Cayetano backing Gore’s bid

By Mike Yuen
Star-Bulletin

Gov. Ben Cayetano says he is supporting Vice President Al Gore's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Gore's only challenger in the Democratic primaries, former Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey, is "impressive, but I don't think it's his time now," Cayetano said yesterday.

Last year, Gore was in Hawaii and campaigned for Cayetano's re-election.

"The vice president was very, very helpful to us in our campaign," Cayetano said. "I think he's been an excellent vice president. The work that he has done on reforming civil service on the federal level and also his work on the environment are very strong pluses in his favor.

"Those are accomplishments that very few vice presidents have made. Having gotten to know the vice president on a personal basis, I can tell you that he is a very compassionate and warm person," the governor said.

Cayetano added that he intends to send Gore a copy of the TV spot that Gore did for the Cayetano campaign in which he wore an aloha shirt.

In that political commercial, a smiling Gore appeared very relaxed and warm. Cayetano said he'll tell Gore, who has a reputation as a wooden public speaker, that's how his TV spots should be.

Cayetano also said Gore is "in a fairly good position" even though in opinion polls he is behind Texas Gov. George W. Bush, considered the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.