My opponent does not reflect that commitment in what's going on in his home state. Houston was crowned the nation's smog capital in 1999, and Texas led the nation in toxic emission between 1995, after Bush was inaugurated, and 1998. While Texas annually has more toxic releases from industry than any other states because of its high concentration of petrochemical plants, Bartlett said the state also has led the nation in reductions in such emissions. The state cut emissions by 43 million pounds from 1995 to 1998, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, or about 14 percent compared with 5.3 percent nationally. Gore has tried to use his slowly snaking riverboat trip through Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri as a way to build momentum after his nominating convention.
Aides maintain it's working.
His small-town crowds have been large and enthusiastic. Media attention has been heavy. The night's final stop, in Clinton, was designated a birthday party for Gore's wife, Tipper, who turned 52. Hardly ceding the region, Bush was planning his own campaign swing through Iowa tomorrow. A Newsweek poll of registered voters released yesterday put Democratic nominee Gore ahead of Texas Gov. George W. Bush with 48 percent compared to Bush at 42 percent.