URHAM, N.H. - Bill Bradley wasn't kidding when he called Vice President Al Gore the establishment candidate with the backing of the Democratic National Committee and all the accoutrements of power such as Air Force Two.
Today, Gore will again take advantage of his White House connections to announce a Clinton administration proposal to spend $30 million to train early childhood-education teachers in poor communities. The vice president will also pick up yet another endorsement -- this time from the newly elected mayor of Manchester, Bob Baines.
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Throughout New Hampshire, savvy businessmen love to play host to presidential candidates for the media exposure that shines on their companies.
It was no different this week at FIRST -- For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology -- where Bill Bradley spoke. FIRST, a nonprofit organization that encourages students in scientific ventures, was founded by inventor Dean Kamen, in a converted Manchester mill.
Monday's visit was the second time by a presidential candidate. Texas Governor George W. Bush, a Republican, was hosted at a party last night in Kamen's Bedford home.
Kamen admitted he was happy to put FIRST in the spotlight. ''To me, the world is very simple, either the candidate supports FIRST, or they do not,'' Kamen said before Bradley was introduced at the event.
With that, he gave a sidelong glance at Bradley and noted that each of the last few presidents has hosted the winner of FIRST's student robotics competition at the White House. No more prompting was needed for Bradley to agree to do the same, should he be elected.
Bush shares ideas
George W. Bush has declared January to be the month of ideas, particularly on cutting taxes and improving education. This week, his campaign mailed out ''A fresh start for America,'' a collection of Bush's policy addresses in a 200-page paperback book.
The books were mailed to 400 Bush county chairs and steering committee members in New Hampshire, with the request that they share the information with anyone who wishes to know more about the governor's positions.
The same information is also available on Bush's Web site, www.georgewbush.com.
Senior challengePresidential candidates get a lot of invitations when they are campaigning in New Hampshire. This week, all of the candidates in the Republican and Democratic races got another one. Public Citizen, the New Hampshire Citizens Alliance for Action, and the New Hampshire Association for the Elderly asked the candidates to take a bus trip on Jan. 18 to Canada. The bus will be loaded up with senior citizens from the Granite State who regularly travel north to buy their prescription drugs at reduced rates.
The groups plan to urge the candidates to support a prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients. (That's something already endorsed by Al Gore and Bill Bradley.) According to a new study by Public Citizen, a national consumer group, many seniors in New Hampshire pay more than twice the amount that customers of health maintenance organizations and insurance companies pay for prescription drugs.
A legal break
Though he was once the Republican senator from New Hampshire, Warren Rudman spends most of his time living in Washington and working as an attorney. But for the month of January, Rudman can be found back on the campaign trail with Republican John McCain.
