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Al Gore's masseuse/accuser tried to score a big payday from the National Enquirer, but the tabloid refused her request for $1 million, reports Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. "No money changed hands," executive editor Barry Levine tells Kurtz. He said the Enquirer conducted only a quick interview with the woman—basing its story on a police report instead—and opted not to call the Gores in advance for fear of losing the exclusive.

Levine defended the decision to go with the story, despite the accuser's 2-year delay in talking to police. "We felt, if this was in legitimate police documents, that was a story that should be brought to the surface," he said. "We felt this was a significant story involving a very powerful man." The New York Post reports the woman is still looking for $1 million to spill all the details.
(Read more Al Gore stories.)