JEFFERSON'S PHILOSOPHY EXPRESSES RARE CLARITY IN MUDDLED WORLD

A philosophy of life: In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current. Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give up the earth itself and all it contains, rather than do an immoral act. And never suppose, that in any possible situation, or under any circumstances, it is best for you to do a dishonorable thing. Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly.

He who permits himself to tell a lie once finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells a lie without attending to it, and truths without the world believing him. Thomas Jefferson

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If only Gore were still alive: Al Gore is like the Mars space capsule. We're pretty sure he's there, but he's not sending back any signals. If only Al Gore were still alive, he'd be speaking out about what's happening in America today.

If Gore were alive, he'd be out there in Seattle demanding that the arrogant, secretive, insular World Trade Organization focus on global environmental degradation, not just on profits. He would be out in front demanding fair labor standards and would liken exploitation of workers in foreign countries to dumping of exports as a practice which the WTO should ban.

But since Gore has retired, old Bill Clinton has had to step out in front once again, hog the spotlight and carry the fight at the WTO. Clinton, who seems to have omitted the 22nd Amendment from his reading, doesn't understand that he's not the one running.

Mocked for his claim to have been the father of the Internet, Al Gore, were he still among the living, would doubtless be leading the fight against sales taxation of e-commerce. He'd be standing up for the proposition that with states awash in revenue, it is in the national interest to shelter the Internet, like a duty-free zone, to encourage its growth and expansion. A. Gore, if he were still with us, would be clamoring for voting over the Internet to boost turnout among younger voters and to bring the electoral process into the modern era.

Remember back when Al Gore spoke out eloquently about smoking and cancer at the 1996 convention? If he were alive, he'd surely be outraged to see the states squandering the tobacco settlement bounty on their pet projects rather than dedicate it to covering all children who are now uninsured with health care protection. If only Gore were here, he'd be out there protesting against the diversion of these precious funds to other purposes.

With each mild winter day and every stifling summer season, we recall how Gore long ago warned us about the dangers of global warming. Remember how Gore, when he was still alive, used to prophesy that hurricanes would be more violent and tornadoes more deadly as the earth warmed? Those with good memories will recall how he foretold the need to spray for mosquitoes in cities like ours as global warming moved tropical diseases northward.

If only he were here today to see his warnings come true. He'd be in his element, boldly challenging the United States to free itself of the clutches of the internal combustion engine and an economy based on atmosphere-destroying carbons.

The Al Gore look-alike campaigning for the White House these days has decided to beat Bradley with a negative campaign. What creative thinking! That's what will turn America on a negative campaign.

What happened to Gore, the dynamic crusader of the 1988 campaign and the most effective, capable, powerful and accomplished vice president in American history?

Gore was never just Clinton's vice president. He was Clinton's chief of staff, chief policy planner, chief executor and chief adviser. The facade suggests that Clinton runs the White House. The myth says that Hillary runs it. The reality is that Gore's in charge.

Think of the areas of policy that Clinton has ceded to Gore over the years: science, technology, the Internet, family leave, tobacco, drugs, environment, global warming, national parks, space, defense contracting, nuclear dealings with Russia, most other Russian diplomacy, bioethics and a host of other spheres. Gore runs his domain, checking only perfunctorily with the president. As Clinton demonstrated in his cowardice over the tobacco legislation and his courage in imposing clean air standards, he won't overrule his veep.

But power has taken its toll on the vice president. He sees the complexity of every issue until it robs him of initiative paralysis by analysis. Fenced in by an innate insecurity, by fear of being labeled a green nut and by undue respect for the delicacy of affairs of state, he is brain dead. He's served his two terms in office. He' not up for a third one.

Will Gore win the nomination? Probably he will. He'll attack Bradley, and Dollar Bill, an amateur in national campaigns, won't know how to handle it. Bradley has eschewed the political consultants who could handle Gore's attacks with skillful and quick rebuttals.

But in November, either Bush or McCain will chew Gore up. Both men have ideas and aren't afraid to deploy them in pursuit of the presidency. Both are willing to play outside the foul lines of what their party normally says and each has a top political pro (Carl Rove for Bush and Mike Murphy for McCain) who is more than a match for Gore's latest favorite consultant -- Carter Eskew -- in the give and take of political combat.

Oh, if only Gore were still alive... . -- Dick Morris in the New York Post

Dick Morris was the campaign adviser for BILL CLINTON'S elections in Arkansas and for president. He engineered the early strategy for the 1996 turnaround re-election which required the large amounts of money to be raised.

He is the author of the book "Vote.com" and the same-named Web site which created controversy recently on its New Hampshire vote tallies indicating ALAN KEYES had won the debate.

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M-11 plus: China's big military parade Oct. 1 showcased more than one new missile. In addition to the first look at the new mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-31, it included a new short-range missile modification.

Pentagon China watchers saw for the first time another new missile presented by the secrecy-obsessed People's Liberation Army: a new version of the M-11 short-range missile.

The new Mod 2 missile is believed to have a longer range, a larger warhead and greater accuracy than earlier M-11s, including those shipped secretly to Pakistan in violation of U.S. nonproliferation laws. And it is the M-11 Mod 2 which is being deployed in large numbers across the Taiwan Strait from Taiwan. The Defense Intelligence Agency estimates that over the next six years a total of 650 Chinese short-range missiles will be deployed along China's Pacific coast.

Rice and sex: Look for George W. Bush, should he win the White House, to roll back the practice of training men and women recruits in the same units and barracks.

Condoleezza Rice, one of Mr. Bush's closest national security advisers, is telling associates that as commander in chief, Mr. Bush likely will overrule the top brass and order them to separate the sexes, at least in the initial weeks of basic training.

Miss Rice frequently citing the 11-0 recommendations of a commission that unanimously urged the Pentagon to separate the sexes at the small-unit level and in different barracks. Miss Rice is pointing out that the commission's membership was politically diverse and included men, women, academics, bureaucrats and ex-military people. -- Bill Gertz in The Washington Times

~Gary Rust is the president of Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian and other newspapers.