BUSH TOUTS BETTER DRUG ENFORCEMENT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- George W. Bush used America's heartland as a stage
yesterday to propose a five-year $2.7 billion plan to create a "drug-free
society," vowing beefed-up enforcement along the nation's borders and more
cooperation with Mexico.

"Unfortunately, in the last seven and a half years, fighting drug abuse has
ceased to be a national priority," the Republican presidential nominee told
a crowd of supporters at a community center in Cedar Rapids. "Drug policy
has been pursued without urgency, without energy and without success."

In Florida, Democratic nominee Al Gore charged that Bush would bankrupt
Social Security "in a single generation."

The tough rhetoric flew as the campaign intensified following presidential
and vice-presidential debates this week.

A new Time-CNN poll found that more people think Bush is trustworthy enough
to be president than Gore. The vice president, however, got better grades
in the first presidential debate and was seen as right on most of the
issues, and as more experienced to handle the job. Overall, the poll had
the race in a virtual dead heat.

On the stump, Bush characterized President Clinton's drug czar, Barry
McCaffrey, as a man working on the problem "almost alone" within the
administration, a notion McCaffrey dismissed as "nonsense."

The Texas governor laid out his anti-drug plan, including $25 million to
support nonprofit organizations working with a Parents Drug Corps to get
the message across to children not to abuse drugs.

Bush also proposed spending $350 million over five years that would double
grants for community coalitions. And he proposed to increase federal
funding to drug treatment centers by $1 billion.

The drug plan capped a week in which Bush has hit repeatedly on the theme
that government can help parents instill character in their children.

Fighting drug abuse is a major part of that effort, Bush said.

"The job of opposing drugs belongs to every family," he said. "But there
are some things that only the federal government can do. Only the federal
government can attack the supply of drugs -- a commodity that destabilizes
whole governments and crosses all borders."

Meanwhile in Orlando, Fla., Gore reunited with running mate Sen. Joseph
Lieberman to push their plans to bolster Social Security, Medicare and
create incentives for Americans to save more.

"Here is the difference," said Gore, appealing to the state's older voters.
"We give you a generous incentive to save and invest, not at the expense of
Social Security but on top of Social Security."

Speaking to about 3,000 cheering supporters at a bayside rally, Gore
promised "a secure and dignified retirement" and criticized Bush's proposal
to allow workers to invest a portion of their Social Security money privately.

"That would cause the bankruptcy of Social Security in a single
generation," Gore said.

As if to underscore the political importance of Florida, Bush flew into the
state late yesterday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.