Posted on 06/08/2002 4:54:38 PM PDT by ReaganRevolution
Gore Slams Bush for Refusing Global Climate Report Sat Jun 8
MADISON, Wis. (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore on Saturday criticized President Bush for refusing to accept a federal agency report that blames humans for global warming.
The recently released Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report appeared to back the view of many scientists who believe global warming is caused mainly by emissions from automobiles, power plants, and oil refineries.
Bush appeared to dismiss the report, calling it a product of bureaucracy, and said he would continue to press for voluntary efforts and financial incentives for U.S. companies to reduce emissions.
Gore, the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee and a champion of environmental protection as vice president, said the president had succumbed to powerful interests that run the Republican Party and rejected the report rather than accept it and do something about global warming.
"That's not a moral choice," Gore said. "I don't want to hear from this bunch: 'We didn't know'."
Gore has questioned Bush's policies on the economy, environment and values in previous appearances since emerging from a year of political seclusion in February. He has not said whether he will make another run at the White House in 2004.
The Bush administration has put "lobbyists for the polluters in charge of policies" and put "the hungriest fox they could find" to guard government henhouses, Gore said.
The Bush administration had repeatedly emphasized that there was not enough scientific evidence to link global warming to industrial emissions and has refused to sign the Kyoto Treaty, which seeks to reduce worldwide atmospheric emissions.
The State Department has submitted the report by the EPA, whose top officials are appointed by the president, to the United Nations.
Republicans want to turn their back on the environment rather than embrace new technologies that can clean up the environment and create jobs, Gore said.
"It is our moral responsibility and it's our economic opportunity,' Gore said.
Which one?
You might be right. But I resent Green Al's hypocricy. How dare him call anyone immoral when he sucked up to Bill and Hillary just to further his own ambition to be president. The creep has no redeeming value.
Seems to depend on whether you ask Al Gore or Rush Limbaugh?
The following is still nice regardless of what Rush and the naysayers are saying.....
Republican approval is at 96% in the current poll, off one point from last week but just above the average level since March.
Since Al Gore is human (although some might argue against it), I guess the report could have some truth. Every time he opens his mouth a lot of hot air does come out.
It was either Jerry Spinger or Lou Dobbs who said controversy generates audience. A news talk show with out controversy dies in short order. The worst thing that can happen to a news talk, is for his guy to get elected and be wildly popular.
Rush needs to keep his 22 million like Jay Leno needs to win 11:30 eastern. It is ego and drive. The radio talk show audience is finite. It is about 30 million listeners. Rush has about 22 million of them. Reseach shows they will on average listen no more than 3 hours a day each to talk. So if someone grabs an hour in the AM that is an hour Rush doesn't get in the PM.
The days of Rush being the only game in town are over.
And just like Springer did in his show,when faced with competition, Rush will ramp up the controversy. The controversy to be real controversy must involve Bush.
This is not about political theory. This is about the audience threat of O'Reilly, the guy on before Rush on Clear Channel, Savage, Sean, Reagan and other talk show hosts cutting into the total audience.
But mostly this is O'Reilly puting the fear of God in Rush. Rush is just making a normal radio reaction of a guy running scared.
I didn't think Rush needed to be scared of O'Reilly, but Rush thinks he does.
Never mind the details, the Democrats and the media won't. All people will know about the EPA report is that yes we are causing global warming, but no the Bush administration isn't doing anything about it.
This was a self inflicted injury.
Why do I get the feeling that you were smiling when you wrote that?
I guess Gore forgot to read Ari Fleischer's remarks:
REPORTER: Since the president addressed greenhouse gases, but not specifically global warming, does the president agree with the conclusion that human activity is likely the cause of global warming?
FLEISCHER: That's what the president said in his speech in June.
REPORTER: Exactly. He does agree with that?
FLEISCHER: When the president cites the National Academy of Sciences saying that the National Academy of Science indicates that the increase is due in large part to human activity, I don't know how the president could say it more specifically than that.
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.