Gore, in St. Louis, says Bush would put U.S. back in record red ink

ST. LOUIS (CNN) -- Making his way to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, Vice President Al Gore told a rally in St. Louis that this year's presidential election was a "battle for the future of our country."

"It's about making the right choices to keep our progress and strong economy going and reach out and make sure no one is left behind," said Gore, sharing the stage with his wife, Tipper, running mate Sen. Joe Lieberman and Lieberman's wife, Hadassah.

Gore said his Republican opponents would lead the country back to the policies of the 1980s, adding, "What they caused last time were record deficits, repeat recessions, high unemployment."

The vice president extolled what he said eight years of the Clinton/Gore administration had produced: Economic growth, deficits changed to surpluses, 22 million new jobs and the strongest economy in the history of the United States.

However, Gore said the November election was about the economy of the future. He said that if elected, his No. 1 priority would be to "keep balancing the budget every year and paying down the (national) debt to demonstrate our fiscal responsibility, to keep interest rates low and to keep creating new jobs."

Other priorities Gore mentioned were raising the minimum wage and improving education and job training.

Gore campaigns on health care plan

Earlier, in Independence, Missouri, Gore told an audience of senior citizens that his health care proposals save more money and provide better coverage than those of his Republican opponent, George W. Bush.

Stopping in the hometown of former president Harry S. Truman, whom Gore called "one of the greatest fighters for working men and women in the United States," Gore discussed his plans for Social Security, Medicare and a prescription drug benefit for Medicare.

"These three health care issues affecting seniors are at the center of the debate in our nation over which direction we're going to take," Gore told the crowd.

Monday marked the 65th anniversary of the Social Security Act becoming law with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's signature.

Promises specifics in speech

Gore said his convention speech Thursday night accepting his party's presidential nomination will offer specific policy proposals to contrast with the "generalities" of his Republican opponents, Bush and running mate Dick Cheney.

"People on the other ticket are good men. I'll never attack them personally," Gore said. "But I do think the American people deserve to know the specifics about how the American people would be affected if (Republicans) won, how the American people will be affected if (the Democrats) win."

He also suggested that Bush had glossed over the details of his plans for Social Security and Medicare in order to create a false impression of caring about the programs.

While Democrats are in the limelight this week, Bush is relaxing at his ranch in Texas. But his campaign staff was quick to respond to Gore's statements.

Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer said that Bush has given plenty of specifics on his agenda and that Gore's contention "once again shows why the vice president has a problem with credibility."

Dan Bartlett, another Bush spokesman, said Gore, as part of the Clinton administration, has had the past 7 1/2 years to work on Medicare and Social Security reform and was now at work on the "difficult task of reinventing his record of failing to."

Working toward universal health care

Gore said he would set aside a portion of the nation's budget surplus to expand Social Security and Medicare and would make use of a "lock-box" to keep funding for health care safe from other political uses.

"I believe that we have to move step-by-step toward Harry S. Truman's goal toward universal health care for all of our people, starting with a prescription drug benefit for our seniors, more help for long-term care, a better and more secure Medicare program, and full health coverage for every single child in America within the next four years," Gore said to applause.

Bush's prescription-drug plan provides government subsidies to the poorest senior citizens and promises to give the rest the right to sign up for a plan that offers coverage.

Gore's more ambitious proposal -- and more costly, at $253 billion over 10 years -- would add a Medicare prescription drug benefit, offering free coverage for low-income recipients, a monthly premium arrangement for others and catastrophic coverage for all.

On retirement savings, Gore has proposed tax incentives for investors building nest eggs over and above a guaranteed Social Security benefit.

One elderly woman reluctant to speak into Gore's microphone fit perfectly into his script. Responding to Bush's plan to let workers divert some of their payroll taxes from Social Security into the stock market for potentially bigger retirement savings, the woman protested in a quavering voice:

"Who's going to take care of me? I don't know about investing funds."

Gore, teasing, said, "Well, couldn't you get on the Internet ... don't you think that would be fun to try to follow that every day?"

The woman replied, "I've tried to study stocks, and it's like a foreign language to me. I need to keep my Social Security."

On Tuesday, Gore will meet up with U.S. President Bill Clinton at a rally in Monroe, Michigan. The following day, the vice president will head to Los Angeles to prepare for his acceptance speech.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.