Returning to campaign, Gore blasts GOP convention

Vice President Al Gore lashed out at his Republican foes during a speech to a firefighters union Friday

CHICAGO (CNN) -- Presumed Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Al Gore on Friday ended his vacation by immediately lashing out at Republicans, just a day after their national convention.

Addressing a firefighters union in Chicago, Gore blasted the GOP convention by calling it a "masquerade ball for special interests with a purpose" and attacking proposals by Republican nominee Gov. George W. Bush on health care, education and tax reduction.

"Behind the balloons and the bunting is a massive, budget-busting tax giveaway primarily benefiting the wealthy in this country," Gore said. (313K/30 sec.AIFF or WAV)

Bush has proposed an income tax cut paid for by a projected nearly $2 trillion federal revenue surplus over the next decade. Gore has said the money should be used to strengthen Social Security, pay off the national debt and expand Medicare benefits.

The vice president then referred to the private Texas oil industry interests of Bush and running mate Dick Cheney, a former Defense secretary.

"Behind the flashing video wall is an agenda of rising gas prices and smog-filled skies -- that is, of big oil, by big oil and for big oil," Gore said. "They're for the powerful, we're for the people." (455K/42 sec.AIFF or WAV)

Although Gore never mentioned the Republican presidential ticket by name, he did refer to a repeated line during Cheney's Wednesday night acceptance speech, when Cheney said it was "time" for President Clinton and Gore to "go."

"Well, let me tell you what time it's not," Gore told the firefighters. "It's not time to give in to the big drug companies. It is not time to give in to the big insurance companies ... it is not recession time in America like it was back in 1992," said Gore, referring to the administration of Bush's father, George Bush. (455K/50 sec.AIFF or WAV)

Gore also attacked Bush's proposal to provide public school students with vouchers that would allow them to attend private schools.

Vice President Al Gore holds up a T-shirt during his speech to a firefighters union in Chicago

"I oppose our opponent's plan to drain money away from public schools in the form of private school vouchers because you can't improve public education by undermining public education," Gore said. (473K/43 sec.AIFF or WAV)

The vice president also criticized Bush's proposed prescription drug benefit plan.

"I'll fight for a real prescription drug benefit, for all seniors under Medicare, not our opponent's plan, which give the money to insurance companies, excludes millions of seniors and tells the others to go and beg the insurance companies for help," Gore said. "And even the insurance companies have said that plan wouldn't work." (546K/49 sec.AIFF or WAV)

Friday's speech was the first Gore campaign event since he and wife Tipper ended a vacation on the North Carolina shore.

There, Gore was said to be trimming his short list of possible vice presidential nominees. During his address to members of the International Association of Firefighters, Gore again said he planned to announce his running mate on August 8. (546K/33 sec.AIFF or WAV)

On Thursday, CNN had learned that Gore had informed at least one senior campaign aide that his search was down to a list consisting of House Minority Leader Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, John Edwards of North Carolina, Evan Bayh of Indiana and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, and Gov. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.

Gore and his fellow Democrats are gearing up for their own national convention, scheduled to begin August 14 in Los Angeles.