Blackburn Roasts Gore

HumanEvents.com ^ | 4/27/2009 | Connie Hair

[2nd amendment mama]

At the conclusion of the week-long hearing on “cap and trade” legislation in the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday, the Democrats’ headline witness was none other than Mr. Global Warming himself, former Vice President Al Gore.

One member of the panel, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), took the opportunity to ask her fellow Tennessean a multi-million dollar question on behalf of “some of his former constituents.”

Throughout Gore’s earlier testimony, he had questioned the integrity of scientists and studies that found the opposite conclusions of his personal view: there is no smoking gun either proving or disproving that the behavior of humans is in any way responsible for climate change. Gore blamed greed and corporate profits for manipulation of outcomes of studies that disproved his theories.

But when Blackburn asked about his investments in green technology and the millions of dollars he stands to pocket at the expense of the American taxpayer should this cap and trade legislation become law, the former vice president was outraged.

Here is a partial transcript of their exchange:

REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN: Vice President Gore… You talked a little bit about people have to have trust in what we’re doing, and I think you know that this bill is going to fundamentally change the way America works, and it’s going to affect families. We’ve all talked about how it affects individuals and what it’s going to do to their budgets and what it’s going to do to jobs in this country. Given the magnitude of those changes, I think that it’s really important that no suspicion or shadow fall on the foremost advocates of climate change legislation, so I wanted to give you the opportunity to kind of clear the air about your motives and maybe set the record straight for some of your former constituents.

I’ve got an article from the October 8 New York Times Magazine about a capital firm called Kleiner-Perkins. Are you aware of that company?

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: Why, yes, I’m a partner in Kleiner-Perkins.

BLACKBURN: So you’re a partner in Kleiner-Perkins, okay. They have invested about a billion dollars in 40 companies that are going to benefit from cap and trade legislation, the legislation that we are discussing here today. Is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?

GORE: I believe that the transition to a green economy is good for our economy and good for all of us, and I have invested in it, but every penny that I have made I have put right in to a non-profit, the Alliance for Climate Protection, to spread awareness of why we have to take on this challenge. Congresswoman, if you’re… if you believe that the reason I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of greed, you don’t know me.

BLACKBURN: Sir, I’m not making accusations, I’m asking questions that have been asked of me and individuals, constituents that were seeking a point of clarity, so I am asking you for them…

GORE: I understand exactly what you’re doing, Congresswoman, everybody here does.

BLACKBURN: Well, are you willing to divest yourself of any profit, does all of it go to a not- for-profit that is an educational --

GORE: Every penny that I have made has gone to it, every penny from the movie, from the book, from any investments in renewable energy -- I’ve been willing to put my money where my mouth is.

BLACKBURN: I am simply asking for clarification --

GORE: [overlapping] Do you think there’s something wrong with being active in business in this country? I’m proud of it

BLACKBURN: -- of the relationship.

GORE: I’m proud of it.

BLACKBURN: Thank you, and I appreciate the answer. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Rep. Blackburn spoke with HUMAN EVENTS in the hallway outside of the hearing after her questioning of Gore.

Blackburn told me, “I have constituents who are very concerned about this,” Blackburn said. “This legislation is going to cost a lot of households a lot of money. We know that. Everybody that we have questioned this week has said yes the price at the pump is going to go up, your electricity rates are going up, even the President said that they would ‘necessarily skyrocket.’

“My constituents wanted an answer to this question. There have been reports that the Vice President was heavily invested in green technologies, and they wanted to know was he doing this because he’s going to personally benefit so that was the nature of my question, it was asked in good faith. As I said, it was an opportunity for him to clear the air -- to set the record straight. I presented the question in that manner, and I wish it had been received in that manner.”

I asked about Gore’s dodging her questions about his personal income from these ventures and his willingness to divest himself from any future earnings.

“I did not get an answer to that question,” Blackburn said. “He just repeated the comment that he had been placing money from the movie and the book into a trust that was used for environmental education. … I did not feel I got an answer to that question.”

Al Gore has reportedly gone from a net worth of $2 million at the end of his Vice Presidency just over eight years ago to a net worth of over $100 million. Using Gore’s standards stated at the hearing, he should have to answer the hard questions about his financial motivations for backing the cap and trade legislation that will wreck the economy, cost millions of jobs and place the disproportionate burden of this massive energy tax on America’s Midwest.

Just how much of this taxpayer money is going to end up in Al Gore’s pocket?

[VRWCmember]

Boom! Roasted!

[xcamel]

FReepmail me to get on or off

Ping me if you find one I've missed.

---

[newfreep]

I recall a thread stating owlgore has received $5B in carbon credit sales by his private, free-market capitalism company. Anyone with more info on this free market investment by the socialist?

[Neoliberalnot]

Gore is a monster of a crook and one of the worst hypocrites in the “green” movement. He is making millions off of this hoax and has much of the world supporting him.

[dennisw]

I don’t believe AlGore that he donates all profits to green bullshit causes. This needs to be verified

[Kansas58]

“Future Profits” is of course, the issue here.

LOL, Gore tries to look the philanthropist and humanitarian, but “funding” his “educational” organizations.

BULL!

If he put his “earnings” into a Political Action Committee, he would not get a tax deduction.

Instead, Gore can contribute to “charities” that Gore CONTROLS, in order to push Gore’s green propaganda on the country.

These “charitable contributions” can be cut off at any time, and then the real “profits” or “cash flow” is 100% there for Gore.

Until that time, Gore can use his political machine, write off the contributions as charity, and wait for the big pay off.

[1010RD]

He’s in business, the business of manipulating government for personal gain. It’s an old business and though similar, not as old as the oldest one.

[BOBTHENAILER]

It’s an old business and though similar, not as old as the oldest one.

Gore has long been exactly the same as those practitioners of that most ancient business.

[alwaysconservative]

Good find; thanks for posting!

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Al is the chairman and founder of the Alliance for Climate Protection, he controls the money he, and anyone else donates.

[tgusa]

“It’s an old business and though similar, not as old as the oldest one”

Just a lot sleazier.

[dila813]

He is slick, here is what he said and this is what he means: He said: "Every penny that I have made has gone to it, every penny from the movie, from the book, from any investments in renewable energy -- I’ve been willing to put my money where my mouth is." This is what he meant: "Every penny that I have made has gone to it, every penny from the movie, from the book, from any investments in renewable energy -- This money is just pocket change compared to the future mother-lode. (You didn't ask me about my future payoff for the increase in investments that others have made at my behest or the money that was invested and is invested on a regular basis" This is a scam, and Gore gets paid from the stock market. I think he learned this out of a movie made in the late 80s. The proof is in the net worth going up, should have asked him directly "why does your net worth keep going up? Everyone wants to know?" Do you have anything in a trust that you aren't including in your net worth?

[I am Richard Brandon]

Only roasted if the heat was strong enough to make him change his operations!

[murron]

It would be interesting to get a look at his tax return for every year he claims he has been donating his profits to non-profits. Wouldn’t he have to claim this on his tax return? If I recall, when he was V-P, he hadn’t donated very much to charity at all.

[Danae]

http://www.examiner.com/x-7715-Portland-Civil-Rights-Examiner~y2009m4d25-Democrats-say-Cap-and-Trade-is-a-big-tax

Al Gore LIED under oath. He lied by Omission, he might be giving his SALARY to his Lobbying firm, but he is KEEPING THE PROFITS which are a LOT higher than any salary ever would have been. So for him to say he isn’t benefiting is an outright lie.

Not to mention he is lying about Global warming, and lying about Man’s role in it. AL GORE IS A LIAR.

[Danae]

Ping to this article...
http://www.examiner.com/x-7715-Portland-Civil-Rights-Examiner~y2009m4d25-Democrats-say-Cap-and-Trade-is-a-big-tax

[xcamel]

Watermelons:

GREEN on the outside, RED on the inside.

[hoe_cake]

The Dems and libs were all over Cheney for Halliburton, and still are.

Gore’s feet should be held to the fire on this one.

[reagan_fanatic]

GORE:"Every penny that I have made has gone to it, every penny from the movie, from the book, from any investments in renewable energy -- I’ve been willing to put my money where my mouth is."

Al Gore has reportedly gone from a net worth of $2 million at the end of his Vice Presidency just over eight years ago to a net worth of over $100 million

*sigh*

Too bad Gore wasn't a Republican - he would have been hammered by every member of Congress for being nothing but a greedy, self-promoting bald-faced liar.