Campaign Pledge Drive: Week Three

By Melissa August, Greg Burke, Val Castronovo, Matthew Cooper, Daren Fonda, Benjamin Nugent, Julie Rawe, John Rosenblatt, Josh Tyrangiel, Alexandra Wolfe

SO MANY PROMISES, SO LITTLE TIME Those of us tracking the pledges of Al Gore and George W. Bush were a bit disappointed last week. While Al committed to everything from eliminating the national debt to conquering HIV, George W. promised only cash for the disabled, making us worry he might be conceding our little contest to reach 100 pledges by Election Day.

BUSH

--To provide $880 million in extra funding for Americans with disabilities

GORE

--To eliminate the national debt --To create Social Security "savings accounts" --To create education and health-care trusts --To conquer Alzheimer's, diabetes, Lou Gehrig's disease, mental illness and HIV -To provide more money for nursing homes and hospitals

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