Politics

Gore Names Campaign Czar

May 11, 1999 / 12:24 PM EDT / AP

Former Rep. Tony Coelho, a prominent Democratic strategist and architect of the party's failed 1994 midterm election strategy, will be general chairman of Al Gore's presidential effort, the campaign announced Tuesday.

He takes over a political operation that stumbled out of the gates, but has shown signs of rebounding in recent weeks. Gore is the early front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

"His political and private-sector experience, his tireless energy and his devotion to public service will make a strong campaign even stronger," Gore said in a statement. "I am thrilled he is joining our team."

Coelho responded: "It is because I believe in Al Gore, the strength of his leadership, the power of his ideas and the values he brings to public life that I am going to do everything I can to help him become our next president."

Campaign officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Coelho's main task will be to give direction to a troika of interests inside the Gore team: The campaign staff, Gore's White House staff, and his outside consultants.

Gore aides and Democratic operatives have complained that the three interests do not always work well together, and often are at odds.

Gore leads his only Democratic rival, former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley, by at least 20 percentage points in most public opinion polls. More sure-footed in recent days, Gore's poll numbers have improved. But he has been prone to gaffes, and slow to respond to the miscues, as Bradley has threatened to close the gap.

Polls also show Gore trailing early GOP favorite George W. Bush in head-to-head match-ups.

The hiring of a campaign chairman is not a surprise, though the Coelho's name had not been mentioned in public before Monday. Officials said the move does not undercut Gore's consultants or top aides at the campaign and White House.

One of the advisers compared it to President Clinton's 1992 campaign, when California lawyer Mickey Kantor was brought in to calm turf wars between the campaign staff and Mr. Clinton's political team in Arkansas.

Kantor became U.S. trade representative and commerce secretary under President Clinton.

Campaign manager Craig Smith will continue to supervise the campaign staff and its budget. And the vice president's schedule and day-to-day operation will still be controlled by his White House chief of staff, Ron Klain.

Coelho, a former House majority whip, quit Congress in 1989 amid an investigation into his personal finances. The campaign says Coelho, an investment banker, was cleared by the Justice Department of what was a technical violation of House reporting rules.

While in Congress, Coelho was perhaps the most adroit political operator among the House Democrats. In the early 1980s, he transformed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee into a modern and powerful organization.

Coelho headed the Democratic electio effort in 1994, when Republicans won control of both houses of Congress.