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| New From The Post Gore Shakes Up Campaign
Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, September 29, 1999; 12:28 p.m. EDT Vice President Gore, facing an increasingly competitive primary fight, announced today he is moving his campaign headquarters to Tennessee and challenging former senator Bill Bradley to a series of debates on specific issues. "I just told my staff to move the whole campaign – lock, stock and barrel – to Nashville so we can get close to the American people," he said in a freewheeling news conference at his K Street headquarters. The plan is to "move out of the Beltway and into the heartland." Gore, who said he informed President Clinton and most of his staff of his decision this morning, acknowledged the surprise decision was aimed at defeating Bradley, who is running even in polls in key early primary states such as New Hampshire and New York. "It is a competitive, hard-fought battle for the Democratic nomination," the vice president said. "We reached a new stage in the campaign." Aides said part of the rationale for leaving Washington was to cut costs and shed some of the many consultants now connected to his expensive campaign. "We anticipate the group in Nashville will be leaner and hopefully tougher," said campaign chairman Tony Coelho. The vice president will not move from his government-owned mansion on Massachusetts Avenue. Coelho, media strategist Carter Eskew, political director Donna Brazile and spokeswoman Kiki Moore are expected to relocate. Fielding questions as he gripped a microphone, Gore denied the move was a gimmick, saying: "Watch what we do, not what we say." © 1999 The Washington Post Company | |||||||||||||||||
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