Al Gore. Will he throw his hat in the Presidential ring?

Friends of Al Gore have possibly secretly started assembling a campaign team in preparation for the former American vice-president to make a fresh bid for the White House. Considering his popularity in the USA at the moment, he may well have a chance at the Democratic nomination shall he choose to run? He is polling ahead of Sen Edwards, and not to different from Barack Obama.... I am sure he could overtake Hillary if he is serious about it.

	Al Gore is third favourite for the Democratic nomination

Two members of Mr Gore's staff from his unsuccessful attempt in 2000 say they have been approached to see if they would be available to work with him again. Well who are they and where did this info come from?

Al Gore, President Bill Clinton's deputy, has said he wants to concentrate on publicizing the need to combat climate change, a case made in his film, An Inconvenient Truth, which won him an Oscar this year.

But, being aware that he may step into the wide open race for the White House, former strategists are sounding out a shadow team that could run his campaign at short notice. In approaching former campaign staff, including political strategists and communications officials, they are making clear they are not acting on formal instructions from Mr Gore, 59, but have not been asked to stop.

His denials of interest in the presidency have been couched in terms of "no plans" or "no intention" - politically ambiguous language that does not rule out a run.

In an interview on Thursday, which touched on the prospects for next year's presidential election, former President # 42 Bill Clinton commented: "You've got the prospect that Vice-President Gore might run."

Now wouldn't it raise some eyebrows if Albert Arnold Gore Jr actually does it?