Al Gore's Promise to Us When Democracy Was Usurped in the Bloodless Coup of 2000.

[Kurovski]

DECEMBER 13, 2000

"Some have asked whether I have any regrets and I do have one regret: that I didn't get the chance to stay and fight for the American people over the next four years, especially for those who need burdens lifted and barriers removed, especially for those who feel their voices have not been heard. I heard you and I will not forget."

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/transcripts/121300/t651213.html

[Greeby]

1. I wonder, if Al hadn't conceded and had kept going

Would the coup have remained bloodless?

[WinkyDink]

2. I'd like to think not, and the "bleeders" should have been the suited punks banging on the doors

in the Miami courthouse.

[aquart]

3. For most of us, yes.

They were using the judiciary, the media, Congress, and locally infiltrated elections. But that doesn't mean that there would not have been selective tragedies. Or small plane accidents.

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

8. I do not get this...

After the Supreme Thugs decided, what *could* he have done? Physically occupied the WH? Hell, they were on the streets protesting his rightful occupation of the Veep's house. Did any of us go and shout those thugs down? If he had marched on the streets refusing to concede, how many of us would have marched with him in support?

[Kurovski]

18. Gore has recently said that nothing short of possibly bloody insurrection

would have changed anything at that point. (I will try to find his exact quote.)

In Justice Breyer's dissent ("Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's Presidential election...") there was still uncertainty expressed.

Americans simply would not take to the streets under such circumstances.

We now know 2000 was indeed stolen. The consortium recount, coupled with the purging of voter rolls have revealed the truth of 2000.

Despite what the reactionary, corrupt, manipulative and aggressive right-wing believes, this nation is set up to resolve all differences in a peaceful manner wherever possible.

I now believe the resolution may in part be found with a Gore presidency, and certainly in the conviction of Bush administration criminals, and possibly the impeachment of Supreme Court Justices, if it ever comes to that. And it should.

[Hekate]

33. He said he took it to the highest court in the land, & beyond that there is only revolution...

...which idea he doesn't support, nor do the American people.

There's NO higher authority than the SCOTUS. We were well and truly screwed. For all the foolish talk here sometimes about revolting, it won't happen because the vast majority of Americans don't do that or support that.

An exact quote would be nice. I don't remember which interviewer he said it to recently...

Hekate

[autorank]

4. K*R - Great quote - the past is prologue

Gore won in 2000.

He had NBC and FOX call the election at the behest of Bush's cousin in the case of Fox and apparently the Chairman of GE (owner of NBC) in the case of Jack Welch.

He called for a state wide recount and got only the counties selected.

He couldn't even get those recounted because of the preppy riot.

He fought on and on...and

Then followed the laws when the Supreme Court five disgraced themselves forever and ever with the worst decision, Gore versus Bush.

Gore did fight, he did obey the law, and he grew tremendously as a human being. He's probably better prepared to lead and succeed after these years. He has a great shot if he takes it, and if he does, we got a shot.

Excellent post!

TexThe Preppy Riot - check out who these rioters are because their riot at the Miami Dade city offices handling the recount caused (or gave an excuse) the recount on Miami Dade to be stopped.

Was tthere an investigation?

Where are these people? How did they get to Florida?

How many riots in city buildings in your community have been
populated exclusively by Capitol Hill staffers?

[Senator]

7. Exactly. And as then, Gore fails us again.

All blather. No impeachment.

He conceded OUR election. Now talks about HIS regrets -- HIS lost chances.

WE should have heard from HIM. That's what he "forgets."

(And FWIW, high court treason is not "the law." Justice Breyer instructed Gore what to do. He opted for weakness. We've lived the consequences.)

--

[Clark2008]

9. What did Breyer tell Gore to do?

I haven't heard this aspect.

Thanks, in advance. :hi:

[Senator]

32. You can read it in his dissent

He wrote that Congress had the duty to disallow the unlawful Florida electors -- during the counting on January 6th, 2001.

Gore stood mute -- only offering concession -- from Dec 12, 2000 on.

Thousands sent letters demanding the known consent of the governed be implemented. But unlike in 2005, when we did get Sen. Boxer to object to the unlawful Ohio electors, no Senator joined the objection in the House. Gore personally gaveled down the attempt as presiding officer. This part many recall from Fahrenheit 9-11.

In fact, while leafletting the movie's opening weekend, the comment we most heard was not about the Saudis or the war dead but instead was "I hate my Senator."

----

[WiseButAngrySara]

12. I'd like to know what Justice Breyer instructed Gore also! ....n/t

[NYCGirl]

15. I'm also waiting to hear about what Breyer said. NT

[Kurovski]

20. I'm also waiting to hear what Breyer's instructions were.

Did Breyer imply or state that impeachment of the five supreme Court Justices was in order?

Gore's regrets were tied up in America's vote to see him as their president. Not quite as selfish as you imply. And he said it in 2000, not "now", as is implied by you here.

I disagree that Gore is failing us now. Even without the office of the presidency, he has done more for the good of America and the world than any one Republican in this administration has done in seven years.

He is the antithesis of the illegal president and administration now in power when it comes to moving the nation forward.

[autorank]

31. My heart's with you Senator but my mind is with the path Gore took.

He couldn't foment insurrection, that would have been Republican rule forever.

He did not have anyone in the street.

He had Lieberman surrendering by the minute and Rendel was not to forceful himself.

He'd reached the end of the road of Constitutional options.

He gaveled those Florida ballots in and had to watch the Congressional Black Caucus perform
the most patriotic acts imaginable, heartrending. And not one Senator stood (the Moore film
sequence was so powerful showing that). If someone says he told the Senators to stay seated
(even if Gore said that), my response is "So what" they're supposed to do the right thing.
A senior Senator standing up, giving a great speech, would have at least been a better
book mark for the event.

I totally sympathize with you. They were OUR VOTES and he won the popular vote and he won Florida.

But, it's not like conceding* election eve when in many elections large chunks of votes are not
counted (Lehto found that out in San Diebo, CA 50th, 60 thousand uncounted on election night
or close to that, the special election where Busby conceded election night!).

Candidates cannot concede our votes, never, and it's offensive to see them do it; it's a form of theft
until all the ballots are counted and the election is certified as fair and square.

But Gore had no more legal options. The Supreme Court of the United Staets through the five judge
majority SELECTED THE PRESIDENT to their eternal shame.


ON EDIT: Senator, one of the principles established by Lehto's arguments was that you can't concede the election if the facts of the electoin are contrary to that concession.

There was some very interesting stuff that came out about CA 50th:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0608/S00316.htm

[Senator]

34. Your mind is with his continuing rationalizations...

...and dishonesty.

Talk of insurrection -- or Gore's claim of the only other option being "revolution" (whatever he means by that) -- is no different than the shouts of "mushroom clouds" that terrorized the nation into war. It is an appeal to an irrational extreme. But even if it were literally true that violence was in the offing, that would be reason to surrender our core values?

He had not reached the end of his Constitutional options, as Breyer's dissent makes clear. The (formerly) Supreme Court did not "select" or "decide" anything. They merely truncated the Florida election -- thereby invalidating it (further).

Gore was not engaged in a legal process, but rather a political one. And while he can't be held responsible for the failures of the Senators, neither can he take refuge in blaming them or the law. All Gore needed to do was open a mouth -- to say, "this is wrong. I do not concede." Had he done so on December 12th, the nation could have engaged in the necessary debate between Americanism and Stalinism ("...those who count the votes decide everything").

He failed to do it. And he continues to fail to take responsibility for the failure. Like Kerry and the other Dems among the DC/Euphemedia Analstocracy, he refuses to admit to the reality of the stolen elections. He refuses to demand that the war criminals in the regime be prosecuted and punished. It's hardly surprising that he fails to find sufficient REASON to say "Impeachment."

This is all simply the truth of our current dilemma. A very inconvenient truth.

---

[autorank]

36. I'll take a more indepth look at that.

Not that I think you're fudging, in fact you've thought this out more than most I've read on this.

I don't appreciate you linking me with the term "dishonesty" as above, however, if that was your intent (if not, sorry for mentioning it).

Ultimately, in 2008 it's about a) who can get elected and b) what will they do. The #1 with a bullet issue for me and I believe everyone is climate change. The horrors of that are astonishing. I don't have any confidence in any Republican candidate, not even at the 5% confidence level, none, zero. We're dead with them. Of the Democrats, I'm left with, "Maybe they'll recognize the challenge..." Which isn't comforting.

Gore knows the issue inside out. The recent findings in The Independent yesterday or the day before that the acceleration of climate change/warming is x's three what we thought makes this a crisis. I want someone who doesn't need an education on this subject. If he has more to do in 2000, that's fine. If it was as you said, that's not fine but not close to enough to toss him out when he's got the talents and knowledge to deal with the greatest crisis ever for the planet.

On edit.

The Independent link: http://environment.independent.co.uk/climate_change/article2609305.ece

[Senator]

37. It's more "depth perception" that it at issue.

And the link to "dishonesty" is far more with Gore himself, and only to a far lesser extent those that accept it from him. After all, we are still all entitled to believe what we like.

Gore's "dishonesty" is one he shares with the entire DC/Euphemedia Analstocracy -- the denial of the stolen elections and the ongoing war crimes of the regime. This rift between their pretense and our reality is what has been eating like an acid through our society for the past six years and continues unabated.

As for the rest, there is no Dem that has an appreciably better or worse chance of winning in 2008 than any other. That is all just beltway blather. But on the up side, any Dem in office will also achieve similar results on climate change. If anything, Gore remaining on the outside might be slightly more helpful to that effort.

But it really is far more important that we come to terms with how we got here. It is the only way we'll be able redeem ourselves (to ourselves) and be able to effectively take up any future challenges.

--

[autorank]

38. I agree.

It's utterly pointless to go through the human tragedy of war and all the other suffering that comes
from the neglect of humanism and not learn and apply those learnings (my new label I'm adopting, referring to the fact that humans die and suffer, act in ways that make no sense, and accept delusions as though they're doctrine). Iraq's a perfect example. It's thrilling, on one level, that 71% of the public (at least) opposes Bush on Iraq and wants out. But what good comes of that "the next time" a screw ball in office wants to launc one of these illegal adventures unless people understand the basics...

I believe firmly (see "Michael Collins" link below) that our elections have become a sham, a kabuki dance that means little where "we pretend to vote and they pretend to get elected." 2000 was stolen, 2004 was stolen and there are many examples from 2002 and 2006 that support the sham election hypothesis. How utterly misguided we have become as a political party to propose an extension of just one aspect of the fraud, HAVA through the Hold (D-NJ) bill, through enschrining e-voting machines provided by clearly partisan vendors. What do they think? The vendors will be nice to them if they preserve the franchise. The old "spoiled ballots" are now replaced by a new electronic spoilage, which like the past seems without much doubt deliberate.

Moving forward but ignoring the theft of two presidential elections is a formula for future disaster.

I grow weary that there isn't one prominent politician that will say this and that it's a pragmatic bargain to work for and vote for the much lesser version of the great lie.

[WiseButAngrySara]

11. "Supreme Court five disgraced themselves forever" Exactly. And

we are in the mess we are in now, because of the treasonous SCOTUS. Never did I imagine how really bad things would become. Yours is an excellent post also autorank. BTW, do you know where these reTHUGlicans are now? Interesting that not one of them is actually from Florida. What fine noble moral characters they display, like Rove in pre-pubescence.

[StatGirl]

16. None Dare Call It Treason

I still have this bookmarked:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20010205/bugliosi

[WiseButAngrySara]

17. Oh thank you! ....n/t

[autorank]

29. I think that they've moved on up.

That would be an interesting article, one I won't write but I'd sure read it.

One of them moved into a fairly prominent position about 3 months ago. I heard about it, can't
remember his name, and thought, "It's payback time." But that the story sort of dead ended.

They're all doing fine, I'm sure.

I would like to see something on this. Fascinating isn't it. All those people just showed up in
Florida. What a coincidence.

[Kurovski]

27. Thank you, autorank.

sorry for the delay.

[autorank]

30. No problemo Princne Hal;)

[davekriss]

39. Looking at your graphic of the preppy riot...

...one wonders, do they ever quietly acknowledge to themselves that they have blood on their hands? That they aided and abetted a coup that has resulted in thousands of dead U.S. military, tens of thousands of wounded, and 650,000 to a million dead Iraqis?

I hope their health plans pay for mega-doses of ambien, otherwise I don't see how they can sleep.

[liberalla]

5. "I heard you and I will not forget."

"I heard you and I will not forget."

Come back, Al Gore!
We needed you then -- but now, we need you MORE THAN EVER!

[Tesla]

6. We heard you also and haven't forgot!!

Al in 08!!

[myrna minx]

10. With grace and gravitas, I would prefer a person to lead the country

who has gone through the "dark night of the soul" so to speak. No one could possibly know what it was like for him on 12/12/00. I prefer a person who will fight for what's right and not who pours over focus group results. I truly hope he runs again. I think it's his time.

[WiseButAngrySara]

13. I so agree!!! The Nation has passed through somewhat of a

'dark night of the soul' as well, IMO, and are just beginning to wake up. Last week was disappointing though, and so was what little I could tolerate of the debates. I so hope Gore runs.

[DemBones DemBones]

19. I think besides 12/12/00, we need to remember he had

to give his speech about the decision, and then preside over the counting of electoral college votes.

Those were tough times for us, but just imagine being Al Gore. He knew he was robbed but he couldn't do anything more after the SCOTUS decision except bow out gracefully, as he did, while being smeared as "Sore Loserman." Amazing how quickly those signs popped up, wasn't it? They were very well-organized. We never saw that coming.

Still, I put about 50% of the blame for the coup on Joe LIEberman for unilaterally stating in a tv interview that all military votes would be counted. We know there were military votes cast in Florida after the election date, when it was obvious Bush was going to lose, and those votes were completely illegal.

LIEberman put Gore in the position of either going along with Holy Joe's saying those illegal votes would not be challenged OR looking like he didn't care about the troops. People who think putting an American flag decal made in China on their car means anything are not reasonable enough to see that illegal is illegal, no matter who cast the late votes. They're not military and wouldn't let their kids enlist but by God they want to protect our troops, whenever someone reminds them that it's their patriotic duty.

The GOP pulling dirty tricks was expected, but Gore's own running mate cut him off at the knees.

I never trusted LIEberman because he was simultaneously running for re-election to the Senate while running for VP, hardly showing confidence in a Dem victory, just in protecting his scrawny ass.

I wish Gore had said, "Joe, it's one or the other, not both." He shouldn't have trusted the weasel.

[Kurovski]

21. Yeah. Lieberman never leaves the house

without buttering both sides of his buns.

[myrna minx]

23. Um, that's a mental image that I could do without. Hot buttered Lieberbuns.

:hi: Kurovski

[Kurovski]

24. "Lieberbuns!"

Otherwise known as the Hot-Double-Cross Lieberbuns. :hi:

In-CREASE-ingly stale, but surprisingly expensive.

[davekriss]

40. (what's the significance of Jarmusch and Waits in your sig line?)

[WiseButAngrySara]

14. 13th rec for December 13, 2000. Run Gore, RUN !!! ....n/t

[Morgana LaFey]

22. He also said this, which I have always found incredibly noble

and AFAIC, he's fulfilling this "promise" now (tho I would LOVE for him to enter the presidential race again):

"Defeat can serve as well as victory to shape the soul and let the glory out."

[Kurovski]

28. I agree that all he's done since then is fulfilling the promise.

His work on GW, his speeches, his warnings, his book. And he will continue.

That's all America ever wants and so rarely gets, a "promise keeper", if you will.

That's a beautiful quote, by the way.

[PATRICK]

25. Gore and the stacked deck

he was never given the narrow chance to 'fight' for his presidency. As it stood, before the Supreme handed him the last in a line of bogus court defeats, had he gained a victory in the ballot count there was still a slate of electors chosen by the state legislature of Florida. The GOP House was more than lined up to deny Gore a challenge to that slate. The press also was a very hard sell. The "let's make a deal crowd" would have been in even higher gear- not to avoid an insurrection in ur fat times- but to use the best good old boy bi-partisan bargaining chip as a kickoff to a wonderful year in 2002.

So had the SCOTUS simply stayed out of it, then Gore was on the starting line to BEGIN mentioning the fluffed off fact that he was the majority vote winner nationwide AND Florida to try and turn the relentless rigged and unsympathetic tide against him. Not once in all the recount controversy had the MSM even allowed the drama to rise above a spectacle for its own sake to entertain the notion that Gore was the justly, honorably elected POTUS. Every meme and momentum favored pushing Gore out of the way. he stuck to the truth and was denied any chance at "winning" the game as the GOP and media portrayed it over and against the easy principles and evidence.

All during this and now, as with the idiot Dems and abominable Joe L., I wonder if Gore ever realized how hopeless the situation was, basing the merest chance of getting through the establishment blockade and media whiteout, as a naive belief it could be achieved. The Dems who vie for bi-partisan surrender queen, do they even get how they were robbed and the system abused for a coup d'etat of raw power? That even the GOP majority considering the fraud exposed openly in 2000 de-legitimized the House majority that could choose Bush over Gore, democracy be damned? Their nervous ideologues were all over the airways preaching how a republic didn't mean that the voters get to pick the president, but in effect the House was our electoral college par excellent. The lectures bordered on justifying abolishing the vote NOT the electoral college which was immediately useful in prying the voters loose from their media hampered choice.

When he jumps to the idea of preventing bloodshed i wonder if he gets the ugly in between. The particular Dem idiots or sellouts who don't get the reality yet much less want to fight it or realize their deals are useless betrayals. The ruthless criminality of the Coup that has never failed to show colors that never make it into the black and white print of the "three monkey for the GOP" media. Just as Gore was never really allowed to "fight" in a real sense for the presidency, just so the people have never gotten to first base to think of organizing any resistance at all to this crap beyond coming to the GOP table with the loaded dice again and again. Still suppressed. Still below the level of most countries with decent parties leading the masses against the tyrants and the fraud and the power. In most of those places there is not much deadly violence, some putting in jail of top dissenting political opponents and more success in fighting back in real terms with a chance of taking back the nation for democracy.

Not a bang, not a whimper and not even a backroom deal like the first stolen US presidency. Just a brush off and silence. And the ferment among the people strengthens as it is ignored adding fuel to the abuses that must follow the theft of freedom.

[Kurovski]

26. This would be a good original post in a new thread.

There are some here who say Gore was not a fighter.

Whether he runs or not, I see his outing of the media--and others--as fighting back. I see his recent book as part of the fight.

[Hekate]

35. Yes. I'd like to see it as an OP, too. nt

[myrna minx]

41. Please post this in an original thread.

I would K&R. This is such an astute essay that I wish more would be able to read.