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The Morning Grind / DayAhead |
Al Gored
By John Mercurio
CNN Political Unit
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Presidenttial hopefuls gather lightheartedly after last night's debate.
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Gore's backing brings Howard Dean's try for Democratic presidential pick a shot in the arm.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is struggling in trying to keep some campaign promises.
U.S. President George W. Bush welcomed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to the White House.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Just hours after Howard Dean won Al Gore's backing, his rivals began a new line of attack on the Democratic leader in last night's debate.
On Al Gore, that is. Not on Dean, who curiously emerged from the dust-up in Durham with barely a scratch.
Not so, Gore.
It feels like cheating to focus too much on Al Sharpton's headline-grabbing remarks. But comparing Gore to election-stealing Republicans from Florida 2000 was shocking, even for Rev. Al. "We're not going to have any big name come in now and tell us the field should be limited and we can't be heard," Sharpton said, less than 10 minutes into the 90-minute debate.
"The Republicans shut us up four years ago. Al Gore, no Democrat should shut us up today. Let the people decide on the nominee. Bossism shouldn't happen."
John Kerry -- who at one point insisted he wouldn't talk about Dean, even if asked -- beat Sharpton out of the box in attacking Gore. Kerry opened the debate by saying he was "sort of surprised today, actually, by [Gore's] endorsement, because I thought that Joe Lieberman had shown such extraordinary loyalty in delaying his own campaign."
And Lieberman, who spent much of yesterday attacking his former running mate, said the campaign is "fundamentally a referendum within our party" over defense, middle-class tax cuts, values and job creation. "Howard Dean -- and now Al Gore, I guess -- are on the wrong side of each of those issues," he said.
The criticism intensified to the point that Dean felt compelled to stand up for his friend Al. "If you guys are upset that Al Gore is endorsing me, attack me, don't attack Al Gore," he said. "I don't think he deserves to be attacked by anybody up here. He doesn't -- he's not a boss."
No matter how you slice it, it was curious for Dean's rivals to come out attacking Gore, most of whose loyalists are probably still up for grabs. Such attacks will subside, we predict, as they were more likely a product of the candidates' true frustration with Gore and not part of any strategic plan to win over voters.
For his part, Lieberman may be receiving a mini-bounce off the Gore snub. Following his top-of-the-show appearance on NBC's "Today" show yesterday, the Senator is scheduled to appear at 7:45 a.m. EST today on "Fox and Friends" and at 8:03 a.m. on CNN's "American Morning." His campaign manager, Craig Smith, will appear on Fox at 9:30 a.m., and Lieberman will be a guest on CNN's "Inside Politics with Judy Woodruff" this afternoon.
Lieberman also has some paid TV ads, which started airing yesterday in New Hampshire. Ominously, however, he adopts the anti-pundit rhetoric usually reserved for those whose campaigns are flailing. "For years, New Hampshire primary voters have been knocking down the predictions of the pundits, because you make up your own mind," the Senator says in the new 30-second spot.
