Posted on 12/02/2006 5:04:50 PM PST by Mr. Brightside
Gore calls out Bush on 9/11
Sen. Albert Gore, Jr. as interviewed by Gentleman's Quarterly :
GQ: Okay, on to 9-11. What were you really feeling? Was there a part of you that felt a sense of relief that you weren’t in charge that day? You mean a sense of relief that I didn’t have to deal with it?
Gore: Oh no. Not at all. Not for one second. Not for one second. Why would I? I mean, well first of all, it just didn’t occur to me to feel anything like that. What did occur to me was to feel what every American felt, the outrage and anger and righteous anger, and support for the President at a time of danger… And, honestly, I was focused on the reality of the situation. And I wasn't president, so, you know, it wasn’t about me. Now, I do wish, now that we have some distance from the events, and we have all this knowledge about what this administration did do, I certainly feel that I wish that it had been handled differently, and I do wish that I had somehow been able to prevent some of the catastrophic mistakes that were made.
GQ: Do you feel that we would be safer today if you had been president on that day?
Gore: Well, no one can say that the 9-11 attack wouldn’t have occurred whoever was president.
GQ: Really? How about all the warnings?
GORE: That's a separate question. And it’s almost too easy to say, "I would have heeded the warnings." In fact, I think I would have, I know I would have. We had several instances when the CIA’s alarm bells went off, and what we did when that happened was, we had emergency meetings and called everybody together and made sure that all systems were go and every agency was hitting on all cylinders, and we made them bring more information, and go into the second and third and fourth level of detail.
GORE (cont.): And made suggestions on how we could respond in a more coordinated, more effective way. It is inconceivable to me that Bush would read a warning as stark and as clear [voice angry now] as the one he received on August 6th of 2001, and, according to some of the new histories, he turned to the briefer and said, "Well, you’ve covered your ass." And never called a follow up meeting. Never made an inquiry. Never asked a single question.
GORE (cont.): To this day, I don't understand it. And, I think it’s fair to say that he personally does in fact bear a measure of blame for not doing his job at a time when we really needed him to do his job. And now the Woodward book has this episode that has been confirmed by the record that George Tenet, who was much abused by this administration, went over to the White House for the purpose of calling an emergency meeting and warning as clearly as possible about the extremely dangerous situation with Osama bin Laden, and was brushed off!
GORE (cont.): And I don’t know why—honestly—I mean, I understand how horrible this Congressman Foley situation with the instant messaging is, okay? I understand that. But, why didn't these kinds of things produce a similar outrage? And you know, I'm even reluctant to talk about it in these terms because it's so easy for people to hear this or read this as sort of cheap political game-playing. I understand how it could sound that way.
GORE (cont.): [Practically screaming now] But dammit, whatever happened to the concept of accountability for catastrophic failure? This administration has been by far the most incompetent, inept, and with more moral cowardice, and obsequiousness to their wealthy contributors, and obliviousness to the public interest of any administration in modern history, and probably in the entire history of the country!
I hate that guy.
What a bloated, effeminate puke.
Why can't Democrat ex-Presidents and vice Presidents just retire quietly like Republicans do? God I wish these people would go away and just STFU.
memo to Algore: *S*T*F*U*
He has lost weight. (and added some grey hair)
he talks as if he and Clinton were just bystanders. who had stewardship of the nation's intelligence and law enforcement apparatus for 8 years, with 9/11 occurring just 7 months after they let office?
YOU AND BILL DID, AL.
Am I wrong or was this supercilious little fart the one who was in charge of airport security overhaul while he was Veep?
He is a major,,well,,I can't think of a word vile enough for him. But you know, you just know, that he was a tattletale in elementary school. And was a rat fink currying favor with the principle by reporting who was smoking dope, all the while smoking alone.
Remember his "government efficiency" improvements? What a crock!
Except for the entire 8 years of the Clintoon Administration.
Other than that, Gore was all over it.
Gore gives idiots a bad name.
I hope this guy runs again.
No doubt he would lose it on the campaign trail, even worse than Howard Dean.
Just like the warnings with WTC in 93, Our Embassies in 98, the USS Cole, Khobar Towers?
Just like the warnings with WTC in 93, Our Embassies in 98, the USS Cole, Khobar Towers?
Guess Al has not been getting the attention in the MSM he thinks he deserves so now it's find another subject to bash Bush on. These dems make me want to throw up.
You are correct. He was in charge of the commision that looked into beefing up airline security. The recommendations made were somehow forgotten when (curiously enough) airlines made significant contributions to the treasure chest of the krinton/algore crime syndicate. Articles exist (WSJ, I think) detailing this little known caper. I'd bet backhoe would know where to dig.
Ditto.
He makes me ill.
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