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Bush Attacks Gore in TV Ad
U.S. Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush on Thursday prepared to release a TV ad mocking his Democratic rival Al Gore with clips of the vice president at a Buddhist temple fund-raiser and claiming to have invented the Internet.
The Republican ad, which will run in 17 states starting Friday, showed an image of Gore at the Buddhist temple in California, speaking about campaign finance reform.
In April 1996, some 60,000 dollars in illegal donations were raised in connection with the event Gore attended at a Buddhist temple, but Gore denied that he knew the event was a fund-raiser.
The ad comes as polls show the November 7 presidential election race has become neck-and-neck.
Local media said this is the latest and most striking development in this year's ad war, capping a summer in which about 60 million dollars were spent to influence an uninterested electorate.
Gore's presidential running mate Joseph Lieberman accused the Texas governor of breaking his own promise to run a clean campaign and changing the tone of politics.
"This drags us back to the worst politics of the past," Lieberman said.
Political observers said Bush was taking a big risk because he had repeatedly promised to run a positive campaign.
In recognition of the tough race ahead, Texas Governor Bush is also sharpening his rhetoric against Gore.
Bush, who has been hammered by Gore this week over his lack of specifics on issues such as prescription drugs, accused Clinton-Gore administration Thursday of "flowery speeches," big talk and failed leadership.
Bush, who is devoting this week to education reform, visited a high school in Toledo, Ohio, where he pushed his message of accountability and local control.
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