Differences

Only one major campaign stance sets the twincandidates apart--Roosevelt favors the deathpenalty, and Barrett does not.

But in the rest of their astoundingly similarprofiles, the points of contrast are little morethan niggling details.

While studying at Harvard, governmentconcentrator Barrett lived in Eliot House, whileRoosevelt, a history concentrator, was affiliatedwith Dudley.

Barrett received his law degree fromNortheastern while Roosevelt received his fromHarvard. Barrett is the father of twinfour-year-old daughters, while Roosevelt has oneeight-year-old son.

The two candidates, well aware of the politicalcosts of appearing so similar, are exploitingthese few differences for all they're worth.

Barrett has repeatedly stressed the deathpenalty as the critical issue that separates himfrom Roosevelt--and used Roosevelt's turnabout onthe issue as a dig against his rival.

"There are a large number of issues, includingthe death penalty, where Mark has just changed thecommitment of a lifetime to come out in favor ofcapital punishment," Barrett said in a Januaryinterview. "I'm saddened that Mark has changed hisposition in the hurly-burly of an election year;it makes him look like a young politician on themake."

And Roosevelt has asserted that his excellentleadership skills differentiate him from his darktwin.

"I have a much better record of getting thingsdone than [Barrett] does," Roosevelt said ininterview.

But Barrett and Roosevelt are definitelysimilar enough to cause their campaigns someworry.

Because only one of them will end up with theDemocratic nomination.

Unless, of course, they really are the sameperson