Fabiani’s hiring is just one of several moves by the Gore camp to place itself on a war footing for the fall. Campaign chairman Tony Coelho has salted the Democratic National Committee with Gore loyalists, including the veep’s press secretary, Laura Quinn, and top political strategist Michael Whouley. But controversial campaign manager Donna Brazile, who resisted entreaties from Gore advisers to move to a senior spot at the DNC, will stay put, close to the action and the candidate.
In the next few weeks Gore plans a series of speeches assailing Bush’s record as governor. Aides say he’ll try to portray Texas as a land of poverty and pollution and Bush as out of step with mainstream America. Even though Gore last week held his first full-dress press conference in two months, his basic media strategy will remain the same: quick hits with local reporters during campaign stops but as few formal face-offs with the national press as possible.
