Gore Keeps a Low Profile After Week’s Media Storm

Vice President Al Gore, after a whirlwind media blitz, has gone quiet.

While Texas Gov. George W. Bush busied himself Saturday with presidential-style activities--meeting with GOP congressional leaders and talking national economic policy--Gore strolled to a Starbucks with his wife and daughter, lunched with actor Tommy Lee Jones and relaxed at his Washington home.

He told reporters that he’d been “making quiet progress” on the transition. But that’s all he intends to say this weekend, according to his aides.

Gore’s silence marks a sharp change from earlier last week, when he embarked on a round of TV appearances and interviews that seemed aimed at preventing Bush from dominating the news with images of his government-in-waiting.

But with the Supreme Court considering one election case and various Florida judges dealing with others, Gore’s aides said it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to offer a running critique. “He’s decided not to comment at all, to respect the independence of the courts,” said Mark D. Fabiani, a Gore aide.

Chris Lehane, Gore’s campaign press secretary, said Gore doesn’t need to demonstrate that he is ready to begin acting as president. “He’s the same vice president who’s been ready to take on the job at a moment’s notice for eight years.”

In any case, Lehane added, the biggest issue “is getting a recount done in Florida.”

Some analysts said Gore also may have decided that he was running the risk of becoming a little overexposed. “Maybe he decided that it wasn’t helping his case all that much to be out there,” said Ross K. Baker, a veteran political scientist at Rutgers University.

After his intense round of appearances, Gore was seen briefly on Thursday at the White House. He made no public comments that day and sent his running mate, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.), to meet briefly with reporters.

Gore also didn’t surface Friday, although his children went to the Supreme Court to hear arguments on the Florida recount case.

He had lunch Saturday with Jones, his college roommate, and was in Washington for the evening’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony.

At midafternoon Saturday, Gore, his wife, Tipper, and daughter Kristin slipped out the back door of the Washington Naval Observatory, the official vice presidential residence. That allowed them to avoid the crowd of about 50 protesters who had gathered at the observatory’s entrance.

Wearing jeans, the Gores strolled about a mile to the Starbucks, where they ordered hot ciders--and 10 coffees for the pack of photographers tagging along.