Gore Visit Draws Crowd of 2,000 To Kerry Rally

BOSTON--With four days left until the election, 2,000 people crowded around Faneuil Hall yesterday to attend a Democratic campaign rally headlined by Vice President Al Gore'69.

Gore barely spoke about the presidential race, instead urging voters to support Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), whose race for re-election against Gov. William F. Weld'66 is widely considered too close to call by pollsters.

AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney, Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass.) and Kerry joined Gore on the podium.

The vice president praised Kerry and the members of the Democratic ticket while criticizing Weld, Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole and House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

"This is a contest between two different visions of what America is all about," Gore said. "Dole, Gingrich and Weld represent a bridge to the past. Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry represent the bridge to the future."

Gore said Kerry was instrumental in many of the successes of the Clinton administration, such as raising the minimum wage, passing health insurance reform, creating 10 million jobs and reducing the deficit by 60 percent.

"With John Kerry's help, we passed the Kennedy-Kassebaum health insurance bill, making health insurance portable," Gore said.

The vice president opened his remarks with his now trademark self-deprecating humor.

"Yesterday was Halloween. Every-one told me I looked scared stiff," Gore quipped.

Kerry, in his introduction of Gore, made reference to the historic location and used it to criticize Weld.

"We're on sacred ground, where men like John Hancock and Sam Adams spoke out for our nation. My opponent has suggested that Newt Gingrich is the Sam Adams of our time," Kerry said. "Obviously that was on a day when he'd had too much Sam Adams."

The Harvard-Radcliffe College Democrats organized a trip downtown for the event and about 20 members attended, said Seth D. Hanlon'98, president of the club.

"I've never seen AI Gore that fired up before," Hanlon said. "Students will definitely turn out for Kerry."

Eric P. Christofferson '98, who has been working with the Kerry campaign, said he believes Clinton's lead in the state would help Kerry.

"Massachusetts is such a Democratic state, there should be [a] coattails [effect]," he said.

Gore represents the most recent addition to the Kerry campaign's list of high-profile supporters, which have included Secretary of Education Richard Riley and the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, both of whom have spoken on Kerry's behalf in recent months.

The vice president's visit doubled as a fundraiser for Kerry. Donors were invited to attend a private reception with Gore inside Faneuil Hall. Figures for the expected revenue from that event were not available, according to Kerry aides.

Other participants in the rally included Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and U.S. Reps. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and John Oliver (D-Mass.).