The Green Party candidate, Mr Ralph Nader, has become a target of the Gore campaign worried that the crusader for the environment and consumer rights could deprive the Vice-President of victory.
Mr George Bush, the Republican candidate, is ahead in most of the tracking polls except the Reuters/MSNBC survey which has Mr Al Gore leading by two points. Mr Bush said "I like our chances. However, I take nothing for granted. There's a lot of work to do and there's a lot of people we've got to get to the polls." Democrats are now appealing to Mr Nader's supporters through TV ads not to jeopardise Vice-President Gore's chances of defeating Governor Bush in the closely contested election on November 7th. They point out Mr Gore has a better record on environmental issues.
But Mr Nader, while conceding he has no hope of winning the election, is dismissing such appeals, saying "Al Gore is suffering from election year delusion if he thinks his record on the environment is anything to be proud of". Mr Gore should "be held accountable by voters for eight years of principles betrayed and promises broken".
Although Mr Nader has only about 5 per cent support, according to national polls, he is running more strongly in a number of states where he is attracting voters that Mr Gore needs to defeat Mr Bush. These include Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
In California, whose 54 electoral college votes Mr Gore has been depending on, his once solid lead over Mr Bush has halved to five points at 44 to 39 per cent. Mr Nader's 6 per cent support appears to be growing.
Mr Gore, after months of ignoring Mr Nader, is now having to admit that he is a threat, as he and Mr Bush are locked in one of the closest presidential races in modern times.
Asked about the Nader threat, Mr Gore said: "I don't like the argument that a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush. It may be true, but my argument is I want to convince all of the voters to support me with enthusiasm, and where issues like the environment are concerned I'll put my record up against anybody's."
Mr Gore called global warming a "moral issue" while campaigning yesterday. He cited a new UN study that industrial pollution has "contributed substantially to global warming and that the Earth is likely to get a lot hotter than previously predicted".
He said he disagreed with Mr Bush, who "has said he is not convinced that pollution is causing it and that he's not convinced we should do anything other than just study it".
Mr Nader this week denounced unconditional US support for Israel. He criticised Mr Gore for his pro-Israeli stance, saying the US needed to befriend both Israel and the Palestinians. He also criticised "the devastating economic sanctions on the people of Iraq, including 5,000 children who are dying every month".
Meanwhile, Mr Bush spent the day campaigning in Pennsylvania with former Gen Colin Powell, one of the architects of the Gulf War victory during the presidency of Mr Bush's father in 1991.
Pennsylvania, with 23 electoral votes, is a key state for both candidates and Mr Gore is slightly ahead there, according to recent polls.
With the popular African-American general at his side, Mr Bush campaigned on defence and security issues.