MES, Iowa - Bill Bradley ripped into Vice President Al Gore on abortion issue yesterday as the two Democratic presidential contenders campaigned in Iowa.
Bradley said that Gore had been unclear on whether he supports federal funding of abortion for poor women and called on the vice president ''to tell us where he stands.''
The former New Jersey senator and New York Knicks basketball star based his criticism on two conflicting statements that Gore campaign staff reportedly made in recent days.
Initially, Roger Salazar, Gore's campaign press secretary, was quoted by The Des Moines Register as saying that Gore opposed such funding except to save the life of the mother.
Later, Salazar was quoted by the newspaper as saying that he had made a mistake and that Gore opposed any restrictions on federal funds for abortions.
Bradley said: ''It took the vice president's staff four days to research his record. That would not be necessary for me because my record on reproductive rights for women is quite clear.
''I've always believed that a woman should have a right to choose, whether she is rich or poor, and my record has been consistent on this issue for 20 years,'' Bradley said in a statement.
Salazar said in an interview that Gore had consistently opposed Republican attempts to impose restrictions on abortion funding for Medicaid patients who were victims of rape or incest. ''As president, he will fight to expand reproductive rights,'' Salazar said.
Bradley and Gore campaigned in Iowa as eight Republican White House contenders crisscrossed the state before the party's straw poll in Ames tomorrow.
Speaking at Iowa State University yesterday, Bradley took a jab at Republican rivals who have been distributing $25 tickets to supporters to attend the straw poll and offering transportation, free food, and entertainment. ''I didn't have to pay you to come,'' Bradley told the audience.
