Bush, Clinton Ratchet Up the Drama

Clinton was full of his favorite old lines, saying that Republican attempts to accuse Democrats of not being up to the complicated battle against terrorism was "kind of a mangy old dog they're running out of the kennel one more time, and I don't think it'll hunt."

He said an anti-Washington fervor was something the political foot soldiers in Maryland should exploit.

"You'd be amazed who wants to talk to you," he said. "In the next three weeks, don't give up on anybody."

The entire statewide Democratic ticket shared the stage with Clinton, and Democrats stressed that ousting Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) and replacing retiring Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D) with Cardin was a way to send a message to Bush.

"Ehrlich is on his way out. A Democratic House and Senate are on the way in. And Bush is on his way down," Cardin said.

From the Baltimore waterfront, Clinton and the Democratic candidates gathered again at the gated Potomac estate of real estate developer Morton Funger. Party faithful paid from $1,000 to $10,000 to mingle with Clinton and O'Malley over shrimp and mini-Reubens on the expansive veranda, some of the attendees said.

Clinton then headed to former senator Charles S. Robb's McLean estate to prove that there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics.

Irony abounded. In 2000, when he was a Republican, former Navy secretary Webb endorsed Allen over Robb, the incumbent, saying that Robb had become "part of the problem." And at that November event, Webb took one of his many swipes at Clinton, saying his was "the most corrupt administration in modern memory."

Webb, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, has said his feelings were driven by Clinton's avoidance of service in the military, "but I'll say on 9/11 that wall came down for me. I lost my anger over Vietnam." Webb made similar comments during appearances with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who has had at least two fundraisers on Webb's behalf during the campaign.

"I think there have been some obvious questions I have received about issues, issues that divided this particular generation during and after the Vietnam War," said Webb. "And I want to say as emphatically as I can it is very important for all of us to step forward and lead this country in a way it deserves in the areas of foreign policy and economic policy."

Clinton indicated no hard feelings.

"If I only supported those who never criticized me, I would have no one to support. That is part of being president. . . . Those times divided us, and maybe we are finally putting them behind us as a country."