Gore said that he's the true fiscal conservative in releasing detailed budget plans on Wednesday and he was continuing that theme with an ad that appeared in Thursday's New York Times.

"Does it matter if the numbers all add up?" says the new Gore ad.

He argues that tax cuts pushed by Bush would cost the Treasury $1.3 trillion over 10 years, or $1.6 trillion including lost interest. In addition, Gore says, new spending pushed by Bush would drain an additional $474 billion.

The missile defense program pushed by Bush would register "at a minimum of $150 billion," Gore argues.

With Gore gaining in poll standings, Bush on Thursday said "the vice president is running a strong race." Gore opened his campaign day shaking hands at a Scranton diner.

Gore spokesman Chris Lehane said of Bush, "He is the only guy in history who goes out and raises more than $100 million and then calls himself the underdog."

As Gore focused on budget issues, his campaign awaited a vote later Thursday by leaders of the Teamsters Union. Some aides said they expected to get the union's formal endorsement.

Gore told reporters there's been a positive response to the thick budget outline he issued Wednesday.

"We've had a lot of hits on our Web site," Gore said. "I'm optimistic that a lot of people are going to read it."

Most polls have shown Gore gaining ground since the Democratic National Convention last month, and he argues that has come largely because he's been tightly focused on issues. As voters begin to tune into the election campaign, they are eager to hear a detailed issues discussion, he argues.

He carried that bid to its logical conclusion with his budget plan, a heavily detailed 191-page spending plan.

"But now the other side is promising a tax cut primarily aimed at the wealthy that would completely use up the surplus and put us back into deficit," said Gore. "We aren't going to do that."

Gore said he was presenting the detailed plan to "keep our economy strong and yet make sure our economy enriches not just the few but all of our families and to have investments in health care and education, middle-class tax cuts and a secure retirement, to set out specific goals so that you can see exactly what we're aiming for."

At the same time that Gore has been offering his budget proposals, he has sought to put Bush on the defensive by arguing that the Texas governor would push the nation back into an era of big budget deficits that would damage the economy.

"I want our prosperity to enrich all of our families, not just a few," said Gore.

Gore argues that much of the reason the economy has been healthy has been budget policies that ended federal deficits. His claim is that those deficits force government borrowing, which drives up interest rates by increasing demand for borrowed money.

The fundamental strength of the economy, Gore argues, are low interest rates and a return to deficit spending would inevitably slow the economy.

He was making the case in battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, though he was headed for New Orleans before the end of the day Thursday.

An upbeat Gore was also finding time to have a little fun on the campaign trail. He stopped in Detroit for a Democratic National Committee fund-raising event, but slipped across the street to Comerica Park, where the Detroit Tigers had a game.

Gore hopped onto the mound and spent several minutes throwing batting practice to the Tigers, then stopped to sign autographs for a throng of eager fans.

"Here I was worried about throwing my arm out," joked Gore. "I'm throwing my wrist out."