Did you see Gore on ABC this AM with the little guy with the big head who used to be partners with James Carville and now pretends to be a journalist? Gore looks like a chick who is trying to look like a man.
Indeed, Al Gore was one of only ten Democrats to break with the party and vote for President Bush Sr.’s Gulf War in 1991. But while Vidal sees this as a facet of Gore’s eager-to-please statism, others have attributed his dissenting vote to self-interest. Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson accused Gore of peddling his vote on the Iraq War in exchange for high-visibility, headline-grabbing speech time on the floor. According to Simpson, the night before the vote Gore stopped by the GOP cloakroom and asked, “How much time will you give me if I support the President?” Taking him at his word, Simpson and Senator Bob Dole offered Gore twenty minutes, thirteen more than his own party would grant. In Simpson’s account, over the course of the night Gore jockeyed to have the floor during prime time to ensure that he would get coverage in the next day’s news cycle. The negotiations went right up to the last minute, leaving Simpson to conclude that Gore “arrived on the Senate floor with… two speeches in hand. [He] was still waiting to see which side – Republicans or Democrats – would offer him the most and the best speaking time.”
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Al Gore's Gulf War Vote
Crime/Corruption News Keywords: GORE LIES
Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News
Published: 09/03/2000 Author: Former Senator Alan Simpson
Posted on 10/09/2000 20:05:38 PDT by joyce11111
From the Denver Rocky Mountain News
Al Gore's Gulf War Vote
Author: Former Senator Alan Simpson
Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore's new campaign ad is running in your state and says he is "fighting for us." But the true story of his Gulf War vote says he is usually fighting for Al. Here is the inside story of what happened.
The Gulf War vote was pretty serious business. I can't think of anyone who didn't have a lump in his or her throat as they weighed the situation - 500,000 American troops already deployed; Iraq's Saddam Hussein promising the "mother of all battles"; most "experts" predicting heavy American losses.
The choice was not easy. Senators with combat experience on both sides of the aisle were on both sides of the issue. Some Democrats openly supported the measure; some Republicans openly opposed it. And vice versa.
As Republican whip, I worked with the Republican leader Bob Dole and the Democratic leaders, George Mitchell and Sam Nunn, to schedule the debate.
As Republicans, Sen. Dole and I were responsible for scheduling time to speak for senators who supported the war. As Democrats, Sens. Mitchell and Nunn were responsible for scheduling time to speak for those who opposed the war.
The night before this monumental debate, I sat in the Republican cloakroom with Sen. Dole discussing the debate schedule for the next day. Then a senator walked in and asked to speak to us. It surprised Bob and me because he was a Democrat coming to ask for a favor.
He was Tennessee Sen. Al Gore Jr. Sen. Gore got right to the point: "How much time will you give me if I support the president?" In layman's terms, Gore was asking how much debate time we would be willing to give him to speak on the floor if he voted with us.
"How much time will the Democrats give you?" Sen. Dole asked. "Seven minutes," came the droning response. "I'll give you 15 minutes," Dole said. "And I'll give you five of mine, so you can have 20 minutes," I offered. Gore seemed pleased, but made no final commitment, promising only to think it over.
Gore played hard to get. He had received his time. But now he wanted prime time. And Dole and I knew it.
After Gore left, Dole asked Republican Senate Secretary Howard Greene to call Gore's office and promised that he would try to schedule Gore's 20 minutes during prime time, thus ensuring plenty of coverage in the news cycle. Later that night, Gore called Greene and asked if Dole had him in a primetime speaking slot. When Green said nothing had been finalized yet, Gore erupted: "Damn it, Howard! If I don't get 20 minutes tomorrow, I'm going to vote the other way."
The following day, Gore arrived on the Senate floor, still waiting to see which side - Republicans or Democrats - would offer him the most and the best speaking time. Sen. Dole immediately asked the Senate to increase the amount of speaking time for both sides. I believe only then, after Gore realized we were asking for more time to make room for him on our side,that he finally decided to support the resolution authorizing the use of force to drive Hussein out of Kuwait.
It brings me no joy to recount the events leading up to the Gulf War vote. It isn't something I wanted to do. But it is something I have to do.
I was there. I have to set the record straight because the Gore campaign is now running an ad proclaiming that Al Gore "broke with his own party to support the Gulf War." In reality, it's much closer to the truth to say he broke for the cameras to support the Gulf War.
And I have to set the record straight because the Gulf War vote was far too important an issue to fall victim to politics and repulsive revising. It was a moment of challenge. Sadly, Al Gore was not up to it. In January of 1991, Al Gore put politics over principle.
Alan Simpson is a former Republican senator from Wyoming.
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39e287820a1d.htm
Thanks! Just as I remembered it.
Good old Al Gore. Supporting the highest bidder.....
bump
Did you see Gore on ABC this AM with the little guy with the big head who used to be partners with James Carville and now pretends to be a journalist? Gore looks like a chick who is trying to look like a man.
ref #319, Huge Post.....I am so glad you brought all this back for us and others to see clearly. I thought it was Hatch,but you are so right about this it was Dole and Simpson. A lot of us need our memories refreshed because we try to absorb too much.