Clinton And Dole Kick Off Official Campaigns

CHICAGO (AllPolitics, Aug. 30) -- President Clinton wrapped up convention business today by speaking to members of the Democratic National Committee who greeted him with chants of "four more years!" (320 WAV sound)

Repeating his campaign themes, Clinton asserted that America is "on the right track" and promised to build "a bridge to the 21st century." (320 WAV sound)

Clinton also called upon his fellow Democrats to return their party to its days of glory.

"We can be the party that we were in our beginning. We can be the party we were for Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. We can be the party we were for John Kennedy and President Johnson. We can be the party we started to be with President Carter and circumstances intervened there. We can do that if we have that kind of discipline." (320 WAV sound)

Later Friday Clinton, the first lady, Vice President Al Gore and Tipper Gore were to kick off the start of his formal campaign with a two-day bus tour with stops in Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee.

A CNN/USA Today poll conducted on Wednesday and Thursday shows Clinton holding onto his double-digit lead over GOP candidate Bob Dole. But, paraphrasing former baseball star Yogi Berra, Clinton reminded his supporters "it's not over until it's over."

Dole and running mate Jack Kemp planned a joint campaign rally Friday in predominantly Republican Orange County. Dole said it would serve as a formal kickoff to the fall campaign -- and as notice to Democrats that he's serious about winning California's 54 electoral votes.

"It's all up for grabs and we're going to go after it," Dole said as he ended a four-day vacation in Santa Barbara.

The Dole campaign moved Friday to begin talks with the Clinton team on the structure of the fall debates.

In a letter, campaign manager Scott Reed asked his Clinton counterpart, Peter Knight, for a meeting next week to discuss the format, timing, and participants. Whether Reform Party candidate Ross Perot will be included is a key question.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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