Lesson of Iowa: Counterattack quickly
ES MOINES - Suffering his first loss in 22 years in politics, Bill Bradley last night said he will exploit the lessons of his defeat in the Iowa caucuses to strike back at Vice President Al Gore in New Hampshire.
Bradley, who was hurt in Iowa by failing to respond aggressively to Gore ads that Bradley considered distortions, said in an interview that he will begin the counterattack in New Hampshire today.
''Whenever a misrepresentation is offered, it has to be corrected,'' Bradley said. ''That is one thing I always knew, but I certainly know now, based on experience.''
Soon after Gore started running ads criticizing Bradley's position on a 1993 flood relief vote and the possible impact of Bradley's health-care plan on Medicaid patients, Bradley's momentum in Iowa stalled, both because of fallout from the ads and subsequent disclosures about his heart condition.
''Based on the two misleading ads, we have to realize that ultimately we need to point that out in ways that reach the majority of people,'' Bradley said in the interview, referring to a new ad campaign featuring Niki Tsongas, widow of Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas. ''That's what we're trying to do.''
Predictably, Bradley's team tried to portray his results in Iowa as a victory. Arguing that Bradley was challenging an incumbent vice president who had spent three years locking up the political establishment, from elected officials to labor leaders, they said Bradley's ability to show any level of organized strength was a vital first step in a long journey.
''We showed people we could build an organization outside the traditional apparatus, and that's an important signal as we head into New Hampshire,'' said Anita Dunn, Bradley's comunications director.
Bradley faces similar opposition from New Hampshire's Democratic establishment, led by Governor Jeanne Shaheen and many of the state's labor leaders, who are backing Gore. And Gore has pulled ahead in the New Hampshire polls, erasing a lead that Bradley had held for several weeks.
Yet Bradley leaves Iowa with nearly as much money as Gore to spend on a national campaign. And Bradley enjoys far greater name recognition in New Hampshire than he did in Iowa, largely because of his decade as a Hall of Fame basketball player for the New York Knicks.
He said he feels more comfortable campaigning in the Granite State, despite his recent dip in the polls.
''There are more people from New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, and they know me better,'' he said. ''It's a smaller state, fewer media markets and a shorter distance between places. New Hampshire remains very important to me.''
Bradley was thrown badly off stride last week by disclosures that he experienced four additional episodes of abnormal heart rhythm that prompted him to seek hospital treatment in December. Doctors have described his condition as atrial fibrillation, a condition had by about 2 million Americans.
Yet questions about the condition dogged Bradley for several days, and it remains unclear if last week's disclosures will have any impact in New Hampshire. Bradley said he has no plans to address the issue in New Hampshire.
''There is no problem,'' he said. ''From my perspective, it's a nuisance, and that's all. All the doctors concur, so I'll just move on from here.''
Bradley recovered from his slump in Iowa to attract large, enthusiastic crowds in his last two days in the state. He finished campaigning there yesterday with an appearance at Iowa State University, accompanied by Senators Bob Kerrey of Nebraska and Paul D. Wellstone of Minnesota, and Harvard professor Cornel West.
After speaking to supporters last night in Des Moines, Bradley was scheduled to fly to New Hampshire and begin the final sprint to the Feb. 1 primary with a speech this morning in Hudson.
He said he will continue to promote his agenda of overhauling the health care system, eliminating child poverty, requiring all handguns to be licensed and registered, and achieving racial unity.
''I'm trying to run a campaign that isn't politics as usual,'' he said. ''I'm trying to give people something to vote for, as opposed to trashing my opponent.''
Before leaving Des Moines, Bradley's staff addressed criticism that they should have devoted fewer resources to Iowa, as Senator John McCain did by focusing on New Hampshire in the Republican primary.
''It was important to show that this is a national candidacy,'' Dunn said. ''If you really respect the voters, you just can't respect the voters in parts of the country where you think you are going to do well.''
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