Gore tells Bush -- It's time to put up or shut up

Gore tells Bush -- It's time to put up or shut up
REUTERS

ABOARD AIR FORCE TWO, AUG 29: Vice-President aL gORE ON mONDAY THREW DOWN the gauntlet in the 2000 presidential race, telling Republican George W. Bush it was "time to put up or shut up" and offer specifics to ensure a campaign worthy of "the greatest nation on Earth."

Ahead in polls and in recent days dictating the campaign's tone, the Democratic nominee wants to make sure the election is driven by issues, rather than a contest of personalities, which many pundits believe the popular Texas governor would win.

Gore spoke with reporters aboard Air Force Two, the vice-presidential jet, after a town hall meeting in Tallahassee, Florida, where he detailed a $253 billion plan to provide prescription drug coverage for the 39 million elderly Americans on Medicare. On the plane, the candidate turned the tables on reporters, asking if they knew specifics about where Bush stood on any campaign issue, apart from his proposed $1.3 trillion tax cut.

"Do any of you know what his prescription drug plan is? No. And Dick Cheney said yesterday on several of the chat shows that they do not have one," Gore said, standing on the flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Gore was referring to an admission by Bush's running mateon Sunday that his team had yet to work out the specifics of its own prescription drug plan.

Just a few weeks ago, Bush was leading by double digits in the polls and seemingly cruising toward the White House. While Bush has spelled out where he stands on most issues, he has refrained from being overly specific on some big issues. But after reinvigorating his campaign at the Democratic convention in Los Angeles earlier this month and taking the lead in opinion polls for the first time, Gore has seized the initiative and offered specifics on issues ranging from tax cuts to healthcare spending.