For the Record.

The Hotline's electoral scoreboard of latest state polls shows Al Gore leading in 19 states worth 241 electoral votes, and George W. Bush ahead in 28 states worth 234 (270 needed to win). . . . In Dallas Morning News, Ralph Nader says he may change outcomes in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington State, and Wisconsin. . . . Joe Lieberman, on ABC's This Week: "I don't think Governor Bush is ready-based on his experience, his record, his proposals in this campaign-to be the kind of president that the American people need at this point in our history." . . . In NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 49 percent say Dick Cheney is more qualified to be president than Lieberman, and 26 percent say reverse. . . . By winning two gubernatorial races and 17 state legislative contests, GOP would control congressional redistricting in 182 districts, up from just five in 1991, reports Washington Post. States to watch on election night: Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Gore, on surrogates' claims Bush isn't smart enough to be president, on Today: "I don't want to raise any questions about his capacity." . . . Gore, on how murder of John Lennon affected him, in Rolling Stone: "It was not only the loss of a great man, it was the loss of a true genius. . . . The loss of any chance the Beatles would come back together and bring us a new sensibility, from the standpoint of that incredible gestalt that they had. I thought of the senseless violence in our society, and the ease with which people who obviously shouldn't have access to guns can get them." . . . Gore, in The Tennessean, in 1984: "I don't pretend to have an understanding of homosexuality that sustains a discussion of its roots but I do not believe it is simply an acceptable alternative that society should affirm. That statement is bound to offend some people." . . . New York Times, endorsing Gore for president: "Mr. Gore brings a lifelong record of protecting basic rights for women, minorities and gays. . . ."

Barbara Bush, on Gore in third debate, on Good Morning America: "I thought he was gonna hit George." . . . Sen. Bob Kerrey (D., Neb.) on NAACP's anti-Bush ad, on Crossfire: "It's offensive and it's divisive." . . . John McCain, on whether he will run for president again, in Boston Herald: "I'm not sure you can capture lightning in a bottle again as we did. We captured a very unusual environment, a desire for straight talk, patriotism, a sort of anti-Clinton approach to things. . . . We had a great ride and we were very fortunate but I don't think [another run] is a likely scenario, I really don't."

Dick Morris, in New York Post: "Take it from me, there is no way on earth that Hillary [Clinton] asked Bill to veto the U.N. resolution condemning Israel and Bill went ahead and ignored her request and had the United States abstain instead. . . . If Hillary wanted Bill to have that resolution vetoed and asked him to do it, he'd do it. No question." . . . Rep. Tom Davis (R., Va.), on Clinton Cabinet members campaigning for Democrats: "These are taxpayer dollars, and they are . . . using the wheels of government to advance their partisan agenda. . . . You wonder how they get anything done in their agencies." . . . Recent illness spurs speculation Sen. Jesse Helms (R., N.C.) won't seek reelection in 2002. . . . As head of Goldman Sachs PAC during 1990s, New Jersey Senate candidate Jon Corzine (D.) donated $84,250 to Newt Gingrich and his political committees, according to FEC records. . . . Political groups expected to spend $3 billion by Election Day, according to Center for Responsive Politics, up from $2.2 billion four years ago. . . . St. Louis leads all media markets in number of political ads aired since June. Rounding out the top five: Kansas City, Seattle, Detroit, and Spokane.

In on-air eulogy for U.S. Communist party head Gus Hall, Peter Jennings says, "Even after his friends . . . abandoned the cause, Hall never wavered." And this was a good thing? . . . Onetime bilingual-education champion Herman Badillo trashes bilingual education, in New York Post: "It has become 'monolingual education,' which doesn't help the students." . . . State Department backs away from anonymous memo arguing that Voice of America editorial on terrorism should not run because "[t]he 17 or so dead sailors does [sic] not compare to the 100- plus Palestinians who have died in recent weeks." . . . After two-year hiatus, Paul Weyrich's call-in show Direct Line returns to America's Voice television network. . . . The Dartmouth Review celebrates its 20th anniversary in New York. Over 100 guests attended, including WFB, George Gilder, Dinesh D'Souza, Jeffrey Hart, and Fr. George Rutler.

n British Royal Navy accepts boyfriend of its first openly gay officer as "naval wife" equivalent, reports London's Sunday Times. . . . Spanish Supreme Court judge killed in bombing blamed on Basque terrorists. . . . Godfried Cardinal Danneels of Belgium says failing health might cause Pope to step down next year; Vatican calls statement "personal opinion."

Bush and Gore attend Al Smith Dinner in New York, poke at each other in humorous speeches. Bush says he met woman in elevator on way to event. "She said, 'White tie's fine, but you need some more earth tones.' . . . I think her name is Naomi [Wolf] or something like that. . . . The odd thing was, she handed me a bill for $15,000. Can you imagine a grown man paying $15,000 for somebody to tell him what to wear? Heck, $15,000 these days gets you a sleepover in the Lincoln Bedroom."