ASHINGTON - With the early endorsement of organized labor in hand, Vice President Al Gore is moving to overwhelm Democratic rival Bill Bradley in the competition for the support of 799 ''superdelegates'' among the 4,336 delegates to the Democratic convention in 2000.
The superdelegates - members of Congress, the Democratic National Committee and other prominent elected and party leaders - are the linchpin of Gore's strategy to win his contest against Bradley. Gore campaign officials say they are positioned to defeat Bradley by better than 10 to 1 among these Democrats, who are guaranteed spots as delegates, and who are the only delegates free to select the candidate of their choice.
The superdelegates offer a candidate the opportunity to pull substantially ahead of an opponent even before the primaries begin, in fact the only opportunity to make decisive gains in an otherwise close contest.
Winning among the superdelegates is like ''winning a huge primary,'' said Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile. ''These Democrats remember who was out there helping them.''
