Monday, Sep. 18, 2000

Campaign Pledge Drive: Week 15

UNDERDOG DAYS This week the candidates addressed two major concerns: health care and the economy. Bush announced his plans to overhaul Medicare, and Gore released a 191-page economic blueprint. Bush also declared that he is now the "underdog" in the race. Maybe pledging more would spike his poll numbers.

BUSH 51

--To negotiate with Gore on the debates

--To provide $198 billion for a drug plan and "quality health insurance for every senior"

--To assign a task force to "...redefine how war is fought and won"

--To reach out more to "real people" on the campaign trail

GORE 80

--To double the number of families with savings over $50,000

--To reduce poverty rates to below 10%

--To end the federal debt by 2012

--To create 10 million new high-tech jobs

--To halve the pay gap between men and women

The fine print: totals reflect pledges and proposals made beginning the week of May 29, 2000, when we first began tracking. This survey is not scientific.