For the Record - Brief Article

The Hotline's review of state polls shows Al Gore leading in 23 states worth 281 electoral votes and Bush ahead in 26 states worth 227 (270 needed to win). . . . Florida remains closer than Bush campaign expected or wanted. . . . Gore considers abandoning efforts in Louisiana and Ohio, reports New York Times. . . . Congressional Quarterly lists 15 House races, five Senate races, and five gubernatorial races with "no clear favorite." . . . Bush, on Gore: "If you look at the real numbers, you'll find that he wants to grow the size of the federal government three times bigger than the size that was proposed by President Bill Clinton. His proposals are larger than the proposals of Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis-combined."

Gore, on "misstatements," in Washington Post: "I don't want to get into each and every one of those. . . . These are negative personal attacks of the kind I simply do not engage in." . . . Gore spokesman Mark Fabiani: "We've never attacked Bush for his numerous crimes against the English language." . . . More Fabiani: "Gov. Bush seems incapable of talking about the important issues in this campaign in a coherent way. The American people deserve to hear him explain his policies and address the issues without bumbling and babbling." . . . Gore press secretary Marla Romash, on Gore's truth-telling problems: "Sometimes I think it is a storyteller's flair.". . . Gore, on his "exaggerations," on Fox News Channel: "I take responsibility for getting some of the details wrong." . . . In ABC News/Washington Post poll, 61 percent believe Gore "will say anything to win." . . . California Democratic party chairman Art Torres, asked to explain Gore "misstatements," in New York Times: "I'm not a psychiatrist." . . . Gore, on whether the Oval Office should have a 24-hour web cam: "Maybe so.". . . Bob Dole, on Gore's claiming he didn't know visit to Buddhist temple was fundraiser, on WBBR radio: "When I go into a place and people are writing checks . . . I think it's probably a fundraiser."

Saturday Night Live mocks Gore debating style: "Jim, I'd like to interrupt here and answer that question as if it were my turn to speak. Jim, let me tell you about a friend of mine. Her name is Etta Munson. She is 94. She's a widow living on Social Security in Sparta, Tennessee. Etta was born with only one kidney. She also suffers from polio, spinal meningitis, lung, liver, and pancreatic cancer, an enlarged heart, diabetes, and a rare form of cystic acne. Now, several recent strokes, along with an unfortunate shark attack, have left her paralyzed and missing her right leg under the knee. Just last week, she awoke from a coma to find that due to a hospital mix-up, her left arm was amputated, infected with syphilis, and then reattached. As you can imagine, Jim, Etta's prescription-drug bills are staggering."

Clinton, on taking mulligans, in Golf Digest: "You'd be surprised at how many times you don't get a bit of good out of it." . . . Clinton, in The New Yorker: "I still believe that two of the great achievements of my administration were facing down the government shutdowns in '95 and '96, and then facing [impeachment]." . . . More Clinton: "I don't think the new president, whoever he is, will have problems with me acting like I wished I were still president." . . . What Clinton said to treasury secretary Robert Rubin in wake of Oklahoma City bombing, according to The New Yorker: "I will never again use the word 'bureaucrat' publicly. . . . It only plays on the resentments people feel about government." . . . Hillary Clinton, in Newsday: "Contributing to the Democratic party is a contribution to the country."

Douglas Urbanski, manager for actor Gary Oldman, on last-minute editing cuts made to political movie The Contender, in Premiere: "If your names are Spielberg, Katzenberg, and Geffen . . . you can't have a film with a Republican character . . . who is at all sympathetic." . . . Rosie O'Donnell Show spokeswoman Laura Mandel, on why Hillary Clinton has made appearances on program but Rick Lazio hasn't been invited, in New York Daily News: "We're not inviting candidates on. . . . We invited her on as the First Lady." . . . ABC's Diane Sawyer to Fox talk-show host Bill O'Reilly: "Should you be using the national airwaves to promote your opinions?" . . . In Close Up Foundation poll, one-third of 16- to 21-year-olds can't name presidential candidates, and more than three-quarters can't name running mates. . . . David Murray of Statistical Assessment Service, on polling, in Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: "We have an army of people running over the body politic and sticking thermometers into every orifice they can find." . . . Gov. Jeb Bush (R., Fla.), on whether he would accept post if brother is elected president, in St. Petersburg Times: "Absolutely not. . . . That's nepotism." . . . Supreme Court upholds decision saying District of Columbia isn't entitled to voting member of Congress. . . . Author Paul Ehrlich, in New York Times: "I was naive when I wrote The Population Bomb."