Gore, Bush engage in numbers war

It then goes on to say that over ten years, Gore8217;s economic plan and spending programmes would not only be balanced but provide a 300 billion surplus, while Bush8217;s measures would cause a deficit of quot;at least 1.15 trillion and growing.quot;

The ad comes a day after Gore unveiled his nearly 200-page economic plan, spelling out how he would spend the projected record federal surplus over the next decade, and challenged Bush to present a detailed spending document of his own.

quot;We think the American people deserve no less,quot; the Vice President said.

The ad in the New York Times states: quot;Al Gore and runningmate Joe Lieberman 8230; published a detailed economic plan to make sure our prosperity benefits all our families.quot;

quot;The plan consists of new investments in health care, education, the environment, National defence, Social Security and Medicare. The Gore-Lieberman plan makes these investments within a balanced budget and completely eliminates the nation8217;s publicly-held debt by 2012.quot;

quot;George W Bush has different priorities. His plan spends almost the entire surplus on a 1.6 trillion tax cut that primarily benefits the wealthy 8212; 43 of it goes to the top 1.quot;

quot;And as if it doesn8217;t matter whether his numbers add up, Bush adds spending proposal after spending proposal that would completely bust the budget surplus and plunge America back into deficit,quot; the ad states.

Gore and Bush have long accused each other of having economic plans that do not add up, while maintaining their own proposals would actually produce a surplus.

They can do this, in part, because different economists canuse different budget assumption to determine the cost of programmes and the impact they would have on the economy.

Gore put out his detailed plan on Wednesday in an attempt to demonstrate his programmes would be paid in full and to put Bush on the defensive about his own proposals.

quot;I have tried to be as objective as possible in presenting not only our plan but that of the other side and I will invite them to clarify any specific that they think needs clarifying,quot; the vice president said.

Gore, who presented his economic plan in Cleveland, Ohio, campaigns on Thursday in another key state, Pennsylvania.

He will visit a manufacturing company in Carbondale, Pa.,to promote one of the 10 stated goals in his economic plan 8212; creation of 10 million new high-tech jobs.

Gore hopes to achieve this by expanding education and high-skill training, opening more foreign markets and supporting private investment to help high-tech firms expand.

quot;In every industry, new skills and new technology are creating good, new high-paying jobs. But we can do better. We can do more,quot; he said in prepared remarks.

Gore, who has been leading in most public opinion polls since the end of the Democratic National Convention last month, hopes to get another boost on Thursday 8212; this time from the Teamsters.

The leadership of the 1.3 million-member Union is expected to vote to endorse Gore at the urging of Teamster President James Hoffa, a Union source said.

The formal endorsement would come at a Teamsters conventionin Las Vegas later this month and symbolise Gore8217;s success in finally uniting the labour movement behind him.

Gore8217;s decision to challenge Bush8217;s economic plan comes after he put the Texas Governor on the defensive about his proposed tax-cut and pressured him to produce a prescription drug measure.

quot;We intend to keep putting Bush on the defensive,quot; a Gore aide said. quot;He has been running on his charm, and we intend to squeeze the charm out of him.quot;