ANCHESTER, N.H. - The dueling Democrats were at it again yesterday on the first official campaign day of the final month before the New Hampshire primary.
With Bill Bradley and Al Gore scheduled to meet face to face tomorrow at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, each candidate began upping the ante, offering a contrast of leadership style and vision for the 21st century.
In New Hampshire, Bradley declared that the 2000 election is about the future, and about strengthening the nation by improving health care, education, ''and our capacity for justice.'' Without mentioning his opponent by name, he criticized the vice president for not being willing to do ''big things.''
Out in Davenport, Iowa, Gore took a different approach, saying America needs good leadership on a range of matters, not just one or two proposals.
''We cannot afford to say that meeting one of these challenges is enough. All of them are well within our reach if we believe in the idea of America, if we trust one another, and if we make good decisions with good leadership,'' Gore said.
As he usually does, Gore called Bradley ''a good and decent man,'' but one with poorly thought-out proposals.
''I believe that on many issues, he has the wrong plans,'' Gore said. ''And on some critical issues he has no plans. ... Senator Bradley seems to believe America can address only one thing at a time.''
Bradley, on the other hand, described a bolder approach to the presidency.
''We need leadership that is prepared to take risks,'' Bradley said, citing universal access to health insurance, the elimination of child poverty, adding more new teachers in public schools, tightening gun control and overhauling campaign finance laws.
''Some people say we can never achieve our special destiny, but I say, in a world of new possibilities guided by goodness, we can and we will,'' Bradley said.
In New Hampshire, where anti-Washington sentiment often finds a receptive audience, Bradley sought to turn Gore's White House pedigree against him.
''Only those who have never left Washington have missed the lessons of the last decade,'' said Bradley, himself an 18-year Senate veteran.
