Gore-Lieberman to 000814.txt launch riverboat tour from Wisconsin By Melanie Fonder For The News-Chronicle WASHINGTON - On Friday, the day after Vice President Al Gore and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman receive their party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, the team will launch a riverboat tour in LaCrosse. The riverboat Mark Twain will travel down the Mississippi River through four battleground states and end up in Hannibal, Mo., the hometown of Twain. Dubbed "Setting Course for the Future," the jaunt is viewed as Gore and Lieberman's battle to garner favor from voters in the Midwest swing states. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, who will travel from the convention with Gore and Lieberman on Friday, said the trip will reinforce the centrist image of New Democrats. "In light of the strong New Democrat ticket we have, this is a great way to showcase that," Kind said. "This is what we need to win back the [House] majority in the fall. I think it's a smart move." The convention is a first for both Kind and his wife, Tawni, who plan to attend several New Democrat events and Wisconsin delegation events. For Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, the convention experience will almost be old hat - she also attended in 1996 as a delegate, according to spokeswoman Jerilyn Goodman. This time around, Baldwin has a more prominent role, speaking from the convention floor Tuesday afternoon on health care, one of her signature issues in Congress. Wednesday morning, Baldwin will emcee a tribute to the Wisconsin delegation at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Goodman said. VEEP VETTING Rule No. 1: Choose the person who will do no harm. In Gore's politically astute choice of Lieberman, whose Jewish faith has been highlighted all week, the Vice President appears to have found the one who has jumpstarted his flagging campaign at just the right moment. Democratic Wisconsin Sens. Herb Kohl, Milwaukee, and Russ Feingold, Middleton, both of whom are also Jewish, weren't short on praise for their colleague. "Senator Lieberman is a strong, impressive choice for the Democratic ticket. We've worked together on many issues since we came to the Senate and I have found Joe to be a voice of reason and a person with a strong sense of purpose," Kohl said in a statement. "I've been most comfortable with his willingness to work across party lines, his pursuit of moderate solutions and his focus on doing what's right. Joe's intellect qualifies him to serve in the highest offices, and his honor qualifies him to lead our country." Feingold, who was once mentioned himself as a potential Gore running mate, mostly echoed Kohl's sentiments. "Joe Lieberman is a tremendous senator and will make an excellent vice president. He has an impressive record on a wide range of issues and he has been a strong partner in our efforts to pass the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill," Feingold said. Joe and Al Gore represent a great choice for the American people: go back to the failed policies of the 80's with Bush and Cheney, or keep moving forward with Gore and Lieberman." This column by Fonder, a staff writer for The Hill, a Washington-based weekly newspaper that covers Congress, appears every Monday in the News-Chronicle. You can send her comments and suggestions via e-mail at melfonder@yahoo.com.