accurate, and could have been easily confirmed through a local newspaper. In contrast, the media seem less interested in Gore's distortions when they are directly connected to public policy issues. During the second debate, Gore claimed that "for 24 years I have never been afraid to take on the big drug companies." In fact, one of the first major issues of the campaign involved Gore's efforts on behalf of drug companies to get South Africa to stop manufacturing affordable versions of patented AIDS drugs-- a life-saving move that is allowed under international trade laws, but would have threatened pharmaceutical industry profits. In contrast, media seemed uninterested in Bush's distortions across the board, whether the issue was Bush's personal record or
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