WASHINGTON — In the wake of Pornogate — the latest scandal to rock
the White House — GOP presidential nod George W. Bush challenged Vice
President Al Gore to match his pledge to restore “honor and dignity” to
the White House, a Bush campaign spokeswoman told WorldNetDaily.
Dozens of White House staffers and officials last year were caught
downloading hard-core pornographic videos from the Internet onto their
government computers, as WorldNetDaily first reported last week.
The White House has confirmed the cyber-porn problem and says it
punished some workers. But it has declined to give details.
Bush spokeswoman Mindy Tucker says the scandal underscores a lack of
respect for the high office. She also says the misuse of government
property and time by White House staffers is a waste of taxpayer money.
“Gov. Bush would certainly hope that anyone working in the White
House is using the resources and time there for the taxpayers’
business,” Tucker said.
Restoring decency to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is “something the people
are wanting,” she said. “This (Pornogate) is another reason to make
them want that.”
“And I think it’s important to note that Gov. Bush has said that, if
elected, he will uphold the honor and dignity of that office,” Tucker
said.
“And, you know, Al Gore has the opportunity to make that same
pledge,” she added.
Going into this week’s Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles,
Gore has tried to distance himself from President Clinton and the trail
of White House scandals. He’s calling for a “fresh” start, but has
stopped short of actually vowing to usher in a higher set of ethics.
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WND Staff