Gore Calls Bush Threat to Democracy

Human Events Online ^ | 17 January 2006 | Robert B. Bluey

[Howlin]

I'd like to look like a young Elizabeth Taylor.

I doubt either one of us will get our wish.

[Howlin]

No, they gave them the day off.

[TheRightGuy]

I'd like to know what Al Gore (or any of the President's critics) would have done, given the same set of circumstances had he/she/they been in command.

I'd like to know, too. But I'm damn glad we didn't have to find out.

[jveritas]

Much of Gore’s speech was devoted to Bush’s national security initiatives, including the domestic eavesdropping program that Democrats have tried to seize as an issue for the 2006 midterm elections.

Excellent the democrats will fall again in the trap of proving that they are not be trusted at all in the issue of national security and defense, in other words if they make this issue their prime campaign issue, they are going to lose another election, again.

[Howlin]

[faq]

During the 1992 presidential campaign, Al Gore criticized the first Bush administration for it's "blatant disregard" of Iraq's ties to terrorism. On September 29, 1992 Al Gore said, "The Reagan/Bush Administration was also prepared to overlook the fact that the terrorist who masterminded the attack on the Achille Lauro and the savage murder of American Leon Klinghoffer fled with Iraqi assistance." Al Gore went on to say, "There might have been a moment's pause for reflection when Iraqi aircraft intentionally attacked the USS Stark in May 1987, killing 37 sailors -- but the [Reagan/Bush] Administration smoothed it over very fast."

full text of the speech

[Hoodat]

In honor of Martin Luthur King, Jr., did Algore mention how proud he was of his father's civil rights legacy which included a filibuster against the Civil Rights Act?

[Patriot from Philly]

I agree. I hope the Administration doesn't go to sleep for 10 months and allow their enemies to define this issue along with their cheerleaders in the MSM

I had to educate a friend of mine on what this "domestic spying" scandal is all about.

Why isn't the Admin doing more?

[A message]

Why do I like FR? I don't have to post anything when fellow freepers post my exact thoughts. LOL

[birbear]

I'd like to know, too. But I'm damn glad we didn't have to find out.

True dat. Double true.

I guess I'm being naive. I'd just like to hear one of these critics do something other than criticize. Like give us an alternative plan. It'll never happen though. Too much money to be made bashing Bush.

[Fiddlstix]

[JoeSixPack1]

“A president who breaks the law is a threat to the very structure of our government,” he concluded.

And Slick didn't make a guest appearance???

[andy58-in-nh]

“A president who breaks the law is a threat to the very structure of our government,” he concluded.

Obviously, that doesn't include a Democrat President who lies to a grand jury.

[Farmer Dean]

I need a breathing device to compliment the waders.

[ConservativeGreek]

90 minutes of Gore, its like one of the old Kremlin speeches or a short Fidel speech.

[Paul Ross]

Why isn't the Administration doing more?

Frankly, they are BAD at politics. Politics is not a 9-to-5 situation. Sorry to say, but Xlinton was on top of this. His invention of the war room was an essential adaptation to direct and deflect media coverages.

GWB's ending of that approach as either a gesture of bipartisanship or a return to an imaginary halcyon days of normalcy...merely signaled weakness to the RATs...and has proven to be a weakness in fact.

GWB doesn't appear to like the political fray. The best ideas for his defense are right here on Free Republic. I am sure some of his people screen us, but what he really needs is to have Karl Rove seeing how we are feeling. We are going to be an accurate barometer of conservative core sentiment. And if we are getting livid at his lack of response...what are the wish-washies? They have already long since caved in and started saying things like Arlen Specter...

[Redleg Duke]

No, President Bush is a threat to "Democrat-cy".

[Patriot from Philly]

Personally, I would not be sorry to see Karl Rove go with dignity (not indicted by the silly Fitzgerald). I think he is good at elections but poor at policy and PR.

They need some new people in there. 2005 was a fiasco that emboldened the left and their media friends.

[Enterprise]

Bush calls Gore a zit on a donkey's butt.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

“A president who breaks the law is a threat to the very structure of our government,” he concluded.

A president who breaks the law and does not take responsibility for his actions is even worse. Clinton hired (or hired someone who hired) Craig Livinstone, about whose Filegate exploits Rep. Lantos (D, CA) remarked, "Admiral Borda committed suicide over less." That was harsh - but perfectly true. If you're looking for intrusion on the privacy of Americans which was dangerous to the Republic, spying on domestic political enemies as such was a perfect example of what a president should never do. But Clinton did not take responsibility even for hiring someone who hired Craig Livingstone.

Bush told members of Congress what he was doing, and his national security reasons as his authority for doing so. Al Gore has a dim idea of the concept - when he was caught violating the law against using government offices to make phone calls soliciting political donations, he appealed to the fact that no one had ever been prosecuted for violating that law (of course, the law had never been tested because everyone knew that the prohibition would be upheld in court, and only Gore had ever been caught violating it).

Gore said there was "no controlling legal authority" when he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Bush is pleading exactly the same thing - with the difference that he has a colorable argument that the law he was "violating" would not be enforcable in court against him because he actually had the Constitutional authority and duty to do what he did.