But, in an interview with The Associated Press, Bradley said he never seriously considered it. Suggesting that Gore's strategy has irked him, the former New Jersey senator said he is fighting the urge to retaliate with attacks of his own. It's part of the discipline of competition. Gore has criticized Bradley for casting a vote in favor of President Reagan's 1981 spending cuts, which slashed Democrat-favored programs and voting against ethanol subsidies.
Ethanol is very popular in Iowa, the initial presidential caucus state, because it's made from corn.
Gore also has criticized Bradley for leaving the Senate after his third term ended in 1997, two years after Republican took over Congress. Newt Gingrich took over the Congress. I did not walk away from the fight when Reaganomics was put up for a vote on the floor. After announcing in the summer of 1995 that he would not seek a fourth Senate term, Bradley fueled speculation about a challenge to Clinton by refusing to rule out an independent campaign. Bradley and other participants said the discussions were more about issues than candidacies.