The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> EARLY AL br> With reports that Al Gore has decided he's running for president in 2004, look for some new hints to come out of his visit this to Florida, where he has committed to campaign with gubernatorial hopeful Bill McBride and later with one of his better buddies from the 2000 Florida election debacle, Carole Roberts , a member of the Palm Beach election board, who is now running for the House of Representatives. /p>

"He spent some time in Tennessee after the Labor Day holiday and feels his fence-mending there has gone well," says a Washington-based adviser. "He came back from some political rallies there, some campaigning for others there and felt those old juices flowing."

And should McBride, as expected, be confirmed as Democratic nominee for Florida governor, Gore feels it's prudent for him to be on board early. "He'd like nothing more than to lead McBride's camp in a defeat of Jeb Bush in Florida. He almost hates Jeb as much as he hates W. It was Jeb and his people he thinks who really did him harm immediately after the polls were closed down there in 2000," says a former Gore staffer.

Gore's biggest problem remains cash. Many of his fundraisers have committed to other candidates, Sens. John Edwards and John Kerry mostly. "Those guys can always come back," says the Gore adviser. "And the same with donors. Just because you gave money to one guy doesn't mean you can't give money to another."

p> HOMELAND STALL br> Some Senate Republicans are wondering when their leadership will get out of its chairs to start going after Democratic stalling on Homeland Security legislation. In the last week, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle

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