The AFM International Executive Board has endorsed Al Gore for president. Federation President Steve Young released a statement saying that Gore is the best candidate in terms of preserving support for labor and the arts. He said reasons for the endorsement combine both labor issues and issues specific to musicians.

Among the issues cited were Gore’s strong support of the National Endowment for the Arts, support in the Democratic National Committee’s platform of the AFM position on copyrights, and the need to elect an administration that will appreciate and fight for the rights of musicians as they confront the impact of new technology, such as that embodied in Napster and MP3.