Gore Denounces Bush Administration for Attack on Civil Liberties

AP ^ | 11/9/03 | Jennifer C. Kerr

[Jean S]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Vice President Al Gore accused President Bush on Sunday of failing to make the country safer after the Sept. 11 attacks and using the war against terrorism as a pretext to consolidate power.

"They have taken us much farther down the road toward an intrusive, 'big brother'-style government - toward the dangers prophesied by George Orwell in his book '1984' - than anyone ever thought would be possible in the United States of America," Gore charged.

Gore, who lost the disputed 2000 presidential election to Bush, said terrorism-fighting tools granted after Sept. 11 amount to a partisan power grab that have led to the erosion of the civil liberties of all Americans.

He was especially critical of the Patriot Act, which expanded government's surveillance and detention power following the terrorist attacks.

Gore chided the administration for what he said was its "implicit assumption" that Americans must give up traditional freedoms in order to be safe from terrorists.

"In my opinion, it makes no more sense to launch an assault on our civil liberties as the best way to get at terrorists than it did to launch an invasion of Iraq as the best way to get at Osama bin Laden," Gore said.

His speech before a crowd of about 3,000 people was sponsored by the liberal activist group Moveon.org, which earlier this year held an online presidential primary in which Howard Dean finished first.

The second sponsor, the American Constitution Society, is a national organization of law students, professors, lawyers and others that says it seek to counter what it characterizes as the dominant, narrow conservative vision of American law today.

AP-ES-11-09-03 1639EST

[river rat]

""In my opinion, it makes no more sense ........"

It was precisely because we DON'T CARE what you think, that we didn't vote for your sorry ass...

Even your home state had it figured out... you're a dumb ass moron!

Semper Fi

[Stultis]

sponsored by the liberal activist group Moveon.org

BZZZZZZZZZT! MoveOn is far left of anything "liberal".

[Hugin]

If Algore was president Sec. of State Strobe Talbot would be returning from his 28th trip to Pakistan to negotiate with the Taliban to extradite Osama bin Laden, noting that the talks were "constructive" and "making progress". Meanwhile the adminstration would be preparing to focus it's efforts on more important issues like finishing the Kyoto II negotiations.

[LouD]

Al who?

[Hugin]

I see we think alike.

[Brilliant]

Their claim is based entirely on the theoretical possibility that the law could be abused, not the reality that it has been abused. Of course, that's a possibility, but I am more concerned about winning this war than I am about the theoretical possiblity that someone's liberties could be trampled by Bush. I feel that my liberties have been trampled by terrorists.

[nothingnew]

Why does anyone print what this loser has to say? He has no over riding legal authority over anything, except what buttwipe towels Tipper buys for him for his repeated bouts of diarreah spouting from his oral orifice.

FMCDH

[areafiftyone]

His speech before a crowd of about 3,000 people was sponsored by the liberal activist group Moveon.org

Nice to know Al Gore is hanging out with communists/socialist and anti-americans. Apparently the only kind of audience that will list to Al Gore talk.

[areafiftyone]

list=listen

[Right_in_Virginia]

I thank God every day that this man is not the President.

Heaven knows I do too.

[tgslTakoma]

Not to worry. AlGore and MoveOn.org had visitors outside DAR Constitution Hall today.

;-)

The D.C. Chapter held a "public education class" for the lefties who were waiting in line to be strip-searched (almost) and metal-detectored and relieved of their cameras before they could gain entry into the Hall to listen to "Mr. Charisma."

BillF is writing an After-Action Report right now. Stay tuned...

[Cobra64]

So, Al-Totem-Pole-Gore; what's YOUR flippin' fix for all of your criticisms of President Bush's policies? You freakin' dolt!

[kcar]

Gore didn't even carry his home state because many people rightly feared the erosion of their (2nd Amendment) civil liberties. Probably lost Florida because Reno's stormtroopers crashed in at 3:00 a.m. and took a little orphaned refugee boy away at gunpoint from a caring free community (that the liberal media "cult-ized" to justify the intrusion) to return him to the worker's paradise state where he'd be much better off anyway.
Gore defending my liberties sounds alot like Bubba couching a girls soccer team.

[TC Rider]

So the Gorebot is accusing the Bush admin of using the Patriot Act as a club against its political enemies, kind of like the way that Hillary used the IRS to audit and harass conservatives for 8 years.

The fact that there is absolutely no evidence of any wrong doing by the Bush admin is no excuse.

yawn

[montomike]

If Al Gore wants to crawl into a lockbox and give me the key, I'll close it, lock it, and throw away the key.

I'll even enjoy this evolution while I do it!

[maxwellp]

"I feel that my liberties have been trampled by terrorists".

Al Gore will never understand your statement, but I do. I definitely feel the same way.

[OldFriend]

There are many many safeguards in the Patriot Act that would prevent american citizens from having their civil liberties abridged.

The left simply ignores the truth and preys on the ignorant.

[StriperSniper]

This is from the Onion, right?

You should know they won't let us post their stuff, must be Broken Newz. ;-)

[WOSG]

Oh, this is rich. Gore is real chapped that HE isnt the one taking away our liberties and freedoms!

"They have taken us much farther down the road toward an intrusive, 'big brother'-style government - toward the dangers prophesied by George Orwell in his book '1984' - than anyone ever thought would be possible in the United States of America," Gore charged.

And he is not talking about the Democrat Party since, oh, say 1932 ???? Assualt weapons ban and "safer bullets", carnivore, waco, higher taxes, regulating the workplace, RICO (even used against prolife groups!), social engineering in the US military, thoughtcrime on campus, FBI raids on innocents like Richard Jewell, corruption at the highest levels, ... ANY OF THIS RING A BELL, MR GORE???

[Bush2000]

Al who?