JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Offering a harsh assessment of his opponent's health care proposals, the vice president portrayed George W. Bush as a candidate bought and paid for by greedy drug companies and HMOs.</s>AL GORE, VICE PRESIDENT: Governor Bush wants to leave the pharmaceutical companies and the HMOs in charge and they want him in charge. No wonder.</s>KARL: It was the latest in a series of policy speeches Gore is giving in the final days of the campaign, outlining what he calls the big choice facing voters.</s>GORE: I'm fighting for fundamental change in health care. My opponent still can't get over the fact that Medicare was enacted 35 years ago.</s>KARL: The Bush campaign called Gore's speech empty rhetoric, pointing out that Gore now promises reforms like Medicare prescription drug coverage and a patients' bill of rights the Clinton-Gore administration failed to enact over the last eight years. While Gore tries to strike a progressive note on issues like health care, he's also seeking to reach moderate and conservative swing voters. In Pennsylvania he sought to reassure gun owners that he's a moderate on gun control.</s>GORE: I'm not going to take guns away from hunters or sportsmen or anybody else. We're going to get handguns out of the hands of children and convicted felons and we're going to have sensible measures -- but don't listen to the scare tactics.</s>KARL: The Gore campaign is shifting into high gear, campaigning day and night to reach a growing list of battleground states. Gore plans to campaign in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, California, New Mexico and Florida over the next few days. (on camera): The Gore campaign and the Democratic Party plan to go into the final stretch making their most expensive advertising blitz, spending $15 million on TV ads during the final week of the campaign. Jonathan Karl, CNN, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Gore Depicts Bush as Bought by Drug Companies, HMOs