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With Nomination All But Wrapped Up, Gore Continues to Hit Campaign Trail

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CHRIS BLACK, CNN ANCHOR: Mr. Gore may have his party's nomination wrapped up, but he's still hitting the campaign trail in key states.

CNN's Chris Black followed the vice president to Illinois and Minnesota, where he's trying to add to his block of voters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In his pursuit of independent voters, Al Gore is consulting with an expert: Governor Jesse Ventura of Minnesota.

GOV. JESSE VENTURA (I), MINNESOTA: The vice president's a bright man. He understands that naturally he has to focus on the independent voter, because the independent voter determines who wins.

BLACK: Even as new reports raise questions about Gore's truthfulness in the federal investigation of 1996 Democratic fund- raising, Gore is aggressively moving to become the new champion of campaign finance reform, looking to fill the vacuum created by the departure from the campaign trail of John McCain and Bill Bradley.

ALBERT GORE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to give a home for those voters who were strongly supporting Senator McCain and Senator Bradley because of that issues. I acknowledge that's part of what's going on here, but also because I believe in it.

BLACK: Ventura's Reform Party is splintered, yet the former wrestler is popular among the sorts of voters Gore needs to win in November.

Gore is not asking Jesse Ventura to endorse him -- yet. The two men already have one thing in common: the same taste in clothes.

VENTURA: I'm more pleased over the fact we're both in jeans today, so my press won't criticize me.

GORE: And boots, and boots.

VENTURA: Boots.

GORE: Although his boots are ostrich. VENTURA: Yes, but mine are way more beat up.

GORE: Well, but that makes them cooler.

(LAUGHTER)

(SPEAKING IN SPANISH)

BLACK: Gore has not slowed down since his Super Tuesday victory, thanking key Democratic supporters, Hispanics in New York, organized labor and women in Chicago, in participating in a Democratic ritual, the Windy City's Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

GORE: Hey, how are you?

BLACK: And he is welcoming the support of prominent supporters of Bill Bradley.

SEN. PAUL WELLSTONE (D), MINNESOTA: I speak tonight as a proud Bill Bradley supporter, who is tonight very proud to support Al Gore to be president of the United States of America!

BLACK: The Illinois Democratic primary takes place on March 21, but Al Gore is now more concerned about Illinois' 22 electoral college votes at stake on November 7. This weekend, Gore takes the fight to George W. Bush's home state of Texas, and then to Florida, who's Governor is Jeb Bush, Bush's little brother.

Chris Black, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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