Al Gore Endorses Barack Obama

Al Gore informed his supporters

A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama. From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States.

Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America.

I've never asked members of AlGore.com to contribute to a political campaign before, but this moment and this election are too important to let pass without taking action.

That's why I am asking you to join me today in showing your support for Barack Obama by making a contribution to his campaign today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/support

Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action.

With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems.

If you've already contributed to Barack Obama's campaign, I ask that you consider making another contribution. If you haven't, please join the movement right now:

https://donate.barackobama.com/support

On the issues that matter most, Barack Obama is clearly the right choice to lead our nation.

We have a lot of work to do in the next few months to elect Barack Obama president and it begins by making a contribution to his campaign today.

James Carville told CNN that Obama should put Gore on the ticket.

“I think if I was Senator Obama I would say the biggest economic problem we face is the biggest national security problem and the biggest environmental problem,” Carville told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on the Situation Room. “And if I were him, I would ask Al Gore to serve as his vice president, his energy czar, in his administration to reduce our consumption and reliance on foreign energy sources.

“That would send a signal to the world, to American people, to Congress, to everybody, that America's getting serious about this horrendous problem that we face.”

It's an interesting idea. It would help Democratic turnout. Many people are still sore about the 2000 election controversy. Clintonites would be less sore about Hillary's defeat with Gore on the ticket. Gore can reassure voters uncertain about Obama's experience.

The flip side is Gore is a horrible campaigner (Earth tones) and has a political tin ear. Although, Gore's instincts have been tempered by his presidential defeat.

Quote of the Day

"I talk to Al Gore about every three weeks, and we're going to make sure that your home at the North Pole is still available to you."

Barack Obama

We don't hear Hillary Clinton throwing Gore's name out. If Gore endorses Obama that would be very interesting on how that plays with the Clintonites.

Resistance is Futile

I have finally figured out the appeal of Ron Paul. His followers are like the Borg. They hold a meet-up and assimilate. They have spread to Oslo. Resistance truly is futile. (That is until people learn Paul's positions on issues, besides Iraq.)

A Democratic source who is in Oslo today as Al Gore picks up his Nobel and is not totally aware of the passion of the Paulites sends in this dispatch:

"Hard to say why, but there is a significant Ron Paul for President contingent with signs and banners outside [Gore's] hotel."

Where is a Star Trek geek, with a phaser, when you need him.

Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

AL Gore Speech at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony
Uploaded by petulant

I wonder if Rush Limbaugh is still demanding a recount because he feels he was cheated of the prize.

Petulant Rumblings has the transcript of Gore's speech.

Rush Limbaugh Loses Nobel Peace Prize

Conservative talk show host Mark Levin is looking into if Rush Limbaugh was cheated out of the Nobel Peace Prize. Levin's organization the Landmark Legal Foundation nominated Limbaugh. Levin has a fake rage har-on and is shocked that Gore beat Limbaugh.

Levin's blog has audio of his rant.

The Fat Man is getting his fake rage mojo on.

LIMBAUGH: My lawyers at the Landmark Legal Foundation are looking into the possibility of filing an objection with the Nobel committee over the unethical tampering for this award that Al Gore is engaging in. This is clearly above and beyond the pale. I mean, this might happen in high school class president elections and so forth, but this is shameless.

I can't stop giggling as I write this post. Besides there hasn't been any evidence of tampering, I find it hard to believe that these clowns actually believe that Limbaugh at a chance. I love that these people are becoming Onion-style parodies of themselves.

Conservative Reaction To Gore's Win

The conservative talking points against Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize win. New York Sun columnist Seth Gitell states that General David Petraeus should have won the Nobel Peace Prize. He is parroting the line started by Rush Limbaugh.

Charles Krauthammer compares Gore's win to Yasir Arafat's.

"Let's remember what the prize is about. Al Gore now joins Yasir Afafat. The father of modern terrorism.

We won't even get into Krauthammer winning a Pultizer Prize. He does a good enough job destroying his own credibility.

Iraqis were given their freedom, and yet many have chosen civil war. Among all these religious prejudices, ancient wounds, social resentments and tribal antagonisms, who gets the blame for the rivers of blood? You can always count on some to find the blame in America. "We did not give them a republic," insists Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria. "We gave them a civil war."

Krauthammer has an interesting concept of freedom. The Iraqi government doesn't even have the power to remove Blackwater.

The Most Bizarre Rant Against Al Gore Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

Just to show that the left-wing blogosphere can be as crazy as the right. The Cat's Dream writes that Al Gore doesn't deserve the war prize because he is a war criminal. The only reason I read this is because this person spams my email box with posts.

As vice president during the Clinton era, Al Gore did certainly share all the responsibility for the huge crimes against humanity his administration inflicted upon millions of people on this planet. Just let’s remember the genocidal UN embargo and the illegal bombing of the notorious No Fly Zones in Iraq; and then Sudan, Yugoslavia and many other places where Uncle Sam has always been terrifying millions of people with its ugly arrogance and deadly violence. In 1991, before becoming vice president, Al Gore was one of ten Democratic Senators who voted in favor of the first Gulf War. This is just a very brief biography of a top war criminal that in a sane world would be hanged or imprisoned for life.

What is it about blogging that makes people become unhinged?

Al Gore Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Al Gore
Originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein

The Norwegian Nobel Committee named Al Gore the winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. The former Vice-President will share the award with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Gore beat out 181 other nominees.

Even the Bush administration is not going to dare say anything negative about Gore.

"Of course he's happy for Vice President Gore .... He's happy for the International Panel on Climate Change scientists who also shared the peace prize. Obviously it's an important recognition. And we're sure the vice president's thrilled." - White House spokesman Tony Fratto, referring to President Bush.

Gore's former boss handed praise (and takes a potshot at conservatives.)

"Al Gore has been warning and educating us about the dangers of climate change for decades<" Bill Clinton said. "He saw this coming before others in public life and never stopped pushing for action to save our planet, even in the face of public indifference and attacks from those determined to defend the indefensible."

Gore released a statement.

“We face a true planetary emergency,” Mr. Gore said in a statement from San Francisco, where he was on a visit Friday. “The climate crisis is not a political issue; it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity.”

Unfortunately many want to remain polarizing. Glenn Reynolds used the opportunity to disparish Gore.

A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE for Al Gore. I think he makes a fitting addition to the pantheon of Nobel Peace Prize holders.

What Reynolds is too cowardly to come out and say is he is comparing Gore to previous winners such as Yasser Arafat. The prize has also been awarded to Lech Walesa and Nelson Mandala. Both men were imprisoned trying to end tyranny in Poland and South Africa. I doubt Reynolds is comparing Gore with those men.

Kathryn Jean Lopez

On the same wave as Geraghty and Hanson today, Rush Limbaugh just called on Al Gore to hand over this prize to "genuine agents of peace: General Petraus, the U.S. military, and its commander-in-chief.

I defended Petraus againt the Moveon.org attacks. That said, the prize isn't meant for people engaged in warfare. Regardless, of the righteousness of the campaign. That is why it's called the Nobel Peace Prize. The stupidity of K-Lo's and Limbaugh's reasoning is amazing. It's as if someone made the characters from Dumb and Dumber conservative pundits.


Update: Litbrit is going girl crazy for her hero.

Al Gore Conference Call

Taylor Marsh has the audio of the Al Gore conference call.

Gore Still Not Running

Sine.qua.non has the latest results of several recent presidential polls. She is still pulling for Al Gore. The former Vice-President is getting irritated with being asked about plans to run.

Former Vice President Al Gore says he’s still not planning to run for president. That’s how he put it last night at the opening of the Tribeca Film Festival when I suggested that he was just waiting and watching Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battle it out until September when he, Gore, would jump into the race.

Gore narrowed his eyes and looked straight at me. “I’m not planning to do that,” he said.

And what about rumors of Gore for President groups starting to mobilize?

“Oh, that,” he said, rolling his eyes. He didn’t quite say, 'That’s not true.' He came close, but it wasn’t a total denial.

I would love to see Gore run. The Hillary camp would have a fit. It be fun to see her fundraisers jump on the Gore campaign. I wouldn't shed a tear.

Barbara Boxer In Charge

Barbara Boxer let's James Inhofe knows who holds the gavel in the Environment and Public Works Committee now.

Update: Inhofe called global warming a "hoax."

Update: NPR has an audio report.

Update: Gore got into a heated exchange with Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas).

"You're not just off a little, you're totally wrong," said Texas Rep. Joe Barton, the leading Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as he challenged Gore's conclusion that carbon dioxide emissions cause rising global temperatures. Barton and Gore's exchange grew testy at one point — Barton demanding that Gore get to the point and Gore responding that he would like time to answer without being interrupted.

"Global warming science is uneven and evolving," Barton said.

Gore insisted that the link is beyond dispute and is the source of broad agreement in the scientific community.

"The planet has a fever," Gore said. "If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say, `Well, I read a science fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.' If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant. You take action."

Barton is a former winner of the Earth Killer Award. Hope for Peace & Justice gives the award to "those who have worked tirelessly to remove and prevent regulations that would ensure clean air and water for future generations."