REPORTS OF GORE POT USE RAISE COMPLEX QUESTIONS

New reports have surfaced that, if believed, would raise questions about
the truth of Vice President Al Gore's statements on his use of marijuana 25
years ago.

The charges, which could reflect on the character of the candidate, also
create a complex issue for The Tennessean. On one level they involve
current and former newspaper employees and a web of friendships and
relationships, going back 30 years.

For that reason, the newspaper is airing the issue publicly, even though
its own investigation - which included contacting three dozen current and
former journalists who worked with Gore - could not confirm the new
allegations or definitively disprove them.

Since 1987, Gore has maintained his marijuana usage was "infrequent and
rare" and ended in 1972.

However a former Tennessean reporter, who worked with Gore in 1971 and
remained a good friend through 1976, now claims they smoked marijuana
hundreds of times during those six years.

"More than 100. More than 200. More than I can remember. It seemed like all
the time we were together we were smoking," said John C. Warnecke Jr., who
worked at The Tennessean as a reporter from 1968-1971.

Gore worked at the newspaper from 1971-1974 and from 1975-1976 until he
announced his candidacy for Congress - his first political race.

Warnecke also claims that he and Gore shared marijuana at least once after
Gore announced his bid for Congress.

And, Warnecke claims he lied to news organizations in 1987 to protect Gore,
saying then he remembered "one specific time" seeing Gore smoke marijuana.

Warnecke said Gore, who was running for president at the time, pressured
him to "stonewall" on the marijuana question.

Warnecke, who later became a developer, is now living in San Francisco on
disability payments for recurring depression. He said he strongly believes
this country's drug laws are unfair and should be changed to decriminalize
marijuana, among other things.

In response to Warnecke's new claims, The Tennessean contacted three dozen
current and former staff members to see if the claims could be
corroborated. Only one other person acknowledged seeing Gore smoke
marijuana. None said Gore asked them to lie or shape their responses.

A handful, including the editor of The Tennessean, would not say what they
did or did not see.

This controversy also highlights the effect of new Internet-based media on
more traditional media. The story, which also may be included in a
soon-to-be-released biography of Gore, first surfaced publicly on a Web
site that advocates the reform of drug laws.

It bounced around several sites, slowly creeping into the mainstream media,
and Gore addressed it yesterday on the campaign trail in Iowa.

A brief story about that issue circulated nationally by the Associated
Press. It was only after the AP story that The Tennessean decided to
publish the allegations.

A reporter said to Gore at a diner: "It's been reported that after you came
back from Vietnam you were smoking on a daily basis."

Gore responded, "No. When I came back from Vietnam, yes, but not to that
extent. ... This is something I dealt with a long time ago. It's old news."

A spokeswoman for the campaign said yesterday that there was no further
comment about the issue.

Warnecke said he plans to vote for Gore and did not want to hurt his campaign.

He said his 1987 statements to The Tennessean and The New York Times
weighed heavily on him, eating at his conscience. He said his therapist
urged him to try to make amends.

"I owe this amend to them. And I owe it to my paper. I owe it to my
readers. I owe this to apologize to them that I lied while Al was their
representative. And this was not right. I was really wrong. And I should
really take my lumps for this."

Warnecke said he regrets the timing of his statements coinciding with the
presidential primaries. He expected the story to come out earlier in a
biography written by a Newsweek reporter.

Warnecke said the story was to be included last week in excerpts from the
book in Newsweek. He said when the magazine delayed the publication, he
felt he should speak publicly.

Neither Newsweek nor the writer, Bill Turque, would comment about the matter.

Besides the Associated Press story, the charges have been picked up by
several media outlets including The Washington Times, New York Post, Rush
Limbaugh's radio show and the Drudge Report Internet site and the Internet
magazine Salon.

Warnecke said in 1987 he argued with Gore, who was then a U.S. senator
campaigning for president. He said Gore called him and asked him to
"stonewall the press."

"There was no physical threat. But if you've ever talked with Al, he's very
emphatic. And he's very forceful. He really laid it on me."

Warnecke said he made up the story of infrequent use. The two have not
talked since 1987, although Warnecke has tried to contact Gore.

"I like Al. I love him like my brother," said Warnecke, 53. "I'm hurt that
the drugs have come between us, and he won't communicate with me despite
the fact that I write him letters and make calls to him. I'm very hurt by
that."

Warnecke's former wife, who works as a photo editor at The Tennessean,
would not talk about her friendship with the vice president and his wife.

But Nancy Rhoda issued this statement.

"John Warnecke has had some difficult times. I have a lot of empathy for
him. And I don't want to hurt him. It was nearly 30 years ago, but I don't
agree with what John has said. And no one has ever told me to keep quiet
about those times. Ever."

Warnecke and Rhoda where married from 1970 to 1981.

Frank Sutherland, editor of The Tennessean and a longtime friend of the
Gores, said he has not changed his comments since 1987 when he was first
asked about them.

"If Al Gore wants to talk about his private life, that's fine," Sutherland
said. "But I'm not going to talk about my private life. That's nobody's
business."

Sutherland said he, Gore and Warnecke were good friends during the time
that all three worked at the newspaper. But Sutherland would not
characterize the truthfulness of Warnecke's statements.

"I can't answer that without hurting John. ... I don't want to hurt him.
He's a friend."

Sutherland said he was never pressured by Gore or asked to shape his
answers in any way. He said he has not spoken with Gore in about six months.

Another former journalism colleague, who would not comment on whether he
saw Gore smoke marijuana, did vouch for Warnecke's honesty.

"I think he's gone through a lot. I think he may be an emotional guy. ... I
think he's honest and an idealist," said Andrew Schlesinger, who was a
reporter at The Tennessean in 1970-71.

Schlesinger, who later worked as a documentary maker for ABC News, said he
has kept in touch with Warnecke over the decades, but has not seen him for
several years.

He would not comment on any of the details of Warnecke's claims. But he
answered "no" when asked if Warnecke had a history of exaggerating or if he
found any of the claims to be outrageous.

Warnecke, who says he has been clean and sober for 21 years, does not
advocate the use of illegal substances, but said he believes that if
marijuana was decriminalized it would take illegal drug money away from
criminals.

Warnecke said that before he quit, he was hooked on marijuana, alcohol and
cocaine. He also admits to taking hallucinogenics in the 1960s when he says
he helped manage the famous rock group The Grateful Dead.

Today, Warnecke spends his time taking care of his two children. They were
left to his care when his second wife committed suicide about six years ago.

He said he suffered from depression before and after he worked at the
newspaper.

Warnecke said he was willing to take a lie detector test to check the
credibility to his statements. "I lied as a former reporter and I want to
straighten it out.