Review of Gore Book and Link to Diane Sawyer's Interview with Him! (MUST WATCH!)

[KoKo]

Gore Blasts Bush in 'The Assault on Reason'
Former Vice President's Book a Searing Assault on the Bush Administration ....by Jake Tapper


Gore writes that since "Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attack&then that means the president took us to war when he didn't have to and that over 3,000 American service members have been killed&unnecessarily."

When asked if that meant U.S. troops had died in vain, Gore said Monday that "those who serve our country are honored in memory" but that the issue is "there is hardly anybody left in America&who doesn't believe that it was a terrible mistake to invade a country that didn't attack us. But all of the evidence necessary to make that judgment before we invaded was available&We have been making a series of really important, really big mistakes, and the question is how can we reinvigorate the role of 'We the People' in American democracy so that we're part of the conversation and so that those (in power)&are listening to reason, are looking at the facts and not brushing past them."

It seems likely that even if Gore opts not to run for president in 2008, this book may serve to drive presidential candidates, including Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Barack Obama, D-Ill., and former Sen. John Edwards, even further to the left, both in rhetoric and substance. The former Tennessee congressman and senator accuses his former colleagues on Capitol Hill of complicity with what he sees as nefarious deeds committed by the Bush administration. The book opens with Gore wondering why Senate Democrats were so silent during the debate before going to war in Iraq and toward the end faults them for being so silent about the administration's warrantless surveillance program.

Naming Names

He doesn't assail any Democrats by name. Bush, however, he names. Over and over.

"President Bush has repeatedly violated the law for six years," Gore charges, regarding the warrantless surveillance program. He argues that the president does not need the enhanced domestic surveillance powers he has sought and received, often in secret, but that the competent use of the information already available would have been sufficient. Such as, for instance, the fact that Sept. 11 terrorists Nawaf Alhazmi and Khalid Almidhar were already on a State Department/INS watch list.

He does not flatly state that Sept. 11 would not have occurred during a Gore administration. But, he writes, "Whenever power is unchecked and unaccountable, it almost inevitably leads to mistakes and abuses. In the absence of rigorous accountability, incompetence flourishes."

More of the review and the VIDEO of Sawyer Interview with him here..........

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3195676&page=1

[SharonRB]

1. Thanks for the link

I had to leave for work before this part of the show came on.

[Pirate Smile]

2. .

"In the book, Gore is accusatory, passionate, and angry. He begins discussing the president by accusing him of sharing President Richard Nixon's unprincipled hunger for power -- and the book proceeds to get less complimentary from there. While Gore stops short of flatly calling for the impeachment of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, he certainly gives the impression that in his view such a move would be well deserved. He calls the president a lawbreaker, a liar and a man with the blood of thousands of innocent lives on his hands.

Most of Gore's ire stems from, not surprisingly, the war in Iraq, a war that Gore opposed from the beginning. Bush, he writes, "has exposed Americans abroad and Americans in every U.S. town and city to a greater danger of attack because of his arrogance and willfulness."

-snip-
Sept. 11, Iraq and al Qaeda
But in the book Gore sheds his inner Marshall McLuhan for his inner Michael Moore, saying that if "Bush and Cheney actually believed in the linkage (between Iraq and al Qaeda) that they asserted -- in spite of all the evidence to the contrary presented to them contemporaneously -- that would by itself in light of the available evidence, make them genuinely unfit to lead our nation. On the other hand, if they knew the truth and lied, massively and repeatedly, isn't that worse? Are they too gullible or too dishonest?"

[rosesaylavee]

3. God I love that man!

He called Diane on all her sh** every time she pulled it out. Love that interview! Recommend everyone watch that video in the upper right hand corner of the linked page.

Love it!

[Larkspur]

4. Me Too!

[rosesaylavee]

5. Kick for lunchtime crowd

[Straight Shooter]

6. I could listen to Al Gore speak all day.

People who make sense hold my attention.

Thank you very much for this link.

By the way, Al, you look terrific and I don't give a rat's patooie if you gain weight, lose weight, or stay right where you're at. You're beautiful. :)

[Adelante]

7. He's on Larry King Wednesday night, KoKo

For the whole hour.

[NYCGirl]

8. Tuesday night.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/larry.king.live/

[Adelante]

10. Whoa, thanks!

I thought I heard them saying Wednesday and I would have missed it for sure.

[KoKo]

9. Thanks for the heads up!

[tinfoilinfor2005]

11. Goes opposite American Idol, not that the majority of that target

audience would be Larry King watchers, but unfortunately it will be the last episode where the winner is determined so it might take away some of Larry's audience.

[Bullet1987]

12. I'm offically a Gore fan!!!!

GORE/OBAMA 2008!!!

[marlakay]

13. The comments section is nasty!

A bunch of anti gore republicans are spewing out lies and hate and I tried to write but got no where. Does anyone have time to write in?? There are some good comments but the right wing zealots have taken it over mainly...

Why is it that the country listens to these crazies?? oh yeah...the media is owned by them...

[KoKo]

14. The comments were really bad when I posted this here this a.m.

I figured it's just the typical ABC CRAP! They seem biased against Dems and Stephanopolis did a trash interview with Nancy Pelosi on the Sunday show.

I was glad to see Gore turn it around on Sawyer and maybe their "peeps" over there couldn't handle that and had to strike back.

[Guaranteed]

23. Look at this awesome comment:

"The very fact that Gore's comments are labeled "incendiary" by the author of this ABC piece illustrates the very issue that is central to Gore's premise: that the whole discourse in America has been perverted. Those that have learned how to manipulate the media by spin and distortion have succeeded to such a degree that to point out the obvious fact that the Bush Administration is perhaps the most dishonest, arrogant and incompetent administrations in U.S. history is labeled extreme, partisan or “incendiary”. The MSM, bless their vacuous corporate hearts, tries for the most part to present both sides of an issue. They take a “he said, she said” approach instead of digging down to the bedrock of fact and truth – as investigative journalism should work. It’s journalism on the cheap. And the result is that those that know this can simply justify anything by moving the goal posts to the extreme, letting the MSM “split the difference”, and labeling the counter argument – or the person making the argument – as extreme. Thus, Gore is an “incendiary” partisan. If splitting the difference doesn’t work, find a way to discredit or smear the critic and unleash the loyal sycophants in the right-wing talk radio and cable TV arena to repeat well-framed talking points. It’s worked like a charm and it has corrupted the political discourse in America to such a degree that we’ve created a parallel universe completely crafted by expert spin doctors. Is this a great country or WHAT? (The answer for those of you too dense to walk, talk and chew gum at the same time is that this ONCE was a great country.)"
Posted by:
johnbonbobon 11:34 PM

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[Grandrose]

15. VP Gore was Great....

Diane was a hack. Hope this book is a best seller and VP Gore is drafted to run, we desperately need his wisdom and knowledge more than ever!:applause: :kick:

[KoKo]

16. ABC Poll has 60% for Gore with Fred Thompson at 18 % just now!

:eyes: Yet the Comments on the site are mostly Freepers!

[KoKo]

17. ABC Poll on the site still has Gore Leading Overwhelming with Thompson next and

Newt Gingrich moves into Third Place! Sheesh...the ABC people aren't into "declared candidates" ...just those who are fantasy candidates. What's that all about? :shrug:

[MasonJar]

18. Please, Al, do what is best for the world. I trust you to make the right

decision. That is please choose the way which will be most beneficial in stopping global warming and the death of our world. Maybe the power of the presidency would be just the ticket. We all want you to be our president.

[illinoisprogressive]

19. wonder who he will endorse if he doesn't run. which I don't think he will

I absolutely love the man but, I do not think he will run. I have not for a very long time.

[CTD]

20. I finally figured out what Gore is up to with this book

...and the book tour interviews.

I suspect he is test-marketing his message, and how it plays will determine whether or not he enters the race.

Back in 2000, as he noted in the book excerpt posted online, he was criticized for his sighs during the debates with W. Repeatedly in the excerpt, Gore laments the victory of style over substance. But he knows that "substance" is his thing, it is what he does best. So unless the climate has changed significantly or unless he manages to change the climate in advance of a run, he would only lose were he to run.

So, it looks to me like he's making a case for substance (a pre-emptive attack of sorts) and, at the same time, attempting to shame the media into focusing on substance for this election cycle. So, with the book out and him doing the interview circuit, I imagine that how that message is received over the next few months will determine whether or not he decides to enter the race.

If he can frame the debate on his terms and set the stage to dismiss baseless attacks with the help of a "shamed" media, the race is his to win. But if, as in 2000 and 2004, anyone can say anything and have it repeated ad naseum in the media echo chamber, Gore will lose to the guy with the lowest morals and largest war chest (Hillary?).

Looking at the book excerpt and this interview in this light makes it all make a lot of sense. I think it explains the angle Gore has taken, focusing on the internet as the savior and TV as the problem. Since I'm inclined to think that he'd be the best candidate running were he to get in to the race, I'm inclined to forgive the deception.

[Doremus]

21. Wow, excellent insight. I believe you're right.

And if indeed it's true, it doesn't bode well for those of us who would love to see him run.

Perhaps I'm too cynical, but I don't think anything's evolved much at all. :(

[CTD]

25. I don't think he expects most of the public to "get it", but...

...but as long as the media gets it and is somewhat shamed into reporting substance, then Gore could get in.

I think it's really up tot he media and how they play Gore's book as to whether or not he gets in. If it's all along the lines of "he claims to have INVENTED the internet, so it's no surprise he likes it" or drivel about his weight or sighs or "tree hugging", then there's no way he's getting in.

But if he's successful at changing the media's focus, just like he has been with global warming, then he's in.

[Guaranteed]

24. That is an unbelievably insightful post.

That's certainly part of it. But he's just right, in any case- it's substance, not style, that matters. People need to remember that. What he's doing is all good, whatever the motive.

[NastyDiaper]

26. Not deception.

The decision to become a candidate has not been made, and Gore has never said anything different. The decision not be a 600 day candidate has been made, and it's up to us to reserve a spot for him, if we would like to see Gore as a candidate. That's my hope, and with Gore polling 15 ish percent I feel that I'm not alone.

Al Gore would be happy if everyone, both parties, all candidates embrace the climate crisis (Most Dems have the ideology right but...)

The decision to run or not to run has not been made. And it will not be made until at least the end of the summer. If the horses are already out of the gate because the media says they are, well, that sux.

(I agree with most of your excellent post and hope it happens as stated. I think only that Gore honestly believes that it will be too late to enter into a campaign that he's willing to run. Thus it's not deceptive to say 'unlikely to enter')

[Guaranteed]

22. Yup. This book is going to set the stage for this campaign.

Even though he says he, at the moment, is not a candidate.