MUSKEGON, Mich. -- Democrat Al Gore yesterday prepared to unleash a final-week assault on GOP rival George W. Bush's competence and experience while [Bush-Cheney] accused Gore of running a divisive campaign of "falsehood and cynicism."

Gore's running mate, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, has already begun to raise doubts about Bush's fitness for the job. "I honestly don't think George Bush is ready to be the kind of president the American people need," Lieberman said in a phone interview with reporters. "We're talking about the most important, powerful, complicated job . . . in the world."

The Texas governor, meanwhile, headed for California in an uphill bid to upset the vice president for the richest electoral prize. A new poll yesterday showed Gore 10 points ahead of Bush in California but that did not appear to deter Bush.