Bush Launches Campaign in Florida

U.S. Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush Monday launched campaign in Florida, a state he took it for granted that he would win a few months ago as his younger brother Jeb Bush as governor.

"I'm going to carry Florida," Bush told a campaign rally in the state with 25 electoral votes and a large population of seniors.

Texas Governor Bush held an edge over Gore in Florida before the two parties' conventions in August, but new private polls conducted by both parties show the race even or Vice President Al Gore leads now.

Bush launched his campaign in Florida with a new slogan "Real Plans for Real People" and a fresh style, talking informally with elderly voters and answering questions for more than 30 minutes at a local community center.

Bush, who is spending several hundred thousand dollars for Florida TV ads, briefly talked about his 198 billion dollars plan to overhaul the health care system for the elderly.

The governor also met privately with several seniors who would benefit from his plan to provide 48 billion dollars in prescription drug benefits.

His spokeswoman Karen Hughes said that Bush would travel this week from Florida to Missouri, Washington State, California, New Mexico and back to Austin, Texas on Friday, visiting nine cities en route.



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