Gore defends his view of party mission

WASHINGTON -- Al Gore, responding to Democratic critics of his emphasis on economic populism, denied that he is antibusiness and said fighting for the people rather than the powerful is the party's mission.

That theme is central to the political debate heading into the midterm congressional elections this fall, the former vice president said Saturday, just as it was the key to domestic issues during his failed presidential campaign against George W. Bush in 2000.

"A major correction is needed in the course of our nation," Gore said, urging voters to send new lawmakers to Washington this fall.

Gore contended that as a result of President Bush's economic policies, "What has been put at risk is nothing less than the future of democratic capitalism."

"Standing up for the people, not the powerful, was the right choice in 2000. In fact, it is the ground of the Democratic Party's being, our meaning and our mission," he said in a statement.

Leaders of a centrist Democratic group, the Democratic Leadership Council, meeting last week at a policy conference in New York, complained about Gore's economic populism theme from the 2000 campaign. They said they did not believe a theme of "the people vs. the powerful" was a winning formula for Democratic candidates.

"The suggestion from some in our party that we should no longer speak that truth, especially at a time like this, strikes me as bad politics and wrong in principle," Gore said in the statement, his first response to the council leaders.

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