FOR THE RECORD.

* Bill Bradley, on Al Gore: "I think he has to explain more thoroughly than he has what was happening at the Buddhist temple ... I mean, if he didn't know it was a fundraiser, then he was spectacularly naive. If he did know it was a fundraiser, then he really did something wrong." ... Gore performs with 100 members of Gay Men's Chorus at Lincoln Center in New York.... Gore campaign tells reporters summit with Al Sharpton won't happen and that visit to daughter's New York apartment is a family matter, but later admits Gore met with Sharpton at Karenna Gore Schiff's residence.... Gore, in 1976 Nashville Banner article: "I don't believe a woman's freedom to live her own life, in all cases, outweighs the fetus's right to life." ... James Carville says Gore should pick former Treasury secretary Robert Rubin as running mate.... Bradley, on Meet the Press: "I have to take off on March 7." ... Michael Jordan endorses Bradley.

* Detroit News asks John McCain, "What's the first thing you would do as president?" Replies McCain: "Call in John Kerry, Bob Kerrey, Joe Biden, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henry Kissinger, Dick Lugar, Chuck Hagel, and several others and say we've got to get foreign policy, national-security issues back on track." That's four Democrats and three Republicans.... Marvin Bush, brother of George W. Bush, in U.S. News & World Report, before breaking off comments to reporters: "That great sucking sound you hear is the sound of the media's lips coming off John McCain's ..." South Carolina state representative Todd Rutherford advises fellow Democrats: "Support the weaker candidate in the Republican primary because he can't beat your opponent in the general election." ... Alan Keyes threatens to bolt COP if McCain wins nomination.... Rep. John Kasich (R., Ohio): "Do I think any of them could be as good a president as me? No. But I couldn't raise the money." ... Donald Trump says he won't run for president in 2000, leaving Pat Buchanan frontrunner for Reform-party nomination and fueling speculation about a third Ross Perot candidacy.... House Republicans worry McCain would campaign against them in fall, not with them.

* In National Journal analysis of voting records, Sen. Phil Gramm (R., Tex.) and Rep. Wally Herger (R., Calif.) named most conservative.... Rep. Mary Bono (R., Calif.) schedules fundraiser at Cher concert in Washington.... Sheila Burke, former top aide to Sen. Bob Dole, becomes official at Smithsonian.... Missouri pols lobby to name State Department building after President Truman.... Arkansas supreme court gives President Clinton 30 days to respond to ethics complaint before court's Committee on Professional Conduct, which could lead to disbarment.... Donors to Clinton library include Farhad Azima, whose 1997 contribution of $137,000 to Democratic National Committee was returned because of links to Iran-contra scandal, reports MSNBC.... Banners at First Lady's announcement speech read "Hillary!" with no last name given.... Hillary Clinton: "My attitude is I like to eat and we should support agriculture."

* Florida judge bans distribution of "Choose Life" license plates following lawsuit by National Organization for Women.... Wisconsin court says statue of Jesus standing in privately owned section of Marshfield city park violates separation of church and state.... Army major James Garrett on "don't ask, don't tell," in New York Times: "Going to a gay bar, having a gay roommate off base, marching in a gay parade, that's associational behavior. That is not against the policy." ... University of New Mexico professor Charles Truxillo calls for creation of Hispanic country to be carved out of American Southwest and northern Mexico: "We will one day be a majority and reclaim our birthright by any means necessary and we shouldn't shy away." ... New Mexico supreme court rules that citizens can't be excluded from jury duty for not being able to speak English.... Nine colleges and universities, including Michigan and Penn State, agree to admit students on basis of ability to work with Lego blocks.... Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Va., plans to raise engine from sunken Civil War ironclad Monitor.... Christopher Hitchens to debate Catholic League's William Donohue on resolution: "The American cultural elite is hostile to religion in general and to Catholicism in particular." Call 212-682-1336 for tickets to March 23 event or write to ChristiFideles / 143 East 43rd Street / New York, N.Y. 10017.

* China executed more people in 1998 than rest of world combined, says Amnesty International.... Saudi terrorist Osama Bin Laden rumored to have liver ailment requiring treatment outside Afghanistan refuge.... Czech leader Vaclav Klaus says Joerg Haider's participation in Austrian government "is the lesser evil compared with the attempt of the EU to oppose the sovereign decision-making of one of its members." ... Israeli court rejects petition by Jonathan Pollard, convicted American spy, to force Jerusalem to take up case with U.S. authorities.... Helsinki decides not to place statue of Lenin in park bearing Soviet leader's name, following local protests.... New measurements by National Geographic Society increase height of Mt. Everest by 7 feet, to 29,035 feet.

* Jay Leno: "Hillary's announcement was on the front page of every newspaper Monday. I mean, she's been saying for over a year she's going to run. I guess they figure whenever a Clinton keeps a promise, that's front-page news."