Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : MOLEGATE! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cisco who wrote (996)	10/15/2000 11:45:40 AM
From: Oral Roberts	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1719

Quite a sickening E mail I received from my brother in CO. > From the Denver Rocky Mountain News > September 3, 2000 > > Al Gore's Gulf War Vote.. > By former US Senator Alan Simpson > > Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore's new > campaign ad is running in your state and says he is > "fighting for us." But the true story of his Gulf War > vote says he is usually fighting for Al. Here is the > inside story of what happened. > > The Gulf War vote was pretty serious business. I can't > think of anyone who didn't have a lump in his or her > throat as they weighed the situation - 500,000 > American troops already deployed; Iraq's Saddam > Hussein promising the "mother of all battles"; most "experts" > predicting heavy American losses. > > The choice was not easy. Senators with combat > experience on both sides of the aisle were on both > sides of the issue. Some Democrats openly > supported the measure; some Republicans openly > opposed it. And vice versa. > > The seriousness of the situation called for open, > honest debate. No dealmaking. No politics. Just an > honest discussion, followed by an honest vote of > conscience by each senator. As Republican whip, I > worked with the Republican leader Bob Dole and the > Democratic leaders, George Mitchell and Sam Nunn, to > schedule the debate. As Republicans, Sen. Dole > and I were responsible for scheduling time to speak > for senators who supported the war. As Democrats, > Sens. Mitchell and Nunn were responsible for > scheduling time to speak for those who opposed the war. > > The night before this monumental debate, I sat in the > Republican cloakroom with Sen. Dole discussing the > debate schedule for the next day. Then a senator > walked in and asked to speak to us. It surprised Bob > and me because he was a Democrat coming to ask for a > favor. > > He was Tennessee Sen. Al Gore Jr. Sen. Gore got right > to the point: "How much time will you give me if I > support the president?" In layman's terms, Gore was > asking how much debate time we would be willing to > give him to speak on the floor if he voted with us. > > "How much time will the Democrats give you?" Sen. Dole > asked. "Seven minutes," came the droning response. > "I'll give you 15 minutes," Dole said. "And I'll give > you five of mine, so you can have 20 minutes," I > offered. Gore seemed pleased, but made no final > commitment, promising only to think it over. > > Gore played hard to get. He had received his time. But > now he wanted prime time. And Dole and I knew it. > > After Gore left, Dole asked Republican Senate > Secretary Howard Greene to call Gore's office and > promised that he would try to schedule Gore's 20 > minutes during prime time, thus ensuring plenty of > coverage in the news cycle. Later that night, Gore > called Greene and asked if Dole had him in a > primetime speaking slot. When Green said nothing had > been finalized yet, Gore erupted: "Damn it, Howard! > If I don't get 20 minutes tomorrow, I'm going to vote > the other way." > > The following day, Gore arrived on the Senate floor, > still waiting to see which side - Republicans or > Democrats - would offer him the most and the best > speaking time. Sen. Dole immediately asked the Senate > to increase the amount of speaking time for both > sides. I believe only then, after Gore realized we > were asking for more time to make room for him on our > side,that he finally decided to support the resolution > authorizing the use of force to drive Hussein out of > Kuwait. > > It brings me no joy to recount the events leading up > to the Gulf War vote. It isn't something I wanted to > do. But it is something I have to do. > > I was there. I have to set the record straight because > the Gore campaign is now running an ad proclaiming > that Al Gore "broke with his own party to support the > Gulf War." In reality, it's much closer to the truth > to say he broke for the cameras to support the Gulf > War. > > And I have to set the record straight because the Gulf > War vote was far too important an issue to fall victim > to politics and repulsive revising. It was a moment of > challenge. Sadly, Al Gore was not up to it. In January > of 1991, Al Gore put politics over principle. > > Alan Simpson is a former Republican senator from Wyoming