The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> McBRIDE'S SECRET WEAPON br> With Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride feeling the "big mo" and poll numbers showing he's got an actual shot at beating Jeb Bush , his campaign sent out a request for a big gun to appear with McBride over the weekend on campaign stops. Clinton? Gore? Nope. "We wanted [ Joe ] Lieberman ," says a Florida Democratic Party staffer. "He's the only one of the bunch who doesn't carry a lot of negative baggage." /p>

And it isn't just the party folks who are pushing that message. It's Lieberman's people too. "There isn't a Democrat in this country who wouldn't want to be pictured with the Senator. You can't say that about Clinton or Gore or Hillary," says a Lieberman staffer. "Democrats might want those folks in a meeting behind closed doors where there was no risk of embarrassment. But you never have to worry about that with Lieberman."

According to the Florida Democratic staffer, Al Gore offered to campaign for McBride and has made appearances in Florida on behalf of the state party, but the McBride campaign has thus far declined his offer.

"McBride doesn't want to be linked to Gore," the staffer says. "You don't get as far as he's gotten and then piss it away with a Gore appearance. Just too many bad memories."

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