Al Gore has been downplaying speculation that he may jump into the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, but he’s just hired an operative who served as Joe Lieberman’s deputy campaign manager in 2004. Brian Hardwick — who worked in Gore’s fundraising operation in 2000 — was most recently a vice president at Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, the company co-founded by Clinton pollster Mark Penn. He joins Gore’s new environmental advocacy group, The Alliance for Climate Protection, Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider confirmed to Politico.com. The Web site notes that with Hardwick, Gore’s circle “includes a group of political...