Gore Rips Into Dole Over Tobacco Quote

PHILADELPHIA (AllPolitics, June 17) -- Saying Bob Dole's campaign relies heavily on the "politics of Pinocchio," Vice President Al Gore expressed outrage that the Dole camp would accuse him of claiming smoking is not a health hazard.

At a campaign speech in Philadelphia, Gore attacked the Dole campaign for misquoting him. A Dole aide said the vice president told ABC's "Nightline" that there was no proven connection between smoking and lung cancer.

Calling on Dole to "correct the record," Gore clarified his remarks, telling the audience he really said there are "some scientists who work for tobacco companies who will claim with a straight face that there is no proven link between smoking and lung cancer."

During the interview, Gore went on to say "the weight of the evidence accepted by the overwhelming preponderance of scientists is yes, smoking does cause lung cancer."

A furious Gore told the Philadelphia crowd, "I will not stand by and let anyone twist my words or change my position in order to serve some cynical political strategy."

The vice president claimed the Dole camp was using the story to perk up a lagging campaign. "They seem to believe that the way to turn their tattered campaign into a Cinderella story is to engage in the politics of Pinocchio: forget about the truth, tell a bunch of lies and let someone else pull the strings," Gore said.

Gore continued to criticize Dole's ties to tobacco agencies. Democrats said Dole took $385,000 in campaign contributions from tobacco interests and flew 38 times on tobacco company jets.

Gore said, "About the only people who don't believe nicotine is addictive or that smoking causes lung cancer are politicians who are addicted to tobacco money."

Gore's comments were the latest in a series of campaign statements about cigarettes and tobacco made since last week when Dole told reporters that tobacco was not necessarily addictive.

Gore Rips Into Dole Over Tobacco Quote

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