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Subscribe to RSSIn a Rolling Stone article on climate change, former Democratic Vice President Al Gore criticizes President Obama for not leading on the issue.
Gore empathizes will all the other subjects the White House has had to deal with -- the Great Recession, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an intractable Republican Party -- and he praises the green policies it has implemented.
But he goes on to write:
President Obama has thus far failed to use the bully pulpit to make the case for bold action on climate change. After successfully passing his green stimulus package, he did nothing to defend it when Congress decimated its funding. After the House passed cap and trade, he did little to make passage in the Senate a priority. Senate advocates — including one Republican — felt abandoned when the president made concessions to oil and coal companies without asking for anything in return. He has also called for a massive expansion of oil drilling in the United States, apparently in an effort to defuse criticism from those who argue speciously that "drill, baby, drill" is the answer to our growing dependence on foreign oil.
[snip]
Yet without presidential leadership that focuses intensely on making the public aware of the reality we face, nothing will change. The real power of any president, as Richard Neustadt wrote, is "the power to persuade." Yet President Obama has never presented to the American people the magnitude of the climate crisis.
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The wheels on the bus go round and round...
Look there's Al, under the bus!
(gee, I hope it's a hybrid, at least)
He's gonna get Gored here for sure...
Guess Al didn't get the "Leading from Behind" memo.
Maybe he's a racist. He is from the south.
If climate change were real would big fat Al be a climate terrorist?
Multiple mansions, private jets, an obvious penchant for beef.
Poor Al, his money ship has sailed. Obama has saved us from global warming. Yeah!
Spanky: Are you talking about Chris Christie or Al Gore?
I voted for Al Gore and now I would like him to shut his mouth.
Sure, why don't we invest the little bit of money we have left before we run out of money on August 2nd on the environment. Creditors be damned. Bond holders be damned. The global economy be damned.
You must need some extra cash to pay Olbermann and that Current TV thing you got going on so you looking for some publicity?
So, based on the utter dearth of commentary;
Is Al a sacred cow? Totally irrelevant? Both?
Al Gore is a fraud.
How about a report on the sales figures for the Obama-mobile , the Chevy Volt, First Read?
President - Elect Gore has to remember that President Obama has to deal with Republicans-Tea People who don't believe in science and education.
Hey Job1,
You say some silly things at times but this latest comment is just plain dumb. There is no way that you actaully believe what you wrote. I'm a Rep, have a Physics/Engineering degree (Electrical Engineer) and do in fact believe the earth has been around for a few billion years.
So, what kind of science and education are you referring to? Do your Rep friends agree with you?
Job1: See Krell - that gives you some idea of the GOP mindset - deny, deny, deny.
However, why doesn't Gore get out and push that agenda, or why doesn't he criticize Harry Reid for not bringing it up in the Senate. For those who sat and waited for Bush to do anything but start wars and give tax breaks to his cronies, you sure do expect a lot (absolutely everything) from this President. Get off your azz Gore - get off your azz Reid. Do your own work for a change. I sure wish we did not have Mr. Milquetoast Reid as head of the Senate. I know he's done some things, but it "looks" like he just does nothing with his small voice. Hey, Gore, tell Dems to get off their fat butts and do some of the push work for the President. And stop criticizing. Maybe if you had even won your own state things might have been different.
So what am I denying? Its possible I misunderstood Job's comment - enlighten me.
As a whole let's just say that many more of the under educated folks support the Republicans-Tea People.
In all honesty I wouldn't even know how to begin proving or dis-proving your comment. Off hand, I don't know any TP folks. Based on decades of time in engineering, I can accurately say that most engineers are conservative.
Can you prove your statement?
Anyway, would you agree that there is an entire group of people who want a handout from Obama and therfore don't contribute and would rather sit home (they support the Dems)? Educated people (of any group) have chosen not to live like that and actually do something to make a living.
Spot On, Job1
Bravo for addressing Gore with his proper title.
job1 and Clara,
Now I see -- you both are still angry that Bush won. That explains everything.
What will you do when Obama/Biden go down in flames next year?
Well, if it's a fair election, and not decided by 'The Supremes', I'll probably bitch and moan on a message board for four years and start all over again. Not angry at all, just pointing out the OBVIOUS. Funny how you didn't pick up on that without me spelling it out for you.
I'd be more worried about your Skif the "if" than mine,...given your current field of Standard Bearers, though.
President-Elect Gore won the election. However, the Supreme Court handed the election to Governor Bush. The right thing to have done would have been to have a do over election in the state of Fl.
The butter fly ballots alone put President Elect-Gore over the top and that is a fact.
Clara,
When I scanned the comments I saw Job's words about education before I saw the first few words of the sentence. Either way, the past is just that. Based on Job1's comments over time, the Bush-Gore issue is still eating away at him. Their is no undo button.
Hey, I'm angry that Obama won but I don't lose any sleep over it. I'm confident the people of the country will come to their senses (just like in WI) and evaluate Obama on his record, instead of a bunch of hype.
President Obama won in a landslide and President Elect-Gore didn't get to serve. Now we are paying for Mr. Bush's errors in judgement.
I wouldn't call the low 50s % a landslide... 2012 will be interesting - right?
Krell, he only needed 50% + 1 and he got 53%. The landslide part was when he took 365 Electoral votes (McCain only got 173). By almost any contest standards, that's a LANDSLIDE. If you'll recall, Al Gore WON the popular vote; but lost the Supremes,...
compared to Bush/Gore:
Bush 271 Electoral Votes
Gore 267 Electoral Votes
Hardly a 'mandate', would you agree? By Comparison, Obama's election was a complete SLAMDUNK!
Job 1
I'd rather be part of the Republican, Tea Party, under educated folk that has common sense, than a liberal elitist with a condescending attitude toward their fellow Americans.
Uh, please! Stop trying to justify remaining dumb by dismissing as "elite" anyone who posseses more than a high school education. Just because ignorance has become chic in Republican Tea Party circles does not make it so. You may call it common sense but it is nothing but sheer stupidity and recent studies have shown that that kind of ignorance ultimately leads to a shortened life span. Try making the most of your brief existence!
Mad...
I believe that there is a big difference between being "dumb" and "stupid". Myself, I have an MBA and used to be quite liberal until I grew up (matured) and started paying attention, doing research and began using my "common sense". I have, over the years, started really listening to people like Obermann, Ratiggan, Maddow, etc and they are so slanted and "cherry pick" their talking points, that they have become, and are completely, disengenious and not very believable, just progressive hacks. Most of the progressive/socialists DO NOT have the best interest of the USA, just their beloved "cult" (liberal) beliefs.
And I do believe that most of the "elite" progressive/socialists think that they are above everyone else and IMO have really gotten above their raising (cliche).
Just Saying...