NEW YORK - Former Vice President Al Gore endorsed Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean on Tuesday and called him the only candidate who could "take America back on behalf of the people of this country."

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore (L) raises arms with Democratic presidential candidate, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, after endorsing Dean at a campaign event in the Harlem section of New York City, December 9, 2003. Gore called Dean 'the only candidate that can inspire.' REUTERS/Mike Segar REUTERS

The move was expected to solidify Dean's lead among the nine Democrats trying to unseat Republican President Bush in the 2004 election and electrified the campaign before January's Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.

"Howard Dean really is the only candidate who has been able to inspire at the grass-roots level all over this country the kind of passion and enthusiasm for democracy and change and transformation of America that we need," said Gore, who won the popular vote in 2000 against Bush but lost the all-important electoral votes after a bitter recount in Florida.

"We need to remake the Democratic Party and we need to remake America to take it back on behalf of the people of this country," Gore said at a campaign fund-raiser at the National Black Theater in Harlem.

The pair will travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, later on Tuesday for a joint campaign event before Dean returns to New Hampshire for an evening Democratic debate.

"I'm very proud and honored to endorse Howard Dean to be the next president of the United States of America," Gore said.

The endorsement from Gore, who considered another White House run but decided against it nearly one year ago, gives Dean the backing of one of the party's most senior establishment figures and more credibility when criticized as a product of the party's left-wing fringe.

The former Vermont governor, who was considered a fiscal conservative in that office, has made his anti-Iraq war stance a cornerstone of his presidential campaign.

Gore's backing also may feed Dean momentum, reinforced by a wave of opinion polls showing him opening a wide lead in the first primary state of New Hampshire and a smaller lead in the caucus state of Iowa, where he is battling with Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt.

It was a harsh blow for U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Gore's vice presidential running mate during the 2000 contest who had promised he would not run if Gore did.

Lieberman said on Tuesday that he was taken off guard by Gore's endorsement of his rival for the 2004 Democratic nomination.

"What really bothers me is that Al is supporting a candidate who is so fundamentally opposed to the basic transformation that Bill Clinton brought to the Democratic Party in 1992," Lieberman said in an interview on NBC "Today" show, referring to the partnership Gore had as vice president to President Clinton for eight years.

"Clinton made our party once again fiscally responsible, pro-growth, strong on values for middle class tax cuts. Howard Dean is against all of those," Lieberman said.

Copyright 2003 Reuters Ltd

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