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XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX FRI OCT 06, 2000 11:39:08 ET XXXXX

RELEASED: MEMOS TO GORE WARNED OF �STRETCHING TRUTH�; FULL TEXT MADE PUBLIC

**Exclusive**

The DRUDGE REPORT on Friday released memos written to Al Gore by his staff
that warned of Gore's impulse to
embellish.

Published reports earlier this year quoted from the memos, written in 1987 and
1988 by Gore campaign
staffers. The full text is now released.

Staffers warned then-Senator Gore that a tendency to "stretch" the truth could
get him into serious trouble.


MORE

TO: Al
FROM: Mike [Mike Kopp, the campaign's deputy press secretary]

RE: Attacks on your credibility

9/9/87

We�ve been hearing an increasing number of remarks from members of the press
corps (national, and regional)
about your tendency to go out on a limb with remarks about your campaign. It
is clear that at least one of
the other campaigns, Gephardt�s, has picked up on this and is helping to fan
the flames.

In the past few reporters cared if you stretched the truth to make a point or
as an applause line. But gone
are those days. Because of your steady climb in the polls and Nunn�s
departure, we are becoming increasingly
scrutinized, particularly by the national press.

Your remark on Face the Nation is a good example of how one comment can
generate a behind-the-scenes attack
by one of our opponents, in this case Gephardt. Granted that our relationship
with Post reporters is not
great, by Maralee Schwartz was on the kill armed with your comment from Face
the Nation that you had
campaigned more extensively than all the other candidates put together in the
South. That comment is not
easy to defend. Fortunately it came out in the press in August, and was
dismissed by several reporters I
spoke to (Kevin Sack; Mike Pigott; Howard Fineman; Strobe Talbot) as inside
the Beltway news. But Maralee
told me, during the course of our numerous lengthy conversations that day;
that you have a growing
reputation as a politician who �stretches the truth to suit a political
moment.�

Your remark in Texas which was widely circulated by AP outside of the state
that you intend to campaign more
days than all the other candidates combined in that state did not go
unnoticed. Kevin Sack brought it to my
attention (though he did not write anything about it) and I�m certain he�s
filed it away.

This impression that you stretch the truth (or say something one place and
something different elsewhere)
reared its ugly head in Portland with your remarks about women staffers in
your campaign, and in your
Administration. You know the problems that created for you at the news
conference that followed your remarks
to the group, but you should be aware that press clips I am still getting from
contacts on the West Coast
indicate it was widely reported. As you know Gephardt�s staff told Howard
Fineman to ask you about it when
he interviewed you for the mini-profile last week.

p.2

On a related note, Jim O-Hara and Bruce Dobie (Nashville Banner and Tennessean
reporters), asked me why you
felt compelled to switch ribbons on the cattle for a photo opportunity at the
Iowa State Fair. I mention
that only to make a point that even the smallest action on your part is not
going unnoticed. They may not
write about it at length, but they are talking among themselves, and your
credibility suffered as a result
of it.

The point of all this is to caution you about your press image, and how it may
continue to suffer if you
continue to go out on a limb with remarks that may be impossible to back up.
And to point out to you that
the other campaigns are also watching this closely, and will continue to seize
on opportunities to zing you
as you continue to rise in popularity.

The burden is not all on your shoulders. We have got to be more aggressive
with the media on all levels.
Arlie�s help should help make the difference.

_______________________________________________________________

February 15, 1988

TO: AL
FM: ARLIE [Arlie Schardt, campaign press secretary]

This is very important.

As I�ve mentioned to you the past couple of days, Nolan Walters of
Knight-Ridder has been nosing into your
past. He thought he�d uncovered a scandal re your 1969 loan from the
Production Credit Association to buy 20
acres of your Dad�s farm. Todd Campbell gathered all the relevant documents
and we have now let the wind out
of his balloon on that one.

However, Walters is continuing to pursue diligently a story in which he wants
to discredit your resume,
primarily as it concerns your claims to be or have been (1) a farmer and (2)
homebuilder.

Walters is making the Texas trip with you this week. He will be asking you
about the above. He has made many
calls to people in Tennessee and plowed through lots of records. He is
therefore very familiar with your
past activities and will undoubtedly ask you about them in hopes of catching
you in an exaggeration.

re

Therefore, /above, do not overstate your degree of involvement as a farmer or
former homebuilder.

POINTS RE HOMEBUILDER ROLE

Walters questioned Walter Robinson extensively. He also questioned the owners
of the homes in Tanglewood.
Walters is trying to establish that you could not really have been active in
the housing development when
you were also going to school and working as a reporter.

Answer: I had a long talk with Robinson to ascertain Walters� line of
questioning. Walters was openly
skeptical of your role in the development. Robinson countered with the
following:

-Robinson told Walters that it was your project, that you put it together, but
of course you needed the help
of many people to make it a success (same as any other businessman).

-Robinson told Walters that you personally sold 2 or 3 of the lots. Also that
you, Robinson, Tipper and your
Dad all met from time to time to plan the development and decide what kinds of
houses to build. Robinson
says �It was Al�s business. He was conducting it.�

-BOTTOM LINE: You should say �I didn�t drive all the nails or pour concrete,
but I did put together that
business venture. It was up to me to see that it was a financial success,
because if it wasn�t, I was the
one who would lose his money.�

The main point is to be careful not overstate your role.

(MORE)

Page 2
Nolan Walters Interview
2/15/88

RE YOUR ROLE AS A FARMER

1. Your staff has never exaggerated your role as a farmer. The campaign bio we
distribute everywhere says
only �He owns a small livestock farm near Carthage where he and his family
reside when Congress is not in
session.� Your Senate bio says the same.

2. No one except you can really establish how much you�ve worked as a farmer,
or how much you can be
described as a farmer in terms of income or time spent.

You did say near the end of the Iowa race (in the flap over your not taking
part in the farm debate a few
weeks ago) something like �I�m the only farmer in this race.

But I suggest that you say that such phrases are a way of establishing your
familiarity with farming, your
knowledge of farming. In that same vein, you�ve had fun having your picture
taken holding a steer at a state
farm. Big deal, Nolan.

Conclusion: As I see these 2 subjects, your main pitfall is exaggeration. Be
careful not to overstate your
accomplishments in these 2 fields.

YOUR CAMPAIGN FINANCES

Walters is also trying to demonstrate that you received some illegal funds in
your first race for Congress.
He questioned Robinson about this, since Robinson was your finance manager.
Here is what Robinson told
Walters:

When Al got into the race it was very sudden, because of Congressman Evans�
retirement. He needed money
quickly, and where else could he turn for help but his family? Then as the
campaign got underway, Robinson
began to study the newly established federal financing rules and discovered
the limit of $1,000 per person.
The amounts in excess of $1,000 per person were promptly returned.

Walters counters that the returned funds were returned to you personally.
Robinson says the only relevant
point is that your Congressional Committee returned the funds. If you parents
chose to give you a personal
gift, that�s their business.

cc: Fred Martin
Todd Campbell

END

-----------------------------------------------------------
Filed by Matte Drudge
Reports are moved when circumstances warrant
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(c)DRUDGE REPORT 2000
Not for reproduction without permission of the author