5,000 Miles Away, Gore Offers Clinton Support

As President Clinton’s fate hung in the balance Monday, his close and trusted No. 2--Vice President Al Gore--was hanging out nearly 5,000 miles away, vacationing in Hawaii.

But shortly after Clinton offered his measured mea culpa on national television, Gore expressed unequivocal support.

“I am proud of him--not only because he is a friend--but because he is a person who has had the courage to acknowledge mistakes,” Gore said in a one-paragraph statement.

“I am honored to work with this great president on his agenda for the nation and I believe it is time to put this matter behind us--once and for all--and move forward with the business of the United States of America.”

Gore said he watched the president’s speech on television and spoke to Clinton by telephone, telling him “that Tipper and I have him and his family in our hearts and in our prayers.”

Gore aides emphasized that--appearances aside--the vice president was not attempting to put as much distance as possible between himself and Clinton during the legal showdown over the president’s relationship with former White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky. Rather, they said that Gore’s two-week sojourn with his family, which began Aug. 11, was planned long before the scheduling of Clinton’s grand jury testimony.

In fact, Gore has been steadfastly supportive of Clinton throughout the controversy. In a March newspaper interview, Gore said of the president: “He’s denied the allegations made against him and I believe him.”