DES MOINES - Democrat Al Gore on Saturday night urged Iowa Democrats to avoid becoming complacent in the final weeks before the presidential election, recounting his own narrow loss to George W. Bush eight years ago.

The former vice president keynoted the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner fundraiser attended by an estimated 1,000 activists.

"Elections matter, and this election matters a great deal to the future of this country," Gore told the crowd gathered at Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines.

Gore said eight years ago, the economy was strong and if the election had gone the other way, the country wouldn't be bogged down in the war in Iraq. He delivered a blistering critique of the Bush administration's justification of the war.

"When our nation made the decision to invade Iraq, 70 percent of the American people had been deceived into believing that we were invading a nation that had attacked us," Gore said.

Gore narrowly carried Iowa in his 2000 presidential bid. He's since become a leader in the movement fighting global climate change, winning a Nobel Peace Prize after the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" highlighted his efforts to educate the public on global warming.

Gore connected the flooding in Iowa and the tornado that hit Parkersburg to global climate change, noting flooding in Cedar Rapids exceeded the boundaries of the 500-year flood map.

"No one has ever seen a flood like this," Gore said.

Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Scott Brennan was optimistic Saturday night about Democrats' prospects this year, noting they now hold more than a 100,000-voter registration edge over Republicans.

"We're in great shape going into Nov. 4," Brennan said.

The event Saturday night is one last chance to get Democratic candidates and workers energized before the election, Brennan said.

"We've got 30 more days, and they're going to be working 20-hour days. They deserve a little break," Brennan said.

The party's top elected officials and candidates also took to the stage to speak to the party faithful.

Sen. Tom Harkin, who is seeking his fifth term, told the crowd he reluctantly voted last for a package to rescue the financial sector last week.

"We had to stop the bleeding," Harkin said. He pledged that congressional Democrats would work to put regulations back into the process he said Republicans took out.

During his speech, Gov. Chet Culver criticized GOP presidential nominee John McCain for his opposition to ethanol subsidies. McCain reiterated his opposition during a recent campaign event in Iowa.

"That's like going to Florida and saying you don't like oranges," Culver said.

Contact Charlotte Eby

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