. Bush's suggestion that he mimics Gore and Clinton. In response, McCain is forcefully reminding people at every opportunity that he is no fan of the president's.

Jonathan Karl, CNN, Manchester, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And you're going to have more of an opportunity to see more of these candidates. Democratic candidate Bill Bradley is the guest later today on "EVANS, NOVAK, HUNT, AND SHIELDS" that begins at 5:30 Eastern.

And tomorrow, Senator John McCain is the guest on "LATE EDITION." That starts at noon Eastern.

Another busy day on the campaign trail here in New Hampshire. We're keeping an eye on things, Kyra. But for now, back to you in Atlanta.

KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR: All right, we'll see you again soon, Carol.

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