Gore reveals funding reform plan, repeats soft-money challenge

Gore told Larry King he is pro-choice ( 257 K/17 sec. WAV sound)

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Al Gore said Thursday he would, as president, push for a measure that would divert private organizations' campaign contributions into a "democracy endowment."

Appearing with his wife, Tipper, on CNN's "Larry King Live," Gore also repeated his challenge to his presidential rival, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, to match his pledge not to air any ads financed by unregulated "soft money" contributions.

The pledge was requested by Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democrat Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.

When he appeared on King's show on Tuesday, Bush said he wanted to "get rid of soft money" but was wary of signing any agreements with the vice president.

"I don't trust him, to be frank with you," said Bush, who has drawn attention during his campaign to Gore's fund-raising activities during the 1996 presidential election.

Asked by King what would be the first thing he would do as president, Gore said he would send to Congress the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill.

"And then I want to go beyond that and establish a Democracy Endowment that takes all private money out of federal elections. I think we need to give our democracy back to the people."

The McCain-Feingold bill is directed at organizations which, under present election law, can raise and spend unlimited money for campaign use without disclosing donors or expenditures.

The bill would require "stealth Political Action Committees" to disclose their identities to the IRS, report all campaign-related spending in excess of $500, and disclose the names of people who donate more than $200 to the organization.

To get all the special interest money out of elections "McCain Feingold is the logical first step and if you're for some more ambitious step, save that for later," Gore said. "It's is really crucial - money plays too big a role in politics."

McCain and Feingold, two of the Senate's most vocal champions of an overhaul of the current campaign finance system, urged Gore and Bush to follow the lead of New York's Senate candidates, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. Rick Lazio, who signed an agreement two weeks ago.

Gore was asked about the Food and Drug Administration's decision earlier Thursday to allow marketing of the RU-486 abortion pill. Gore, an abortion-rights advocate, said that the drug should not be kept away from women.

"I strongly support the FDA's approval, assuming it's safe for a woman to take it," he said. "I do not think that it ought to be kept away from a woman for some political reason -- I support a woman's right to choose."

Asked about Gov. Bush's assertion that the FDA action would make abortion more widespread, Tipper Gore said, "I don't think so because it's always going to be a very difficult decision for any woman who is faced with it."

Al Gore pointed out that the issue will be a critical one going into the election as the next president may have the opportunity to appoint as many as four new justices to the Supreme Court. He said Bush has promised to do everything he can to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the United States.

Al Gore said he has always believed that there is a way to find common ground for the two sides of the abortion issue.

The Gores spoke to Larry King about abortion, the entertainment industry, education

Gore appeared at ease for most of the program, shrugging his shoulders and gesturing when the words wouldn't come as easily as they do on the stump.

The candidate appeared to become defensive when his host brought up what King called misrepresentations and exaggerations made during the campaign.

"I think that is itself an exaggeration," he said.

Tipper Gore backed up her husband: "Sometimes you're just talking, you're just thinking, just being yourself when certain things are said and then they are put under a microscope. I just think people need to understand all of that."

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup tracking poll on Thursday showed the two candidates running even, with each being the choice of 46 percent of those polled.

"It is a close race now," Gore said. "I think it will probably stay that way," he told King.

The vice-president also detailed education initiatives he would propose as president, including a $10,000 signing bonus for teachers that would be paid for by the federal government.

In turn, though, Gore said he would require standardized testing of new teachers, including tests in the subjects they would be teaching.

Gore again was asked about the long kiss he gave Tipper while taking the stage to accept the nomination at the Democratic National Convention.

King asked if Gore was trying to send a message. "You know -- you're following a president who didn't have a stable marriage, 'we have a stable marriage,' " King said.

"Give me a break," Gore responded.

"Before I went out, Tipper showed this wonderful photo display of our life together and our children ... and it was very emotional for me," he said. "Why would I not want to share a moment that she and I had been working for for so long together?"