Al Gore(sans beard) Strikes Back against "right-wing religious zealotry"

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He shoulda kept the beard, and started lifting weights to get some sorta bad-ass lumberjack look goin':
Gore Blasts GOP Bid to Block Filibusters

1 hour, 44 minutes ago

By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Former Vice President Al Gore on Wednesday blamed Republican "lust for one-party domination" for the GOP campaign to change Senate rules on filibustering judicial nominees, and he assailed religious zealots for driving the effort.

Wading into the political fight that has roiled the Senate, the 2000 Democratic presidential candidate and former Tennessee senator warned that altering rules that have served the nation for 230 years would result in a breakdown in the separation of powers.

"What makes it so dangerous for our country is their willingness to do serious damage to our American democracy in order to satisfy their lust for one-party domination of all three branches of government," Gore said of the GOP in a speech. "They seek nothing less than absolute power."

The Senate is bracing for a showdown over Republicans' threat to use their majority to change the parliamentary rules to ban judicial filibusters — a tactic in which opponents can prevent a vote on a nomination with just 41 votes in the 100-member Senate.

Minority Democrats have used the filibuster to block confirmation votes on 10 of President Bush's appeals court choices, arguing that the nominees are too conservative for lifetime appointments.

Gore bemoaned the "outright threats and intimidations" of judges by some Republicans after recent court rulings, warning that independent judges would cower for fear of retribution.

He also cited recent comments from leaders of two conservative organizations — the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family — about disenfranchising certain courts or denying them funds.

"This aggressive new strain of right-wing religious zealotry is actually a throwback to the intolerance that led to the creation of America in the first place," Gore said as many in the audience stood and applauded. The speech was sponsored by the liberal group MoveOn's political action committee.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council Action, said it was clear from Gore's comments "that he is the one that wants to exclude people from the public square based upon some religious litmus test; that is wrong. All Americans have a voice in our system of government."

Gore recalled that when the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Bush v. Gore in December 2000, handing the presidency to George W. Bush, he accepted the decision.

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said that "if Democrats wonder why they are the minority party, they should look no further than Al Gore's comments today. Americans have moved on, and want their leaders to focus on an agenda, rather than obstruction."

also, it's nice that the FotF folks try to play the "democrats against any religious people" card again. Altho, knowing Gore's history of having his quotes mishandled or abused by the press(right-wing or MSM or anybody), it'll be interesting to see where this one goes. altho, it woulda been nice for him to also tell how political zealots try to use religious folks for their cause.

so, HiveMind of ILX, i ask you: Beards on Politicos: C/D?

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:12 (twenty years ago)

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:14 (twenty years ago)

this will sure be effective.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:14 (twenty years ago)

The beard was a little too much, and yet not enough to scare away the religious right.

― Maria (Maria), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:15 (twenty years ago)

they worship a dude in the sky with a beard, why would they be afraid of al gore's?

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:15 (twenty years ago)

Al with beard:
http://home.att.net/~howington/beard2.jpg

and without:
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20050420/capt.cars10204200143.milken_conference_cars102.jpg

he kinda looks like jeffrey jones without it:
http://us.ent4.yimg.com/et.tv.yahoo.com/lib/images/celebs/birthdays/133_jeffreyjones.jpg
only not quite as ghastly

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

dude, formatting.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

HE'S MY FRIEND WITH THE BEARD!

http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/sallman/portrait-of-Jesus-zoom.jpg

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:19 (twenty years ago)

ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE

http://blog.fatbusinessman.com/blog-post-images/tshirt-jesus.png

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:20 (twenty years ago)

MY BOSS IS A JEWISH CARPENTER

http://landru.i-link-2.net/shnyves/Jesus.meets.Mary.koh.jpeg

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:20 (twenty years ago)

(sorry, kingfish)

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:21 (twenty years ago)

the blockquote tag is fun to play with.

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:21 (twenty years ago)

The Republicans' "comebacks" seem oddly disjointed and nonsensical. Moreso than usual, I mean - like their message is completely disconnected from the Dems/Gore's arguments.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

honestly most people will ignore the message in favor of tearing down the messenger, in poor al's case. duh, get barack obama to deliver it next time, dummies!

what has obama been up to anyway? haven't heard a peep.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 22:29 (twenty years ago)

I love how the republicans coopt the language of victimization. Because every knows Xtians are sooooooo persecuted in this country.

― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Thursday, 28 April 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

People make fun of them on the Internets!

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Thursday, 28 April 2005 01:15 (twenty years ago)

Not a bad response -- a lot better than not responding. I'd like to see a little less defensiveness. Someone should directly go after Bill Frist and say he's "playing God" or something like that. It'll jibe well with his whole good doctor thing.

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 28 April 2005 01:16 (twenty years ago)

http://home.att.net/~howington/beard2.jpg ihttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/14/300px-Jonathan_Frakes1.jpg

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:41 (twenty years ago)

oh arse.

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

I heart post-2000 Al Gore.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

Anyway, in the long run changing the filibuster rule is bound to come back and bite the GOP on the ass, much like most of their short-sighted current actions are bound to do. Smart conservatives like David Brooks realize this, which is why he has stated that changing the filibuster rule would be a mistake for conservatives. The filibuster rule, as a protection of minority rights, tends to restrain government growth and activism, which is something that limited-government conservatives should consider, if they were capable of thinking beyond the current political cycle.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

Perhaps Andrew Sullivan is right to see this as further confirmation of the triumph of the "conservatives of faith" over the "conservatives of doubt", and a sign of the impending disintegration of the conservative alliance that has seen so much political success in the past 25 years.

See http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050502&s=sullivan050205

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

It's not conservatives who are taking over the Republican party, it's radicals and opportunists who have made an unholy union of socially regressive religious nuts and big money. Boy, is Jesus gonna be pissed when he returns.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:51 (twenty years ago)

That's exactly what Sullivan is saying in that article I linked to.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:51 (twenty years ago)

Sullivan's followed up that essay with a page where he's responding to responses:

http://www.andrewsullivan.com/main_article.php?artnum=20050429

First thing he's posted is a detailed response to Ponneru at National Review, which is also linked from that page.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Is it enough for us pussy liberals to be content in the certain knowledge that the religious right will be first in the elevator queue to hell when the Final Judgement befalls us?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:56 (twenty years ago)

we lose either way.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

us REAL pussy liberals don't believe in "the final judgment" AT ALL.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 28 April 2005 15:00 (twenty years ago)

text of speech & video

http://cdn.moveonpac.org/content/images/gore_042805/6a.jpgThe survival of freedom depends upon the rule of law.

The rule of law depends, in turn, upon the respect each generation of Americans has for the integrity with which our laws are written, interpreted and enforced.

That necessary respect depends not only on the representative nature of our legislative branch, but also on the deliberative character of its proceedings. As James Madison envisioned, ours is a "deliberative democracy." Indeed, its deliberative nature is fundamental to the integrity of our social compact. Because the essential alchemy of democracy - whereby just power is derived from the consent of the governed - can only occur in a process that is genuinely deliberative.

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Thursday, 28 April 2005 22:32 (twenty years ago)

Go Al!

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 28 April 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

Are you suggesting I'm not a real pussy?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 28 April 2005 22:40 (twenty years ago)

Well gosh, Andrew Sullivan almost makes me think I could stand to be a conservative.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 29 April 2005 02:25 (twenty years ago)

Hm, don't go there, m'friend. Only tears. ;-) His best role I've been able to tell is that the more defensively the Corner crowd reacts to something he posts, the more he's said something that got under their skins they're worried about even more than he.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 29 April 2005 02:29 (twenty years ago)

Ahem, *almost*.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 29 April 2005 02:30 (twenty years ago)

It's just kind of reassuring to remember that there are still "conservatives of doubt" out there -- people I at least feel I could eat lunch with.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 29 April 2005 02:31 (twenty years ago)

Cause, I mean, I love eating lunch with people! What?

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 29 April 2005 02:31 (twenty years ago)

well, whudayaknow-

Gore to Get Lifetime Award for Internet
By ANICK JESDANUN, AP Internet Writer
2 hours, 17 minutes ago
Al Gore may have been lampooned for taking credit in the Internet's development, but organizers of the Webby Awards for online achievements don't find it funny at all.
In part to "set the record straight," they will give Gore a lifetime achievement award for three decades of contributions to the Internet, said Tiffany Shlain, the awards' founder and chairwoman.
"It's just one of those instances someone did amazing work for three decades as congressman, senator and vice president and it got spun around into this political mess," Shlain said.
Vint Cerf, undisputedly one of the Internet's key inventors, will give Gore the award at a June 6 ceremony in New York.
"He is indeed due some thanks and consideration for his early contributions," Cerf said.
Gore, who boasted in a CNN interview he "took the initiative in creating the Internet," was only 21 when the Internet was born out of a Pentagon project.
But after joining Congress eight years later, he promoted high-speed telecommunications for economic growth and supported funding increases for the then-fledging network, according to the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, which presents the annual awards.
He popularized the term "information superhighway" as vice president.

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Thursday, 5 May 2005 14:48 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

One of the better Gore comments I've read:

He’ll run. It’s his destiny to reaffirm himself as one of the greatest losers in history. He’ll lose, then grow another beard, get fat, and run around screaming like a lunatic about digital brownshirt Republicans. It’ll be like Groundhog Day

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

I hope he regrows the beard first

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

It makes him look like Riker, ugh.

― O'so Krispie (Ex Leon), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

Riker sans beard looked puffier than gore is now

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

He really needs to grow his hair out a bit to make the beard work.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

Dan Haggerty-style? or Waylon Jennings-style?

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

So much for the Nixon parallel.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

The Waylon Jennings look is a bit more presidential I think.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

I'm waiting for Gore to write his book "Harry Potter and the Balance of Earth", and be livin' in a jar.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 13 October 2005 03:52 (twenty years ago)

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