Clinton Urges Americans to Choose Gore for Next President

The 2000 Democratic National Convention opened here Monday with 4,300 delegates bidding an emotional farewell to US President Bill Clinton and giving an enthusiastic welcome to his designated successor, Vice President Al Gore.

Clinton suggested Gore and his running mate Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman are the obvious choice over Republican presidential nominee Texas Gov. George W. Bush and his running mate Dick Cheney, whom he never mentioned by name.

"Everyone knows Al Gore is thoughtful and hard-working," he said. "I can tell you he's also an exceptional leader."

"Most important, Al Gore and Joe Lieberman will keep our prosperity growing by paying down the debt, investing in education and health care, moving people from welfare to work and providing family tax cuts that we can afford," he said.

Clinton, who twice led his party to the White House, said in a televised speech that the United States is "more confident, hopeful" than eight years ago, urging Americans to trust Al Gore as his successor to "keep this progress and prosperity going."

"Now, you know how I feel, but it's not my decision to make. It's yours. I just want to tell you a few things I know about Al Gore," Clinton said on the opening day of the four-day convention.

"In the most difficult days of the last years, when we faced the toughest issues -- of war and peace, of taking on powerful special interests -- he was always there. More than anybody else I've ever known in public life, Al Gore understands the future and how sweeping changes can affect Americans' daily lives," Clinton said.

Clinton spent equal time outlining how his administration's economic and social policies have had a real impact on the nation, and why Gore -- after nearly eight years as his active understudy -- was best qualified to assume the mantle of the presidency.

In a prime-time television address that is expected to be his last major political address before he leaves office in five months, Clinton also pointed out the achievements and progress he and Gore have made in the eight years in the White House.

"Today we are in the midst of the longest economic expansion in our history. More than 22 million new jobs, the lowest unemployment in 30 years, the lowest female unemployment in 40 years, the lowest Hispanic and African American unemployment on record, the highest home ownership rate in our history. Today, we have also gone from the largest deficits in history to the largest surpluses in history - and if we stay on course, we can make America debt-free for the first time since 1835."

Clinton said the current Democratic administration's progress is far more than economics. "America is more confident, hopeful and just, more secure and free. We are more confident because of progress in education: higher standards, more accountability, more investment. We have doubled funding for Head Start and provided after-school and mentoring to more than one million young people," he said.

The Democrats' four-day political production was designed not only to promote Gore and running mate Joseph Lieberman, but also to stir memories of John F. Kennedy's nomination in this city 40 years ago. Kennedy's image appeared on the video screen behind the speaker's podium as the convention opened; his voice echoed in the hall. His daughter, Caroline, addresses the delegates on Tuesday night.

Without mentioning him by name, Clinton fired a salvo at Republican presidential nominee Bush, belittling the Texas governor's claim that the Democratic White House's policies had little to do with the U.S. economic expansion.

"To those who say the progress of these eight years was an accident, that we just coasted along, let's be clear," he said. "America's success was not a matter of chance; it was a matter of choice."

Polishing a partisan image, Clinton said, "The GOP wants to spend every dime of our projected surplus and then some - leaving nothing to extend the life of Medicare and Social Security, nothing for emergencies, nothing in case the projected surpluses don't come in."

One pre-convention poll suggested Bush's lead had shrunk to three percentage points. CNN said more Americans are concerned with a candidate's stand on the issues than about character - a switch from the primaries of earlier in the year.

Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile predicted that Gore would surge into the lead in the polls during the convention and stay there all the way to the Nov. 7 election.



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