ASHINGTON - President Clinton, anxiously watching the presidential campaign, is worried that Vice President Al Gore's relentless attacks on George W. Bush are tarnishing the vice president, and has urged that other Democrats - including himself - shoulder more of the burden of criticizing the Republican nominee, according to sources in the White House and Gore campaign.
Gore and several top aides, however, are resisting the idea for two reasons, insiders say: The vice president is determined to run his own campaign, free from Clinton's shadow. And his campaign doesn't want to appear overly dependent on the White House for strategies and brainpower.
The Texas governor has won strong reviews for a series of policy speeches spotlighting centrist ideas. Gore's campaign, meanwhile, has seemed adrift, prompting some congressional Democrats to complain publicly that he needs a sharper focus, and some on the Gore team to begin a fresh round of finger-pointing.
''The president is anxious to do stuff,'' said Edward Rendell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. ''He has said on more than one occasion, `Keep using me.'''
The revived debate illustrates the ongoing difficulties this president is having in ceding the political spotlight, and it signals a broader dilemma for Gore as he searches for a general election tone and style that effectively raises doubts about Bush without sullying himself too much.
''It is almost indisputable that Gore's carrying the attack on Bush has not worked and in fact, has hurt him,'' said one person close to both Clinton and Gore.
Clinton has always been uncomfortable in the role of hatchet-man, said one friend, and after relying on Gore to handle the job for eight years, the president now fears his deputy has perfected the skill to his own detriment.
Responding to complaints that he sounds too negative, Gore has scheduled speeches next week on topics such as fatherhood, combating cancer, and mental health treatment.
''You will see a much more aggressive posture by the campaign in terms of a positive message,'' said Rendell.
While acknowledging it is early in the contest, prominent Democrats expressed fears that Gore has squandered his primary victory and does not have a coherent plan to carry him to the White House in November. In interviews this week, Cabinet members, Democratic lawmakers, consultants, and aides to Clinton and Gore said much of the uncertainty continues to revolve around the intricate emotional and political calculations of the Clinton-Gore partnership.
Gore's election is a critical component of the Clinton legacy. Often over the past year, when the vice president's poll numbers have fallen, the president has made clear his consternation and his desire to actively engage in the campaign. But White House and Democratic insiders give somewhat varying accounts of Clinton's willingness to crank up the heat on Bush.
''The president has been eager to take up the anti-Bush message, but I don't think Gore wants him to,'' said one Democratic official who speaks to both men.
Frequently, Clinton slips a few jabs at Bush into routine fund-raising speeches, making his points without calling attention to the effort.
Clinton also ''talks with people who talk with the press,'' said one senior aide, explaining that the president shares information about Bush's vulnerabilities with allies who regularly talk to political reporters.
Some insiders say Clinton would agree to only a modest escalation, feeling it is unpresidential to play the attack dog. James Carville, a key adviser in Clinton's 1992 campaign, said he is optimistic about Gore's chances this fall, but suggested the vice president recruit a few well-chosen surrogates to help pick apart Bush's proposals.
''Clinton is a lot more adept at using a scalpel than a machete,'' Carville said. ''But then he had me to use the machetes.'' He said Gore could take a higher road, but keep the heat on Bush ''if he could get some machetes out there.''
