The Tennessean
Saturday, September 23, 2000
By Bonna M. de la Cruz / Staff Writer

Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, meeting with a group of about 50 supporters in Nashville last night, criticized Democrat Al Gore for what he said was flip-flopping on his energy policy to gain strength among voters frustrated by high gas prices.

"It's time for new leadership in America," said Bush, speaking to an audience of mostly senior citizens from behind a microphone in the tiny Vandyland soda shop on West End Avenue.

"We can't have people just changing positions because the election is drawing near and people saying whatever it takes to get elected."

Bush was responding to Gore's proposal yesterday to tap the nation's emergency oil reserve to force down gasoline and heating oil prices.

The Texas governor blamed the Clinton-Gore administration for a failed energy policy that relies heavily on foreign oil and has led to high prices at the pumps.

Bush stepped into Gore's home territory to help the national and state Republican parties raise $500,000 at a pair of fund-raisers later in the evening. He heads to Florida today.

While here, he squeezed in the Vandyland visit to tout his proposals to allow young workers to divert a small portion of their payroll taxes into equity or bond markets and the retiree-targeted message of making prescription drugs more affordable.

Vandyland owner Bea Givens said she was delighted to be host to Bush, who sipped on one of the shop's chocolate shakes after his speech.

"He said it was a great milk shake," said Mack McGee, who whipped up Bush's shake, a high point for McGee, who has worked at the soda shop for 37 years.

It appeared to be the making of a battle of the soda shops because Gore routinely visits Elliston Place Soda Shop and declares its shakes the best in town.

"Tennessee's for Bush," one supporter cried out as Bush stepped up to begin his stump speech, while a group of Gore supporters rallied outside the soda shop before he arrived.

"There you are," Bush replied. "I'm beginning to think that's true. There are a lot of folks out there yelling, which means some folks are worried."

But inside the soda shop, Bush was with friends.

Pals Amy Grant and Vince Gill, who often plays golf with Bush, sat in a booth with Bush's wife, Laura Bush. The star-powered couple nearly upstaged the presidential candidate with just as many autograph and picture-taking requests.

"His campaign is going great," said Stephanie Chivers of Kingston Springs, a Republican activist.

"If Al Gore isn't carrying his home state by double digits, I think that's a story," said Chivers, making reference to two recent polls that show the candidates in a statistical dead heat in Tennessee.

Barbara McMurtry, 74, a retiree living in Gallatin, said she supports Bush's prescription drug plan, although she does not have a problem herself.

"I know a lady who can't pay for her medicine. It's $100 for 30 days of pills," McMurtry said. "It's awful when senior citizens can't afford their medicine."

Bush proposes giving money to the states immediately to operate a program for four years to help the poorest seniors pay for drugs. After that, Medicare beneficiaries would be encouraged to obtain drug coverage and other health services through private insurers, with premiums subsidized by the government.

Pete Mears, a retired hardware store owner who lives in Bellevue, said Tennessee will be a close race but one Bush can win.

"I regret not being able to vote for Al Gore, because I'm 100% Tennessee, but I believe deep in my heart that Bush's ideas are better than Gore's," he said.

Mears said he likes Bush's philosophy of local control of public schools, a topic Bush did not bring up last night.

"I'm an old-timer and remember when the parents ran the schools."

Norman Saliba, a retired physician in Murfreesboro, described himself as an independent voter but said he would vote for Bush because he wants to see "honesty and integrity" in the White House.

"Personality has a lot to do with it," Saliba said. "No matter what you say about the issues, people still come down to the individual, even if they don't always agree with you. Personality sometimes decides it. He's got a country-boy type of approach. He's like one of the people when he gets among them."

Dorothy Chamberlain, a retired Metro teacher, said Bush has an excellent chance to win Tennessee.

"I think people are tired of what we had and are looking for something new," she said.

George W. Bush talks with Gov. Don Sundquist after Bush arrived at the airport in Nashville. (Larry McCormack / Staff)

More Articles