Gore takes global warming crusade to Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Gore -- star of an Oscar-winning movie, former U.S. vice president and the object of 2008 presidential speculation -- on Wednesday took his crusade against global warming to Capitol Hill.

Glad-handing like the lifelong politician he was until losing the 2000 presidential race to George W. Bush, Gore called his return to Congress "an emotional occasion."

But he did not mince words on what he termed the current climate crisis: "Our world faces a true planetary emergency."

Before a joint House panel dealing with energy, air quality and the environment and the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, Gore stressed the need for quick action.

Under often contentious but consistently civil questioning at both hearings, Gore discussed the risks of sea level rise, stronger storms, more wildfires and other ills associated with global climate change, and urged an immediate freeze on U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.

After that, he said, the United States should begin a program of sharp reductions in carbon emissions "to reach at least 90 percent reductions by 2050." He also proposed a tax on carbon emissions.

Gore, a Democrat who represented Tennessee in Congress before serving as vice president under President Bill Clinton, had enough star power to pack a large hearing room and require three overflow rooms -- two for the public and one for media.

He has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and has prompted intense curiosity in Washington about whether another presidential bid is in prospect. So far, he has said no but has not categorically ruled it out.

Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican and Washington's most vocal skeptic about the human causes of global warming, pressed Gore to commit to cutting his personal home energy consumption to no more than what the average American household consumes -- without paying for carbon offsets, which Inhofe dismissed as "gimmicks used by the wealthy."

Gore demurred, but later said, "We live a carbon-neutral life, senator, and both of my businesses are carbon-neutral. We buy green energy, we do not contribute to the problem that I am joining with others to solve."

Living a carbon-neutral life means calculating how much climate-damaging carbon you emit, cutting emissions where possible and balancing the rest by buying so-called carbon offsets, such as shares in windmills or by planting trees.

Gore has lately faced public questions about his personal "carbon footprint," especially at his home in Tennessee. An aide noted that Gore and his wife Tipper drove to Wednesday's hearing in a black hybrid vehicle.

At the House hearing, he was flanked by cardboard boxes that he said contained some 516,000 letters calling for congressional action to stop global warming.

"This problem is burning a hole at the top of the world in the ice cover that is one of the principle ways our planet cools itself," Gore said. "If it goes, it won't come back on any timescale relevant to the human species."

Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, questioned the scientific basis for global warming as presented in "An Inconvenient Truth," the Academy Award-winning documentary that featured Gore.

Barton said a carbon tax would "harm the American family" adding, "A Kyoto-style cap and trade system will mainly increase the cost of electricity."

As for Gore's proposed freeze on carbon emissions, Barton said it would mean "no new industry, no new people and no new cars."

Other legislators, including former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, said they agreed with much of what Gore said about climate change and its effects, but questioned the economics of tackling the problem and wondered whether any U.S. measures would put it at a competitive disadvantage with countries like China and India.

Former Vice President Al Gore prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 21, 2007, before the Senate Environment Committee hearing on global climate change. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The Inconvenient Truth is , Al, you're full of sh*t.

You know it, We know it. Go home and feed the fish. Polish your Oscar, but take this lunacy and leave and spare us the circus act.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_qeWnS7Eig

Al proves that the apple (try saying that last word with two fingers in your mouth and you'll be much closer to the word I wanted to use but couldn’t) doesn't fall too far from the tree.

Americans have memories shorter than Bill Clinton's (fill in your favorite male body part here) so a little review of history is in order -- not that anyone will remember any of this when Al launches his dark horse shot at the White House.

Al's old man was a bud to Armand Hammer who was the ONLY American (and I use that title very loosely here) allowed to fly his private jet into and out of the USSR under Stalin and his successors without either US or USSR diplomatic clearance. Hammer cranked up and ran many businesses for old Uncle Joe, starting with a pencil factory as they had to keep records of those 60 million kulaks Uncle Joe starved to death.

Old Armand gave Al, Sr. TONS of campaign dough and Al, Sr. carried Armand's water on Capitol Hill for years. Hammer even bragged that he had Gore, Sr.”.. in his pocket.” (GOOGLE “ARMAND HAMMER AL GORE, SR.” FOR THE FULL STORY)

And here's a REAL piece of irony: While Hammer owned around a 1% stake in Occidental Petroleum, he had virtual control. Occidental was responsible for the LOVE CANAL toxic waste mess in New York. Gotta wonder how much of born-again envirowhacko Al, Jr's current assets flowed from the profits Hammer and Occidental generated from burying those thousands of barrels of sickening toxic sludge at Love Canal.

And, of course, we would be remiss if we failed to mention the half a mil the Gore Corps earned from the strip mining of a large section of their Tennessee homestead.

Gee, could that be why Al is on his current crusade? Guilt? A heartfelt desire to purge the sins of his old man??

NYAAHHHHHHHHHH...!!!!

PS: AND IF YOU STILL THINK THIS GUY IS SMART ENOUGH TO BE PRESIDENT, GO HERE

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/gallery.html

AND CLICK SOME OF THE AUDIO FILE LINKS. I WATCHED THE ONE ABOUT “WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE…?” LIVE IN JANUARY OF ’93 ON C-SPAN AS IT HAPPENED AND FELL OUT OF MY SEAT LAUGHING AT THIS CLOWN.

You may, too, when I explain how it went down. Gore had just been told who “these people” were by the Monticello guide then walked around the short partition wall on which the portraits hung to the paintings on the other side – THEN WALKED BACK AROUND TO THE FIRST PORTRAITS and asked the guide – FOR A SECOND TIME – “WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?”

And there was a follow-up gaff a few minutes later when asked by one of the school kids bussed in from DC for the front porch photo-op what he and Clinton hoped to accomplish for the country, Gore replied that they wanted to make it “…more better…”

And this guy wants to be president??

God save us!!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.