Al Gore

Tenth Anniversary Of Bush V. Gore Supreme Court Decision: Its Effect On America! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

This weekend marks the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court intervention in the 2000 Presidential Election, the infamous case of Bush V. Gore.

The Republican majority Supreme Court took an unconstitutional action, unprecedented in American history, when it interfered in the vote recount in Florida to declare George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore by the measly margin of 537 votes despite a substantial popular vote lead of Gore, throwing the 25 electoral votes of Florida into the Bush camp, and making him the closest winner of the Electoral College since the 1876 Presidential Election, when Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the electoral college by one vote, despite a popular vote lead by Samuel Tilden.

There was nothing in the Constitution that provided for such a Supreme Court intervention, and for a Court with Antonin Scalia preaching “originalism”, it was a shocking abuse of power, but with no recourse by Gore or anyone else, as the old adage of Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes reverberated: “The Constitution is what the Supreme Court says it is!”

The effects of eight years of the George W. Bush Presidency have been massive, most of it bad, and one has to wonder how the nation would have been under eight years of Al Gore.

Of course, conservatives and Republicans will be praising the fact that Al Gore never made it to the White House, but it is clear that in many ways, life would have been different in America had Gore taken the oath of office.

Among the differences:

1. The war in Afghanistan would have been on the front burner, not on the back burner, and Osama Bin Laden would likely have been captured or killed, instead of being allowed to escape.
2. The Iraq War would likely have not been waged, and instead the problem of Iran likely would have been addressed in a way whereby Iran would not be the major menace it is today in international affairs, as the Iraq War only strengthened Iran in the Middle East.
3. The reaction to Hurricane Katrina would have been far different, and New Orleans would be further along toward recovery with far less loss of life at the time of the tragedy.
4. The national debt would not have been doubled, as it was from 5 to 10 trillion under Bush, as the massive Bush tax cuts would not have occurred, and the massive spending on two wars at the same time would not have been done.
5. The Medicare Part D legislation would not have occurred, but if it developed in any form, would have been paid for, not adding massively to the national debt.
6. Torture would not have been endorsed by President Gore as it has been by President George W. Bush.
7.We would not have witnessed the abuse of power by Vice President Dick Cheney, who scarred the Vice Presidency’s reputation.
8. There never would have been a second time in the Defense Department for Donald Rumsfeld, who served earlier under President Gerald Ford, and that would have been good for the military who go into our combat operations.
9. Movement on the environment, particularly on global warming and climate change, would have been further accomplished than it has been.
10. The issue of poverty, which was being pursued as a future subject for consideration by Bill Clinton in his last year as
President, would have been a major agenda item by a President Gore.
11.The Gore Presidency would have been, generally, another age of progressive reform, more the true successor to the Great Society of Lyndon B. Johnson, than the comparatively disappointing Presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton in the eras of domestic reform.
12. Health care reform would likely have been passed years earlier than it has been under President Barack Obama.

It is clear that America today would be a very different country had only the Supreme Court stayed out of the Presidential Election of 2000, and the nation today suffers from the tragedy of eight years of George W. Bush! 🙁

The Strange Relationship Of Joe Lieberman And John McCain

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The story of the strange, odd relationship between Independent Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona continues to amaze.

Lieberman was the Vice Presidential running mate of Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election.

After September 11, Lieberman became very fixated on national security, including giving full support to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, joining McCain and many Republicans in that view, including Vice President Dick Cheney.

By 2006, Lieberman had alienated many Democrats, lost the Democratic Senatorial primary for another term, and ran as an independent Democrat, winning back his seat.

By 2008, he had antagonized the Democratic Party further by refusing to support Barack Obama, and endorsing John McCain for President.

He was on the short list of McCain to run for Vice President, which would have been a path breaking bi-partisan ticket.

There was some consideration by the Democratic Party to deny him a chairmanship because of his disloyalty, but Obama made clear that he did not support such an action.

Lieberman and McCain have continued to be the best of friends, and on national security and defense, they are united.

But as McCain turned further right in order to win back his Senate seat, Lieberman continued to be a liberal on domestic issues, other than homeland security.

So Lieberman is working very hard to end “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the military, while McCain is leading the charge to keep it the policy of the defense establishment. Lieberman has even said that he is working on McCain but is having no success in changing his mind.

The two men are on opposite ends of the abortion issue as well, along with all other domestic issues, and yet they remain good friends and socialize a great deal with each other.

A book will be written someday analyzing the strange, odd friendship and alliance of Lieberman and McCain–of how a basically liberal Democrat and conservative Republican could become such strong allies on things they believe in common, and strong opponents of each other, in a very civil way, on issues that they totally disagree on.

This may be the greatest, but oddest relationship of two opposing Senators since the famous one of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch!

Liberals, Progressives, And The Reality Of American Politics

Ronald 2 Comments

Liberals and progressives in large numbers are denouncing the agreement reached between President Obama and Congressional Republicans on the issue of the so called Bush tax cuts being continued for another two years.

The author is not happy with this agreement, which will raise the national debt by nearly a trillion dollars, take money away from the Social Security reserves by the fact of a lower collection of Social Security taxes, and allow the further stratification of America by making the rich richer, the poor poorer, and the middle class further exploited! 🙁

However, the restoration of the estate tax, the continuation of unemployment compensation for the millions out of work in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the retaining of other tax credits for the poor, and the two year limit on the extension of tax cuts, are all good points in an unpleasant but realistic compromise for the moment, so that taxes do not go up for everyone on January 1!

Barack Obama made clear yesterday at his news conference that he felt the GOP were “hostage takers”, but that the American people would be further victimized by the GOP, which he said only cares about the super rich, if he did not make a temporary deal!

Obama made clear that the battle over taxes was just delayed, not resolved, and that he would make it an issue in the 2012 campaign. So although he may be seen by many as “caving in” and “surrendering”, his contention is that the fight will be brought to the GOP in the next election, and it sounded as if he was prepared to be Harry Truman a la 1948, and “give them hell”!

Certainly, his rhetoric was aggressive and confrontational regarding the GOP. But it was also critical of the “purist” progressives and “pie in the sky idealists” who are criticizing his strategy!

Obama pointed out that he has either accomplished what his goals were, or has made progress on those that are not achievable in the short term. He is looking to the long term, and he feels that he has kept the promise of his campaign to bring change, or start to bring change in many areas where the politics make it impossible for now to accomplish success!

Obama said compromise is unavoidable in American politics, and that playing politics alone would not bring about desired results. We would not be the nation we are if not for compromise, Obama asserted. In that, he is absolutely right!

And when one looks at the history of the Democratic Party and the progressive and liberal crusade for a better America, one unfortunately MUST realize that this nation is fundamentally a conservative nation slow to react to the need for change! 🙁

Progressives, liberals, and the Democratic Party have accomplished great things since the 1930s, but the resistance and opposition to these changes has been fierce, and therefore, progress has been incremental, often delayed and often frustratingly slow! 🙁

But one thing is absolutely clear: When Democrats, progressives and liberals fight and divide amongst themselves, the right wingers of this country triumph! 🙁

When discontent leads to a decision to work against a Democratic President because everything is not ideal and perfect, the Republican Party wins! 🙁

It happened in 1980, when liberal opposition to President Jimmy Carter, as exemplified by Ted Kennedy and Jerry Brown, helped to lead to Ronald Reagan in the White House!

It happened in 1968 when liberal opposition to Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey led to Richard Nixon in the White House!

It led to Al Gore losing Florida in 2000 when Ralph Nader, a true “pie in the sky idealist” took enough votes away to throw the state to George W. Bush!

So do we want Barack Obama to be damaged and cause his loss for 2012 and get a far less desirable Republican in the White House? 🙁

Certainly, a second term of Obama will bring more chance of change and reform than if a Republican is elected!

If nothing else, the Supreme Court and lower federal court judge appointments will be a lasting legacy, which would be better under the control of Obama than a Republican President from 2013-2017!

So the reality of American politics is that compromise is often essential, as only TWICE has a Democratic President had enough of a margin of his party to be able to accomplish most of his goals: Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s!

Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and now Barack Obama have had to work within the framework of a strong opposition blockading a lot of change!

This is the sad truth and reality of American politics, and progressives and liberals NEED to recognize this and work with President Obama and give the Republican Party “hell” over the next two years and in the Presidential Election of 2012!

George W. Bush: His Worst Moment Was Failure To Privatize Social Security? :(

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Former President George W. Bush is about to publish his memoirs, and he claims that his worst moment and greatest failure was his inability to privatize Social Security in 2005!

Can one imagine that? This is Bush’s worst moment? Is Bush delusional? This, if it had happened, would have been a true disaster, particularly considering the stock market collapse in 2007-2008!

But somehow, Bush has conveniently forgotten his real moments of failure:

1. Choosing Dick Cheney to be Vice President for eight years.
2. Failing to be aware through intelligence that was available of the impending attack of September 11, 2001.
3. Choosing to avoid a full commitment to the war in Afghanistan, including the seizure of Osama Bin Laden.
4. Engaging in an unnecessary war in Iraq based on manufactured evidence, and in so doing, strengthening the influence of Iran.
5. Having a slow and inadequate reaction to Hurricane Katrina, leading to the flooding of New Orleans and large areas of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
6. Violating civil liberties at home, and engaging in war crimes in Iraq, and justifying all of it.
7. Causing through lack of regulation the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and nearly causing the total melting down of the American economy, its effects to be on us for the next decade at the least, and burdening President Barack Obama with trying to resolve the mess that Bush left him!

This memoir is just further proof of the total disaster that George W. Bush was in office, and only adds to the feeling that this country was pushed into mediocrity by the corrupt vote count and the intervention of the Supreme Court in the 2000 Presidential election, which denied us Vice President Al Gore as our President!

The Florida US Senate Race: Charlie Crist The Best Choice!

Ronald 2 Comments

For those who are progressive, the US Senate race in Florida is a difficult choice!

The Republicans have nominated former Speaker of the State House Marco Rubio of Miami, a favorite of conservatives and the Tea Party Movement! He is a Cuban American who would help promote the conservative agenda, and has sometimes been called the Cuban Barack Obama, a young man who could be imagined to be a seeker of higher office than the Senate were he to win the seat!

The Democrats have nominated Miami Congressman Kendrick Meek, who has gained the support of President Obama, Vice President Biden, former President Bill Clinton, and former Vice President Al Gore! Meek has a strong liberal record, and is the only African American candidate for the US Senate this year, and were he to win, he would become only the seventh US Senator of his race, and only the fourth to be elected by popular vote!

And then there is Governor Charlie Crist, who has been a Republican his whole political career, until he recognized that he could not win the GOP nomination in a primary race with Rubio, witnessing an extremely rapid drop in polls over a period of about six months late in 2009 and early in 2010! So he proceeded to leave the Republican Party this past spring and announce a candidacy as an Independent!

Crist has had a comparatively moderate record as Governor, but has been criticized as having no principles, except his own advancement, but he actually comes across as a person who has shown courage and willingness to cross the aisle, and pledges that is what he would do if elected to the Senate! The one thing that remains troubling is his refusal to indicate how he would side in organization of the Senate were he to win–that is, would he join the Republican caucus which has already rejected him in favor of Rubio, once he bowed out of the primary race, or would he join the Democratic caucus, in either case probably keeping an official Independent status, as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman have asserted!

For a progressive, it is a tough choice as to who should be supported, but the key point is who has the greater likelihood of stopping Marco Rubio and the Tea Party Movement from gaining the Senate seat!

It is extremely hard to imagine Kendrick Meek winning the seat, and he remains in third place! So it seems likely that a vote for Meek would help Rubio defeat Crist, an unfortunate and tragic circumstance were that to happen!

With the announcement today that former Congressman Robert Wexler of Boca Raton, who knows and admires Crist, but worked in the House of Representatives with Meek, is about to endorse Crist, it comes across to the author that despite what Obama, Biden, Clinton and Gore have done to back Meek, that the stance of Wexler makes a lot of sense!

If Meek somehow should gain the seat, it will be a surprise victory, but under the circumstances that exist, and with Crist being a moderate likely to organize (hopefully) with the Democrats while remaining an Independent, the author has decided that he will support and vote for Charlie Crist as the next US Senator from Florida, and hopes that Marco Rubio will be denied that seat in what is now a very close race between Rubio and Crist! May Charlie win and accomplish a distinguished record in the Senate for the state of Florida over the next six years!

The Supreme Court And Democracy: Clear And Present Danger! :(

Ronald 4 Comments

The conservative Supreme Court has done an excellent job in the past decade of undermining democracy and a fair playing field, as shown by two specific situations among others!

First, in the year 2000, in Bush V. Gore, the Republican dominated Supreme Court intervened where they had no business interfering, by deciding to settle the contested Presidential Election of 2000 by stopping the vote recount in Florida, and awarding the electoral votes of that state to George W. Bush over Al Gore, despite the fact that Gore had a national popular vote lead of 540,000! For a Court that claimed to believe in limited federal power and strict interpretation of the Constitution, they claimed the right to decide a presidential election, an arrogant and revolutionary grab of power, which by precedent now, could be utilized again in the future if a presidential election is close! 🙁

Then in January of this year, in the Citizens United case, the Supreme Court decided to overcome nearly a century of laws that prevented corporate intervention in national election campaigns, as destroying a level playing field in politics! They decided that special interest groups should have no limit on campaign spending to manipulate elections in their favor!

Both cases helped to promote the Republican cause, instead of the Court acting as a neutral arbiter! And now the news comes that an estimated $400 million will be spent by corporate groups to affect the midterm Congressional elections, as corporations work to prevent regulation and taxation, and bring about a Republican Congress favorable to them! 🙁

If this manipulation of politics, that the Supreme Court has been engaged in promoting, is not somehow overcome by legislation, the likelihood is that Congress, and also the Presidency, may become a permanent GOP majority that will continue to promote the rich and the powerful, and set out to destroy the reform legislation and regulatory laws put into place under Democratic administrations and Congresses since the 1930s!

This country could revert to the Gilded Age and 1920s mentality, and negate the Progressive Era, New Deal, Great Society, and the Obama reforms of the past year and a half! 🙁

This country could potentially become a nation that destroys Social Security, Medicare, and programs that benefit average Americans! As ordinary Americans come to realize that the rich elite are exploiting them and undermining much that has been done to promote equality and opportunity and fairness, the danger of bloodshed and violence and civil war based on economics increases, and destroys the American dream that has sustained us as America has become a better place for all of us! 🙁

Democratic Party Strategy Against The Republican Party: Finally Playing Hardball! :)

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The Democratic National Committee has finally decided to play “Hardball” against the opposition Republicans, something they have been lacking in for many years, going back to the time of Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, and John Kerry!

The Republicans have never had any problems with setting out to destroy the opposition, showing no ethics in their attacks on Democratic opponents at every level up to the Presidency! Now the DNC has decided to make clear to voters that there is a direct connection between the Tea Party Movement fringe and the GOP, so much so that at many rallies, the Republicans stand by as Tea Party extremists use racist, anti semitic language, and promote hate and division as they seek to repeal much of the Constitution and set back progress!

The message of the DNC will be that the GOP is linked to these anti government fanatics, and are outside the mainstream with candidates such as Rand Paul and Sharron Angle, along with other Tea Party favorites around the nation who have captured the local control of the Republican Party!

Tea Party extremists have called for the end of Medicare, repeal of the Obama Health Care legislation, privatizing of Social Security, extension of the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy, repealing the 17th Amendment and the 16th Amendment, modification of the 14th Amendment to take away birthright citizenship, abolition of the Department of Education and the Department of Energy, and the destruction of the Environmental Protection Agency! 🙁

It is hilarious that the chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senator John Cornyn of Texas, is now asserting that the Democrats are promoting the “politics of fear”!

The Republican Party has long been the party of fear, a master of using scare tactics going back many years, including the years of Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s! Who are they to use that term against the Democrats, when the GOP is the master of distortion of the truth, lies, deception, and character assassination! 🙁

The Republicans have done everything in recent months to show the American people that they are willing to do and say anything, no matter how divisive and manipulative it is, to regain power and do the bidding of the corporations and the wealthy! 🙁

Under the circumstances, the Democrats have no choice but to respond in kind, as regrettable as that is! It would be preferable to have an honest, sincere debate of differences, but the playing field does not allow that! So, as the old saying goes, “what is good for the goose, is good for the gander!”

The Charges Against Former Vice President Al Gore: Incomprehensible! :(

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The growing controversy over accusations of sexual misconduct against former Vice President Al Gore requires some rational thought and analysis!

Gore has been accused of what The National Enquirer terms to be misbehavior on the level of a “sexual predator” and a “pervert”! 🙁

This whole reported “scandal” reeks of questionable veracity, and makes no sense! 🙁

Is it possible that Al Gore may have “cheated” on his wife, thus causing the recent decision for the couple, married 40 years, to seek a divorce? YES, that certainly is possible, but to believe that any such “cheating” was by aggressive sexual assault, rather than consensual, is VERY hard to believe! 🙁

Why would Al Gore risk using violence and committing a criminal act? What would drive him to such reckless behavior? 🙁

This is not John Edwards, correctly exposed by The National Enquirer, in a consensual sexual affair! This is not Bill Clinton, involved in a similar consensual affair with Monica Lewinsky! This is not Clinton suggesting to Paula Jones that she commit a sexual act, but stopping at the suggestion!

All the above is believable, and reality, but Al Gore being brutal and boorish with a 50 year old massage therapist of ordinary looks, as compared to much younger women with Edwards and Clinton, is beyond understanding!

The question arises why it took four years for this to come out, and why when it was first reported at the time and again investigated last year by the Portland, Oregon police, that it was dismissed as not serious! 🙁

And why did this woman want a million dollars to tell her story to the National Enquirer, which they refused to do? If she wanted money, especially of that large amount, does it not have to make one doubt the veracity of her claims? 🙁

Is it new that there are women who love to create stories and blackmail famous public figures, either for consensual affairs or because they conjure up such events for the almighty dollar? 🙁

Does this woman have any credibility? The answer is ABSOLUTELY NONE, but meanwhile public figures have their reputations dragged through the mud in a disgraceful manner! 🙁

And while there is not yet any proof, could not one imagine that right wing media could be creating this whole story to defame Al Gore, and help to undermine his leadership of those who advocate environmental action to combat climate change and global warming? Does not this “scandal” in their minds help to undermine a cause that they despise?

It is not beyond possibility that a conspiracy is involved in this matter, and hopefully if so, it will be revealed, and Al Gore will be able to clear his name!

If indeed Al Gore did what he is accused of doing, there is no justification or defense of it, and he should pay the penalty, whatever it is!

But if that were so, it would be a shock to all his fans who mourned with him over his loss of the Presidency in 2000, and his courageous leadership on the environment!

The author and many others are hoping the truth will soon come out, and that it will set Al Gore free from such allegations!

40th Anniversary Of Earth Day! Environmental Celebration!

Ronald 1 Comment

Today, April 22, represents the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and later that year, the signing into law of the Environmental Protection Agency by President Richard Nixon!

Nixon proved to be quite a surprise! His Secretary of the Interior, Walter Hickel, former Governor of Alaska, proved to be one of the very best Interior Secretaries in American history! Nixon, himself, was easily the best environmental Republican President other than Theodore Roosevelt. Nixon cannot be given enough credit for what he did on this issue, despite many other negatives that can be visited on this controversial President.

We were fortunate that we had President Jimmy Carter further promote the environment during his administration, and President Bill Clinton as well, whose Vice President, Al Gore, pushed him in the direction of great environmental action.

Unfortunately, however, we had President Ronald Reagan compile the worst environmental record of any President; his successor, George H. W. Bush, only slightly better; and George W. Bush compiled the second worst environmental record behind Reagan! 🙁

Thankfully, President Barack Obama is cooperating in many ways on the issue of the environment, and recognizing the reality of climate change and global warming, while sadly, very few Republicans, and none of the conservative talk show hosts are doing anything to deal with this issue, other than to denounce, deny, lie, deceive, and fabricate the concept that we need not be concerned about the environment!

That is the reason why those who believe in the significance of the environmental movement MUST continue to fight the good fight for the future of our planet! But let’s celebrate Earth Day and acknowledge the role of Richard Nixon on this special day!

Associate Justice Al Gore? An Exciting Thought For The Progressive Base!

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Ed Schultz suggested tonight on his MSNBC talk show that former Vice President Al Gore is part of the speculation as a possible choice for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace Justice John Paul Stevens.

The selection of Gore certainly would fire up the progressive base, but at the same time, it would anger conservatives, Republicans, talk radio, and Fox News Channel, and therefore it would be a major challenge to these groups, who would, assuredly fight “tooth and nail” to prevent his confirmation.

However, the argument is that President Obama would have a better chance this year to make a bold choice for the Supreme Court, since it is certainly expected that he will not have 59 Democrats (including two independents) in the Senate after the midterm elections this fall.

Gore would bring a distinguished record as a Congressman, Senator, Vice President, and the winner of the popular vote for President in the 2000 election. He has become the center of the environmental crusade in the past decade, but has become a lightning rod for his critics, including Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma and others in Congress who deny what he has said and written about global warming and climate change.

Gore would be an exciting and dynamic choice, and could be expected to serve for 15-20 years at the least, considering his age of 62. Were he to serve on the Court, he could become a real leader of the liberal bloc and have a greater impact long term than if he had been President.

That certainly is what can be said about others who served on the Supreme Court and were involved in Presidential politics. Former President William Howard Taft served as Chief Justice from 1921-1930, and Charles Evans Hughes served as an Associate Justice before he ran for and lost the Presidency in 1916, and then he served as Chief Justice from 1930-1941.

Certainly, there is an argument for a “politician” to serve on the Court, and if one is looking for that description, the list is long of possible candidates–Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano (now Homeland Security Secretary), Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, former NY Senator Hillary Clinton (now Secretary of State), Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

The impact of Governor Earl Warren of California (Chief Justice from 1953-1969) and Senator Hugo Black of Alabama (Associate Justice from 1937-1971) make a good argument for a “politician” as the list above suggests, but the most intriguing of all is the thought of Al Gore on the Supreme Court, sitting on a body that includes five members who were involved in Bush V. Gore (Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Anthony Kennedy backing Bush, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer backing Gore).

What a dramatic moment it would be if Chief Justice John Roberts were to swear in Associate Justice Al Gore! 🙂