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Politics : Al Gore vs George Bush: the moderate's perspective -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: cosmicforce who wrote (1516)	10/8/2000 1:12:19 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 10042

then you also have to ask if "liberating Kuwait Yeah... but we all knew the war was over oil, or more appropriately, the economic health of the western world. Anyone with a thimble full of sense knew that. However, we should also recall what former Rep Alan Simpson tells us about then Sen. Al Gore's vote on authorizing hostilities against Iraq: Did Al Gore trade his vote on war for TV prime time? 02/05/2000 IN THE semi-euphoria over his narrow win in the New Hampshire Democratic Primary, Vice President Al Gore may have failed to notice a potentially devastating blow to his presidential hopes. If the national press corps does its job, the rest of the country will be noticing soon enough. The blow was delivered by Wyoming's Republican former U.S. senator, Alan Simpson, once a media favorite because of his straight talk and wry humor. On Chris Matthews' "Hardball" show on CNBC, Mr. Simpson told a story of how then-Sen. Gore came to cast his famous vote in favor of the Persian Gulf War in 1991. In the Gore mythology, of course, the vote has always been used as an example of the seriousness of his commitment to national security, and of the courage shown by his willingness to stand against fellow Democrats when necessary. Mr. Simpson's story pops those bubbles. He reported that Mr. Gore had already been promised "floor time" by the Republican leadership, at a good time for TV viewership, if he followed through on his rumored vote in favor of the military action. But then, Mr. Simpson said, Mr. Gore returned to then-GOP leader Bob Dole and demanded extra time, up to 20 minutes, to make the speech. Mr. Gore indicated that if Republicans did not provide the extra time, he would vote the other way. In other words, Mr. Gore's vote wasn't one of principle, but of political posturing. Whichever side would give him more time to preen before the cameras was the one for whom he would deliver his vote. On a matter as serious as war, this is unconscionable. Here his fellow senators were deciding whether American lives would be risked, and Mr. Gore was angling for political advantage. Later on the Matthews show, former White House Chief of Staff John Sununu backed the Simpson tale. He said that Mr. Dole had called the White House to inform the administration of Mr. Gore's offer. Mr. Simpson also cited at least one other witness to the exchange - a top Senate clerk who was supposed to keep track of the time allotted for the debate. If the other witnesses will confirm the account, the vice president could be in serious political trouble. Already under assault from opponent Bill Bradley and from some in the press corps for his political ethics, this is the kind of tale that could cement his reputation for untrustworthiness. With the dissemination of this story, Mr. Gore's other embarrassments are more likely to be dredged up, such as: Campaigning as a tobacco farmer long after, according to his later accounts, he had supposedly turned forever against the evils of tobacco. Claiming that he didn't know an event at a Buddhist monastery was a fund-raiser, even though he was aware that money was changing hands. Claiming that, despite the clear intent of laws banning fund-raising on federal property, he nevertheless had violated "no controlling legal authority" by making fund-raising phone calls from his federal office. Claiming that he created the Internet, that he was the first one to widely publicize the Love Canal environmental disaster, and that he was the model for the book and movie "Love Story." On the heels of the Bill Clinton's impeachment, calling his boss among "the greatest presidents" in American history. And now, if the famously candid Alan Simpson is to be believed, it appears that Mr. Gore was willing to trade American lives for little more than his proverbial 15 minutes of personal fame. This is the mark not of a leader, but of a political opportunist. If voters have any sense, it's also the mark of a loser. freerepublic.com