Posted on 01/16/2006 3:06:55 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
Former Vice President Al Gore today invoked Martin Luther King’s legacy in a wide-ranging attack on President Bush’s handling of war on terror—accusing the president of breaking the law and calling the war in Iraq a “colossal mistake.”
Gore delivered an animated and passionate speech that latest nearly 90 minutes. His address was co-sponsored by the American Constitution Society and Liberty Coalition. MoveOn.org heavily promoted the event to its members.
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. Although Bush’s efforts are directed at suspected terrorists’ activities, Gore compared it to government wiretaps that were used on King’s phones.
He accused Bush of breaking the law and, while stopping short of suggesting impeachment, made clear his desire to make the issue a headache for the president.
“What we do know about this pervasive wiretapping virtually compels the conclusion that the president of the United States has been breaking the law—repeatedly and insistently,” Gore said.
“A president who breaks the law is a threat to the very structure of our government,” he concluded.
Gore shifted gears throughout the speech—attacking the Iraq war, slamming Judge Samuel Alito and bashing the Medicare prescription drug program—but the underlying point was Gore’s view that Bush was accumulating a dangerous amount of authority.
He called on Congress to take back power from the White House. He said the Iraq war was but one example of Congress’ failure to provide a check on the administration.
“Recently, for example, we learned from just-declassified documents after almost 40 years that the Gulf of Tonkin resolution … was actually based on false information,” Gore said. “And we now know the decision by Congress to authorize the Iraq war 38 years later was based on false information.
“Now the point is that America would be better off knowing the truth and avoiding both of these colossal mistakes in our history,” Gore said. “And that is why following the rule of law makes us safer.”
I'd like to look like a young Elizabeth Taylor.
I doubt either one of us will get our wish.
No, they gave them the day off.
I'd like to know, too. But I'm damn glad we didn't have to find out.
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.
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?
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?
Why do I like FR? I don't have to post anything when fellow freepers post my exact thoughts. LOL
And Slick didn't make a guest appearance???
Obviously, that doesn't include a Democrat President who lies to a grand jury.
I need a breathing device to compliment the waders.
90 minutes of Gore, its like one of the old Kremlin speeches or a short Fidel speech.
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...
No, President Bush is a threat to "Democrat-cy".
Bush calls Gore a zit on a donkey's butt.
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.
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