Posted on 02/10/2004 2:17:08 PM PST by FlyLow
In a moment reminiscent of Howard Dean, at a Democratic Party event in Tennessee on Sunday night, former Vice President Al Gore launched into guttural screaming in which he charged that President Bush betrayed the country! and played on our fears! But Gores irrational and over the top outburst didnt faze CNN and CBS, which on Monday afternoon and night highlighted Gores rant.
CNNs Wolf Blitzer played a clip of it for Bush aide Dan Bartlett, but when Bartlett started laughing Blitzer scolded him for not taking Gore seriously: You're laughing. Why are you laughing? He's making a very serious allegation against the President. CBSs Byron Pitts seemed to admire Gores rant as he set up a soundbite by observing: Often criticized for being stiff when he was a candidate, he was anything but last night.
Morton Kondracke, however, on FNCs Special Report with Brit Hume, was appalled: I think we can all really thank God that Al Gore was not elected President of the United States. I question whether this man is stable in a crisis. I mean, hes clearly out of control of his words... Noting how Gore alleged that Bush has betrayed the country, Kondracke, a columnist for Roll Call, referred to that as an instance of Gore saying wild things that are beyond the bounds and irrational.
FNC showed this clip of Gores gravelly-voiced, full volume scream: He betrayed this country! He played on our fears! [edit jump] He took America, he took America on an ill-conceived foreign adventure dangerous to our troops, an adventure that was preordained and planned before 9-11 ever took place!
On Monday, neither ABCs World News Tonight or NBC Nightly News showed Gores bombast and neither did any of the broadcast network morning shows, though FNCs Fox and Friends crew had a good time with it.
The CBS Evening News on Monday, February 9, played it during a piece by Byron Pitts on the Democratic primary race. Pitts ran a clip of John Kerry declaring in front of a crowd: Like father, like son: One term and youre done! Pitts added: At a dinner last night in Nashville, even former Vice President Gore was looking toward the fall campaign against President Bush. Often criticized for being stiff when he was a candidate, he was anything but last night. Gore, screaming: He betrayed this country! He played on our fears!
A bit earlier, on CNNs Wolf Blitzer Reports, Blitzer raised Gores tirade during an interview with Dan Bartlett, Bushs Communications Director, who appeared from the White House lawn. Blitzer squeezed in Gore: One final question before I let you go, Dan. The former Vice President Al Gore, he was really angry in a speech in Tennessee yesterday, going after the President. Listen to what he said. Gore: The reason I'm recalling those feelings now is because those are the feelings that were betrayed by this President! [audience cheers approval] He betrayed the country! He played on our fears! Blitzer, as Bartlett can be heard laughing: I want to give you a chance -- you're smiling. You're laughing. Why are you laughing? He's making a very serious allegation against the President. Bartlett quipped: Well, I'm trying to readjust my ear set, because he was screaming so loud. But, look, he's been angry the last three-and-a-half years. That's understandable. He lost the election. And I can see why he's probably a little upset. And his most recent act, where he endorsed Howard Dean, who is no longer nowhere near the front, I'm sure he has a lot to be upset about. But that type of bitterness and anger is simply not going to forward this debate at all....
Earlier, on Inside Politics, CNNs Judy Woodruff described Gores language as harsh, but she treated it as a minor story: Al Gore is denouncing President Bush once again and he's using increasingly harsh language to make his point. His latest remarks in an event last night in Tennessee question the President's rationale for removing Saddam Hussein. Gore: He betrayed this country! He took America on a foreign adventure dangerous to our troops, an adventure that was preordained and planned before 9/11 ever took place. Woodruff simply added: Former Vice President getting pretty worked up in Tennessee last night.
Worked up is putting it mildly. He went nuts! Time for him to check into a rest home.
On the subject of the media - the local NBC affilliate last night got taken in by a pair of apparent DNC operatives. They showed a couple who said they'd been lifelong Republicans but had switched to the Dems because of Dubya and had cancelled their Caribbean vacation to come to TN and campaign for Dudley Clark.
Ho ho hee hee hah hah ho ho, they're coming to take me away, ho ho, ha ha hee hee ha ha...
The newsies in this town are remarkably gullible. Of course, they're all probably DNC material themselves...
Anyone else in primary states see anything like this on the TV news?
Michael
The stupid bast**d, Gore, started screaming because he had too much iced tea, and needed to take a leak!
Adding that to this outburst, what would the syndrome be called in psychiatry?
Is it manic-schizoidphrenia?
Gore = A*le
(somebody last week complained about being able to figure out the 'bad' words by counting the asterisks so I decided to disguise this one).
I think Hannity promised that this will air tonight on Hannity & Dipstick...
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