Democrats Clash Over Fine Points

WASHINGTON — Vice President Al Gore on Sunday offered to abandon all political commercials and hold twice-weekly debates if Bill Bradley would join him in doing so. But Bradley scorned the “ridiculous proposal” and refused to shake Gore’s outstretched hand in agreement.

In their third nationally televised debate, the rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination clashed anew on education, health care and foreign policy as they sought to highlight their relatively small policy differences.

Bradley and Gore last debated Friday night in Nashua, N.H., during an appearance on ABC’s “Nightline.”

While breaking virtually no new ground Sunday in an hourlong appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Gore and Bradley served up a contrast in styles even as they sat side by side, dressed like identical twins in dark suits, blue shirts and red ties.

Repeatedly they interrupted one another. Gore unrelentingly challenged and attacked Bradley’s record, often sighing or chuckling audibly while Bradley spoke. Bradley, a former New Jersey senator, all but abandoned his above-the-fray demeanor, readily engaging and confronting Gore--especially when the vice president offered to halt all campaign advertising, which more than any other factor forces politicians to raise huge donations.

“Sounds to me like you’re having trouble raising money,” retorted Bradley, who has made campaign finance reform a top priority.

“No, as a matter of fact, I’m not,” Gore responded.

On health care, both men agreed that they aim to provide universal access to medical insurance. But they differ on how to reach that goal, and they disputed the claims for each other’s plans.

On Social Security and Medicare, Gore and Bradley at first unequivocally ruled out “ever” raising the retirement age for either program. But pressed by moderator Tim Russert, Gore conceded that a sharp economic downturn might require a reconsideration of that pledge.

As Gore put it: “If it’s a national crisis, then all bets are off.”

Bradley rued that entitlement reform has become “nothing but a political football,” adding: “The reality is that the only way this is going to be solved is if you can prevent it from being a political football.”

The candidates also clashed over education reform, with Gore attacking Bradley for supporting vouchers that would allow parents to use public money for private school tuition.

Bradley said he has supported vouchers only on an experimental basis--efforts that he said would be financed by “new money.” But Gore charged: “ . . . even if you say it’s not going to come from public school budgets, it does.”

Gore, who last week unveiled a 10-year, $115-billion education reform program that promises universal access to preschool, also accused Bradley of offering education initiatives that “nibble around the edges” and amount to “slow, incremental advances.”

But Bradley noted that he has proposed doubling the number of children in Head Start and hiring 600,000 new public school teachers over the next 10 years.

“I don’t think that anyone should question my commitment to public education,” he said. “I also don’t think they should question what I’ve proposed.”

On campaign finance reform, which provoked the show’s sharpest exchange, Gore questioned Bradley’s commitment to the issue, saying that Bradley “went for 17 years” in the Senate before sponsoring a bill to reform the nation’s election financing laws.

In contrast, Gore boasted, “I started talking about this . . . more than 20 years ago” as a congressman.

Bradley did not directly respond to Gore’s remarks as the vice president continued pressing him to agree to twice-weekly debates.

On Thursday, at a cross-party event in Claremont, N.H., Bradley joined Arizona Sen. John McCain, a contender for the GOP presidential nomination, to call for campaign finance reform.

In his challenge to Bradley, Gore said that if they agreed to halt all radio and television advertising until the Democratic contest is decided, “that’s going to get a lot of the money out of the presidential campaign--and accomplish one of the best reforms. What about it?”

Bradley dismissed Gore’s proposal.

“I mean, this is a ridiculous proposal,” he said, adding that he loves not only campaigning in person but also talking to voters “over television in their living rooms.”

“In 30-second commercials?” Gore asked, affecting incredulity.

“Absolutely,” Bradley answered.

Still, Gore would not let up, badgering Bradley for debates.

As Gore extended his hand, urging Bradley to shake, Bradley looked down at Gore’s right hand and rejected the offer as “an interesting ploy.”

“Al, that’s good. I like that hand. But the answer’s no,” Bradley said.

On a foreign policy issue, Bradley conceded that he voted against going to war against Iraq in 1991 after Saddam Hussein’s forces invaded Kuwait. “I was not against the use of force,” he said. “The question was whether we should use force at that time or continue sanctions. I voted to continue sanctions. But my sense is if they hadn’t worked, there would have been a vote for force later, and I would have voted for it.”

But Gore retorted: “if Bill’s vote had prevailed in the Senate, he [Saddam] would still be in Kuwait.”

Despite the occasionally sharp give-and-take, many analysts Sunday took note of the two men’s similarities.

It was, said Mike McCurry, a former press secretary to President Clinton, “kind of like trying to choose between Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi.”

Perhaps Bradley put it best. In his closing statement on “Meet the Press,” he observed: “I think that we offer different styles of leadership. I think that’s what the people have to choose.”