A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.
__ Endorsement Watch __ Through Election Day, Early Returns will collect and excerpt newspaper editorials that back candidates in some of this year's top political races. Other endorsements for: • Vice President Gore • George W. Bush • House, Senate, Governor
__ More Campaign Coverage __ • Howard Kurtz's Media Notes • CQ Races to Watch

Sunday brought another round of major newspaper endorsements for Vice President Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush as editorial writers attempt to sway voters in the final days of the presidential race.

Though a few of the country's top circulating newspapers have yet to weigh in on the White House campaign, most leading papers have now voiced support one way or the other. Three of New York's four major dailies – The New York Times, the New York Daily News, and Newsday – all threw support behind Gore in Sunday editorials (The New York Post previously endorsed Bush), while the Texas governor received backing from both Chicago heavyweights, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Excerpts from those endorsements, with links to the full editorial text:
• The New York Times: "...we today firmly endorse Al Gore as the man best equipped for the presidency by virtue of his knowledge of government, his experience at the top levels of federal and diplomatic decision-making, and his devotion to the general welfare. We offer this endorsement knowing that Mr. Bush is not without his strong points and that Mr. Gore has his weaknesses. But the vice president has struggled impressively and successfully to escape the shadow of the Clinton administration's ethical lapses, and we believe that he would never follow Bill Clinton's example of reckless conduct that cheapens the presidency." (10/29/00)
• New York Daily News: "No one in government today better understands that the turbocharged New Economy would be ill served by regressive slash-and-burn tax schemes favored by the GOP. Instead, Gore offers targeted middle-class tax relief and pledges to use the surplus to pay down the national debt, save on interest costs and thus whittle down the debt even further. When all is said and done, there is only one true-blue fiscal conservative in this race, and his name is Al Gore." (10/29/00)
• Newsday: "It is important to go beyond campaign rhetoric and try to discern how each would govern. Bush's lack of experience has to be balanced against Gore's sober approach to foreign policy, including his support-proper in our judgment-of the war against Iraq. George W. Bush would probably not be a disaster as president. He could even be OK. But don't we expect more than that of our national leaders? Al Gore, even with his less engaging personality, has the potential to be a very good president." (10/29/00)
• New York Post: "Most of all, Americans need to be shielded from dissembling politicians—candidates who promise integrity and deliver moral squalor. It's time to say: Enough! Materially, America is doing well. ...However, integrity counts, too. Bill Clinton isn't the first president to dishonor the White House, but he's the first do it so banally—and the first to be adjudicated a perjurer while in office. And Al Gore—whose own troubles with the truth have become the stuff of legend—considers Clinton to be one of the best presidents ever. ...George W. Bush—by virtue of experience, temperament, worldview and integrity—is by far the superior candidate in this race." (10/23/00)
• Chicago Tribune: "Bush would be far less patient with public schools that persistently fail; he also would recognize that innovation is nurtured and achieved from the local level up, not dictated from Washington. Gore would expand a failing Medicare system, but essentially not change it to significantly prolong its life. Bush would venture an overhaul and encourage cost containment through competition. ...Bush has offered solutions to problems. He has, to his credit, not given the impression that he has the last word on every problem to confront government. He would listen." (10/29/00)
• Chicago Sun-Times: "...our grueling and often criticized political machinery has produced two men of appealing character and judgment who offer competing views of where they would take the country. One sees an energized federal government taking a bigger hand in the economic and personal lives of Americans. The other believes democracy means that decisions about their lives should reside with the people. Our choice is for the latter view, the one espoused by George W. Bush. ...Throughout the campaign, Bush has sounded a conciliatory tone, avoiding the ugly culture wars of recent years and promising to work across party lines for unity. His election would mean a clean slate in Washington." (10/29/00)

More Sunday endorsements for Gore:
• Baltimore Sun | Denver Post | Miami Herald | Philadelphia Inquirer

More Sunday endorsements for Bush:
• Birmingham News | Rocky Mountain News | Indianapolis Star | Orlando Sentinel

For Gore:
• Baltimore Sun: "Those who disparagingly claim there's not a dime's worth of difference between Al Gore and George W. Bush haven't been paying attention. Make no mistake about it: There's a cavernous gap between the two major party candidates—and Al Gore stands on the correct side of that deep philosophical divide. ...The vice president has a wealth of government experience Mr. Bush lacks. Mr. Gore was an effective member of the House and Senate for 16 years, carving out a record of bipartisan effectiveness as a Southern moderate. Yes, he's a policy wonk who can put an audience to sleep with his recitation of facts and figures. But he knows his stuff." (10/29/00)
• Denver Post: " For the first time in several elections, Americans get to choose between two good mainstream candidates who have focused on serious issues and not irrelevant trivia. Either Texas Gov. George W. Bush or Vice President Al Gore would make a fine chief executive for the nation. ...Questions have been raised about whether Bush or Gore better appeals to average voters and which has the better character for the presidency. On these matters, the two may be equally matched in both strengths and defects. The election, then, should be decided on the issues. And on the issues, Gore has made the better case." (10/29/00)
• Miami Herald: "We are not in thrall to Mr. Gore, nor are we blind to Mr. Bush's attributes. We prefer the Texas governor's willingness to experiment with new solutions to major issues, like education reform, that don't rely on government. We like his willingness to question Social Security and Medicare; we like that he is the brother of Florida's governor, Jeb Bush, whom we support and admire. And we fear that Mr. Gore will not be able to surmount the partisan divides in Washington, D.C., that are so dispiriting. Nonetheless, Mr. Gore is ready now to be a good president where Mr. Bush is not. Mr. Gore has sound judgment, a brilliant intellect, core values and passion for service." (10/29/00)
• Philadelphia Inquirer: "Any choice for president hinges in part on a gut assessment of what cannot be known: How an individual will cope with the stresses of the world's toughest job, how he will react to perilous crises or momentous trends yet to unfold. ...If you think the world America leads in the early 21st century will be a simple, predictable place, Gov. Bush's blithe style may seem fine to you. But if you recognize that running the world's greatest democracy and economy will take great foresight, flexibility and knowledge, then Al Gore is your choice." (10/29/00)

For Bush:
• The Birmingham News: "For those paying attention, the differences between the two candidates are stark, both on a personal and policy level. That's why George W. Bush should be the next president of the United States. ...Gore's propensity to prevaricate shouldn't be ignored. It's troubling when a candidate has a hard time telling the truth, especially after it's become a campaign issue. ...In contrast, Bush is an honorable man who means what he says. ...But the biggest difference that separates the two candidates is their philosophy. Bush trusts people; Gore trusts government." (10/29/00)
• Denver Rocky Mountain News: "Al Gore, as vice president in the Clinton administration, cannot be held to blame for the worst deeds of the president. Indeed, Gore has much to commend him. He is an alert, capable public servant. He has nevertheless been peculiarly given to excess, both before this campaign and during it. ..More than anything else, however, Gore has been excessive in his government-enlarging promises. For every problem and some non-problems, he has a multibillion-dollar spending plan. In all, he has called for 66 new or expanded programs. He just cannot do all of this, and if he were to pull it off, the economy would suffer." (10/29/00)
• The Indianapolis Star: "Despite their foibles, both candidates are qualified for the job. The question each voter must decide is: Which candidate offers the more compelling vision for the future? On that basis, The Star endorses George W. Bush for president. He offers the sounder vision for the nation ... Bush has proven himself to be an honest man. We need a president in whom we can have confidence that he will always tell us the truth. George W. Bush would restore integrity to the White House." (10/29/00)
• The Orlando Sentinel: "Americans, though, are detached from—some even disgusted by—the government that presides over such good times. Coarse behavior, infantile squabbling and naked greed at the top have undermined people's trust in their government. That must change. The nation needs a leader who can bring people together, who can stand firm on principle but knows the art of compromise. America needs a president who is willing to serve as a role model for all its citizens. The Orlando Sentinel trusts Texas Gov. George W. Bush to take on those weighty responsibilities." (10/29/00)

More editorials in support of presidential candidates:
• Vice President Al Gore
• Texas Gov. George W. Bush

More editorials in support of congressional and gubernatorial candidates:
• Key Races

Jason Thompson can be reached at jason.thompson@washingtonpost.com. Early Returns runs Monday-Thursday.