On Sunday talk shows, Lieberman vows to continue crusade against Hollywood
Bush and Gore camps debate differences within Democratic ticket
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman downplayed differences with Democratic nominee-in-waiting Al Gore during a flurry of appearances on the Sunday morning talk-show circuit, accusing Republicans of exploiting minor policy disagreements for maximum political gain.
Lieberman was clearly the star attraction on all five network shows, although a number of others -- including Karl Rove, the chief campaign strategist for the Republican presidential nominee Texas Gov. George W. Bush, and Gore 2000 Chairman William Daley -- managed to squeeze in some airtime after his appearances.
With the Democrats set to open their convention in Los Angeles, the junior senator from Connecticut vowed to continue his longstanding criticism of Hollywood for offering what he says is excessive sex and violence on television and in the movies.
"They're making it more difficult for a lot of families across the country who are trying to give their kids good values," Lieberman said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I think that's exactly the message that the vice president has" to send.
Lieberman vowed not to mute his message, even though Hollywood executives are some of the biggest contributors to the Democratic Party. He also said that Gore should not feel obligated to return money donated to his campaign by Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner and his family.
"Of course, that's up to the vice president, but I don't think he has to and I wouldn't recommend that he should," Lieberman said.
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CNN's Wolf Blitzer speaks with Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman
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The Gore campaign and Democratic convention officials publicly chastised Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez of California for planning a fund-raiser at the Playboy Mansion during the Los Angeles gathering, arguing it conflicted with the pro-family message the party was trying to convey. Sanchez eventually agreed to change the venue of the fund-raiser, but not until after convention officials took away her speaking role at the Los Angeles gathering. They restored it after the change.
Appearing later on the same program, Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan -- who accepted the presidential nomination of his wing of the party Saturday night -- said he wants to build a political movement that is "populist, traditionalist, America-first."
Buchanan -- whose hardline conservative stance on a host of social issues triggered a mass exodus by a number of Reform Party veterans during this past week's convention in Long Beach, California -- also hinted that Lieberman's criticism of Hollywood didn't go far enough.
"Let me take issue with Joe Lieberman. "He said, 'Well, you know, Bill Bennett and I are going to talk about these issues,'" Buchanan said. "Hollywood is poisoning the reservoir from which every American has to drink."
Bush camp says Gore-Cheney differences substantial
Taking to the airwaves Sunday to present a unified front with his potential boss, Lieberman also minimized past differences with Gore and said those disagreements highlighted the fact that Gore was a strong leader comfortable with his running mate's independence.
On CNN's "Late Edition," Lieberman said that he expected to continue to debate Gore in private on some political issues but would support him in public.
"There have been some differences between Al Gore and me and I think it's a mark of his strength as a leader that he didn't look for somebody who agreed with him on everything. And he's encouraged me to continue to share my point of view," Lieberman told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"Of course, I understand how it works. And when the president decides, the vice president supports it," he added.
He also said that Bush had overblown Lieberman's differences with Gore on education policy, most notably over the Connecticut senator's support for experimental school voucher programs.
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Lieberman tells CNN that he expects to continue to debate Gore in private on some political issues but would support him in public
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"It (vouchers) was never my full education program. Vice President Gore and I agree on so much else ... including more funding and accountability. And he (Gore) has the money to do it, because he's not giving the whole surplus away in a tax break for the wealthy as Governor Bush is," Lieberman told CNN.
In his appearance later on the same program, Rove said that the differences between Gore and Lieberman on education, Medicare, and Social Security policy were legitimate campaign issues.
"He (Gore) attacked Governor Bush as being unworthy of being president for having some of the same views that he now compliments his running mate for having. I guess it's risky if you are a Republican to have those views, but it's courageous if you are Joe Lieberman," Rove told CNN.
Rove also sought to draw parallels between Lieberman and Republican vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney, who was roundly criticized by Democrats for a staunchly conservative voting record during his 12-year tenure as a congressman from Wyoming.
"On Social Security privatization, encouraging private personal retirement accounts, Cheney was for them. Lieberman has been for them until recently ... there will be an interesting sort of three-way debate there when Cheney and Lieberman meet," he said, offering a preview of this fall's vice presidential debate.
On Social Security, Lieberman acknowledged that he had once considered the idea of partially privatizing the retirement program, though he said he later decided against it. Gore opposes privatization.
On raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 75, Lieberman told CNN that at one time he refused to dismiss the idea because Medicare's financial situation was in near-crisis. Lieberman said he could rule out such a solution with today's booming economy. Gore has steadfastly opposed raising the age.
Daley: GOP hoping to run against Clinton, not Gore
Lieberman expanded on his thoughts on the Lewinsky scandal on "Late Edition," saying that he appreciated the president's comments Thursday that Gore should not be blamed by voters for Clinton's own failings.
Lieberman's sentiments were backed up by Gore campaign chief William Daley during his appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation."
"I think it's unfortunate that some people, the opponents of Al Gore and Joe Lieberman, want to go back and have a fight with President Clinton who won two elections. Maybe they're trying to relitigate an election that took place eight years ago," he said.
Rove insisted that the Lewinsky matter remains an important issue this election year.
"I will remind you, at the time that Clinton was going through all of his difficulties, his biggest cheerleader was Al Gore ... he had called him the greatest president -- one of the greatest presidents in American history."
Lieberman, for his part, stood by his September 1998 criticism of President Clinton for his conduct during the Monica Lewinsky scandal when he called Clinton's actions "not just inappropriate" but "immoral."
"Not only did I feel personally betrayed, if you will, I felt that he had jeopardized so much good that he had done," Lieberman told "Fox News Sunday." At the same time, Lieberman said he respected Clinton's apology and "we've gone forward."
Asked whether he agreed with Gore's assessment in the wake of Clinton's impeachment that he would still be regarded "as one of our greatest presidents," Lieberman demurred.
"I'm not in a position to make a historical comparison," he said, adding that Clinton had done some "great things" as president.
As much as Gore and Lieberman would like be done with questions about Clinton's legacy, the focus on the focus on the first night of the convention on Monday will be firmly on the president.
There had also been private grumblings among the vice president's supporters that lavish weekend fund-raising galas to raise money for Clinton's presidential library and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's U.S. Senate bid from New York would come at the expense at Gore fund-raising efforts.
Daley insisted that there was no friction between his camp and the Clintons.
"The president has every right and an obligation to come out here and say thank you to Democrats who have stood with him in good times and in difficult times," Daley said. "He's out here enjoying, as he should, his final convention as president."
CNN's Mike Ferullo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sunday, August 13, 2000
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