http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x605850Report: Gore Calls Penelas 'treacherous and Dishonest'
The Associated Press
Published: Jun 6, 2004
MIAMI (AP) - Former Vice President Al Gore unleashed a thinly veiled attack against U.S. Senate candidate Alex Penelas, saying Miami-Dade County's mayor was "the single most treacherous and dishonest person I dealt with" during the 2000 presidential campaign, a newspaper reported Sunday.
In a statement from an unidentified Gore spokesman, the former Democratic presidential nominee responded to questions from The Miami Herald about Penelas' role in the disputed 2000 election and the Senate race Penelas is in.
After praising one of Penelas' rivals, U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch, Gore's statement said: "One of the other candidates in this race became in 2000 the single most treacherous and dishonest person I dealt with during the campaign anywhere in America," the newspaper reported.
Penelas is not mentioned by name, but a Gore aide confirmed Sunday that he was not referring to Betty Castor, the other candidate competing for the Democratic nomination.
Some Democrats have accused Penelas of failing to properly support Gore during the 2000 election against George W. Bush. Bush won the White House after taking Florida by a razor-thin margin that was challenged in a prolonged recount in many Florida counties, including Miami-Dade.
Penelas has long maintained that he supported Gore's campaign, but Gore's statement said "not all who claim to have been supportive and loyal truly were."
Penelas again denied the accusations on Sunday. "I've been a faithful and loyal Democrat for many years. ... I was proud to support Gore," he told The Associated Press.
"We delivered Miami-Dade for Al Gore," he added, noting that if Gore had won his home state of Tennessee, he would be in the White House.
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGBRL7LG5VD.htmlI hate when a republican says that if Gore would have won his State he would be in the White House. When are they going to come out and say it that Jeb Bush stole the Florida votes for his pea brained brother.