The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> STEALTH DWEEB br> What with Dick Gephardt spending time in Iowa, and John Kerry and John Edwards traveling to New Hampshire and elsewhere to campaign, it's no surprise that Al Gore is also hitting the road. But whereas his competitors are making public appearances, Gore is behaving like a stealth candidate. For example, this week, he makes the keynote address at an information technology conference in Sacramento, California. Attendees are paying almost $800 bucks for the privilege of hearing him spout off on the topic: "How the Department of Homeland Security Impacts State and Local Governments." /p>

Whatever Gore has to say must be worth the dough, because before committing to the speech, he insisted that it be closed to the media. The organizers of the event agreed. "Due to the nature of the material presented and requested by Mr. Gore, his keynote will be specifically closed to the press," the invitation reads.

It isn't that the material Gore is presenting is terribly compelling -- which apparently is one reason why Gore is looking to avoid the press. "He's been fighting the boring, dweeby reputation for years," says a sometime Gore adviser. "Why would you expect him to allow cameras and reporters into a speech where he is going to be at his dweeby best?"

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