Clinton to Help in White House Bid, Gore Says

Despite earlier comments that he was considering declining the president’s help, Vice President Al Gore told congressional liberals Tuesday that President Clinton will campaign on behalf of his White House bid.

Gore “made clear that the president is a friend who has been campaigning for him and will continue to campaign for him but that every election is about the future and that it will be about his ideas and his vision for the 21st century,” said spokesman Chris Lehane.

Gore said last week he considered the campaign a “very personal quest” and indicated that he hadn’t decided what role Clinton would play.

Gore, however, made it clear Tuesday in his meeting with the Congressional Progressive Caucus that Clinton will be involved in the campaign.

Also Tuesday, the 750,000-member United Steelworkers of America endorsed Gore for the White House, with the union’s leader, George Becker, saying Gore indicated that as president he would change U.S. trade policy to protect American steelmakers. Gore last week won the endorsement of the AFL-CIO.

In another development, Kiki Moore, press secretary for Gore’s campaign, said she has decided not to move to Nashville with the campaign. Moore said she plans to help Gore from Washington.