WASHINGTON INSIGHT

AL KNOWS HARDBALL: Vice President Al Gore is still steaming over a run-in with a former Senate colleague. On a visit to Gore’s Capitol office, Sen. Richard C. Shelby (D-Ala.) insisted that the President’s economic plan needed deeper spending cuts instead of increased taxes. Sources say Gore was infuriated, feeling the scene--shown widely on TV news shows--made him look bad. Retaliation was swift and certain. The White House had newly appointed Sen. Robert Krueger (D-Tex.), who faces a tough special election to keep his seat, announce that 90 space-program jobs would be transferred from Huntsville, Ala., to Houston.