Nader Not a Threat, Gore Insists

WASHINGTON — Al Gore dismissed questions Sunday about whether the presidential bid of consumer advocate Ralph Nader is siphoning away support from his candidacy, saying that by election day most voters will want to choose between “two very stark alternatives”--Gore or Republican George W. Bush.

Recent polls have indicated Nader’s candidacy could hurt Gore in key states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. But Gore said he expects that to change.

“In the final analysis, it is likely that most people will see this as a two-person contest and want to vote on that,” Gore said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Nader, a Green Party candidate, said Sunday on the CBS show “Face the Nation” that he was not running as a “spoiler.”

“I don’t think you can spoil a political system that’s spoiled to the core,” Nader said. “Nobody’s entitled to votes. We all have to earn our votes. In many ways Al Gore is siphoning votes from Al Gore.”

On a day when Bush, Gore, Nader and Reform Party presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan all appeared separately on news shows, little news was made. Gore continued his recent jabs at Bush’s record as governor of Texas. Nader said if he was forced to choose between Gore and Bush, he wouldn’t vote. And Buchanan, a former Republican and staunch opponent of abortion, predicted Bush would not choose a candidate who favors abortion rights.

Bush also brushed aside questions about his choice for running mate. “I’m going to pick somebody who can be president of the United States and somebody with whom I can get along,” he said. “What I really don’t want to do is pick a . . . vice president who turns out not to be loyal to the administration.”

Bush said he has still not decided whether to announce his choice before the Republican National Convention--which opens in Philadelphia in two weeks--or to wait until it begins. The Democrats will hold their convention in Los Angeles on Aug. 14.

Gore repeated his steady criticism of recent problems in the Texas state budget, which has a newly projected shortfall of $610 million. Gore blamed the shortfall on what he called unwarranted tax cuts for the rich signed into law by Bush.

“This contest is really about whose side are you on,” Gore said. “I’m for the people and my opponent is for the rich and powerful.”

Bush rejected Gore’s criticism and noted that the tax cut had widespread, bipartisan support.

Bush campaign officials note that Texas currently has a $1-billion surplus and say the state can easily meet these unexpected costs.

“We did have a projected surplus,” Bush said. “ . . . We prioritized public education, provided a $3,000 pay raise for teachers. . . . This is fiscal management. What he wants to do is spend time distorting the record.”

While stepping up his attacks on Bush, Gore boasted of the Clinton administration’s fiscal record.

“You know, this extraordinary record of the last eight years didn’t happen by accident,” Gore said, noting that he and President Clinton had to “turn around a deep recession.”

But he said his election would not mean a third “Clinton-Gore” term.

“First of all, I’m a different person, and I’m a part of shaping the policies of a new economy,” he said. “Now there are different problems. When we came into office, debt had quadrupled. Now we’re paying off the debt.”