NEW YORK, May 30, 2007
Gore: Bush Leads "Assault On Reason"
Takes On Administration On Numerous Fronts In New Book
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Play CBS Video Video Gore Blasts Bush Harry Smith speaks with former Vice President Al Gore, whose new book "The Assault On Reason," offers a scathing review of the Bush administration and warns of the deterioration of American democracy.
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Video Capitol Bob On Gore In '08 CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer speaks with Harry Smith about Al Gore's positive public perception and the possibility that he may run for president in 2008.
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Video Gore: Environment Under Attack Harry Smith speaks with former Vice President Al Gore about the problems faced by the environment and American democracy as outlined in his new book, "The Assault On Reason."
In his new book, "The Assault on Reason," he argues that the foundations of the republic are threatened by today's politics of fear, as practiced by the Bush administration.
The former — and some contend future — presidential candidate laid out some of his arguments Wednesday to The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
The book's subtitle sheds more light on its contents: "How the Politics of Fear, Secrecy, and Blind Faith Subvert Wise Decision Making, Degrade Our Democracy, and Put Our Country and Our World in Peril."
The interview touched on whether Gore, who's also an environmentalist and Oscar-winner might, indeed, seek the Oval Office again.
Gore laughed and pulled away, saying, "No, no!" when Smith asked him to put on a "Gore '08" campaign-style button that Smith had picked up at a Gore lecture Tuesday night at George Washington University.
"I don't want to invite that kind of speculation, but thank you," Gore said.Photos: The Greening Of Hollywood
Finally, Smith held the button up to Gore's lapel, saying he wanted to see what it looked like and a seemingly reluctant Gore held still, saying with a chuckle, "Yeah, OK. OK."
But Gore was very serious when taking the administration to task for its refusal to go along with proposed European Union targets to reduce greenhouse gases.
"That's an abdication of U.S. leadership in the world," Gore said. "We are the largest source of global warming pollution. We are the natural leader of the world. All of the other countries in the G-8 are unified and support taking action to save the planet's environment for us as human beings. And President Bush is opposed to it and is blocking any progress.
"We are putting 70 million tons of global warming pollution into the atmosphere today and every day. This is a moral issue, and the fact that our country is not providing leadership and, worse, is blocking progress, should be an issue that brings protesters out, that brings people to speak their minds, loudly and clearly and forcefully on this."
Gore added he would certainly sign on to the EU goals if he were president.
In a portion of the book quoted by Smith, Gore writes: "We are less safe because of (President Bush's) policy. He has created more anger and righteous indignation against us than any leader of our country in all the years of our existence as a nation. He has exposed Americans abroad and Americans in every U.S. town and city to a greater danger of attack because of his arrogance and willfulness."
Those words, Gore told Smith, are "accurate. And I think that the deeper problem is how we have, as Americans, allowed the implementation of policies that have led to 150,000 troops being trapped in a civil war (in Iraq), just to pick one example. There are many."
In that regard, Gore points fingers at Democrats as well as Republicans.
"I criticize both parties and the system as a whole," he told Smith. "I say in the book, very clearly, that it's too simple and too partisan to simply place the blame on President Bush, because we have a Congress and free speech and independent courts and checks and balances, a free press. We are all responsible for the decisions we make.
"And if this administration persuades the Congress to vote in favor of invading a country that didn't attack us, it is important for us to look at the reasons why that was acceptable to the Congress.
"At the time of that vote, more than two-thirds of the American people had been given the impression — and believed it — that Saddam Hussein was the man who attacked us on 9/11. That wasn't true. And the fact that that case was made is bad, but what's much worse is that the immune system of democracy, our natural defenses against such gross errors, failed to work, and we have to address these underlying problems. Because whether it's the invasion of Iraq or the climate crisis or other crisis, there's lots of evidence available ahead of time that should be used to show that we should make a different decision."
Gore speaks in the book of an electorate he sees as disengaged.
"I think," he told Smith, "that's related to the fact that the American people don't feel as if they have a way to make their voices heard, to make their votes count. And for all the work on campaign finance reform — and I've always supported it — I do think it sometimes misses the elephant in the middle of the room, which is, as long as politicians in both parties have to rely on huge sums of money to buy 30-second television commercials, which is the principle means of communication in our democracy between candidates and voters now, then they're going to go to the people who reliably have that money year in and year out, and the special interests (and the lobbyists who represent them) dominate that group."
In the book, he advocates federal funding for elections.
To read an excerpt of "The Assault on Reason," click here.
To watch the Smith interview, click here.
To see Bob Schieffer speculating on whether Gore will run for president again, click here.
To see Gore interviewed by Smith on Mr. Bush's environmental stands, click here.
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See all 281 CommentsAs always RandaIDS is good to talk to you. Oh by the way, the only way the "Lions" are going anywhere is if you get rid of Kitna. We had him, as you know, and all he did here was rip our hearts out. He always has a game losing interception waiting for you.
I hope you get this, have a good day.
Posted by AJMarine1 at 03:59 PM : Jun 01, 2007
I understand that, but I think that our enemy seeing us divided is actually a good thing, because it proves the strength of our system, of our way of life and politics. We can disagree, but still stand strong. Also publicly disagreeing with the president proves the same thing. It's a good example to people around the world who are in nations where they can't disagree with their leaders.
Oh and I didn't think anyone would be worse then Joey Harrington, but Kitna proved me wrong. My boys need a real QB!
"I would like the chance to make you more clearly understand the more liberal point of view so you see it's not an anti-American point of view."
I'm not saying the "Liberal" point of view is anti-American, like I said before, I am an Independent, I even voted for Carter in my life time. What rubs me the wrong way is all the name calling and insults that fly back and forth on these blogs; from "Lib's" and "Necon's." I read one last night from some guy saying, "I want to take a baseball bat and bash in the head of the first Republican I see," I mean, what kind of talk is that?
You are right, we don't see eye to eye on alot of things, but at least we can talk to each other like civilized men.
Bush has done alot of things that are hard to defend, but I would still support the "President" even if it was Clinton or anyone else. They all should have the countries best interest at heart, and we are at war, not just in Iraq, but all around the world. I don't want our enemies to see us divided like this.
As always RandaIDS is good to talk to you. Oh by the way, the only way the "Lions" are going anywhere is if you get rid of Kitna. We had him, as you know, and all he did here was rip our hearts out. He always has a game losing interception waiting for you.
I hope you get this, have a good day.
Not much into basketball. I love football and the Bengals are my team; I'm sure you are a Browns fan, that's OK, so's my wife.
Good Luck with the Cavs.
Posted by AJMarine1 at 08:40 PM : May 31, 2007
AJ you sound like a sincere man and that's a bit rare here. I would like to continue the chance to try to make you more clearly understand the more liberal point of view so you see that it's not the anti-American point of view. So far you've been very open to new ideas and arguments and I hope you'll remain so as various issues come up for discussion. Please feel free to continue, as you have in the past, to ask me any questions about any positions I take on various subjects, since it seems that while we don't always agree, you're always willing to listen and take seriously opposing points of view.
Oh BTW, Pistons, RedWings, Tigers and (lord help me) Lions fan here.
I have a suggestion for both sides of the argument. Stop believing everything in the press, drop your party bias, and walk out of your media induced haze to do the following:
GO ASK A CLIMATOLOGIST or some other person who *knows* about whatever issue you are interested in.
For the love of pete... Anything that Al Gore or Rush Limbaugh tells you is a STARTING point. Go research it yourself. Don't listen to the media. Pick up a book, talk to a professor, LEARN stuff and stop making the world laugh at us.
We have a responsibility as the electorate to be INFORMED. If we rely on others to inform us we can be misled.
Go read the studies (not what people do say about the studies), go read the research and have an *informed opinion*.
I'm an engineer, I design computer networks. I happen to know that the RAW data for just about any issue you are arguing about is available on the internet. Please for the love of our country go look at the raw data, learn a little math, and figure the basics out.
It took me about a week to come to an informed opinion on global climate change, and no, I'm not telling you what my opinion is.
But if you folks keep taking sides on issues based on what others tell you, we will all be ruled by deception.
If it goes that far, you'll get what you deserve, and I'll probably be jailed for technical skills. Think about it.
Amen; people have to step back, take a deep breath and remember we are all Americans.
Not much into basketball. I love football and the Bengals are my team; I'm sure you are a Browns fan, that's OK, so's my wife.
Good Luck with the Cavs.
No need to apologise but it's appreciated just the same. I hope we can get back to respecting the Presidency or we're in serious trouble. I admit that I could use a 12 step program to get me there. I don't mind a little bit of a verbal kick in the posterior when I become backward looking shall we say.
We do have a long way to go before selecting the next occupant and I have only 1 hard and fast rule about who I'll vote for-they can't be named Bush or Clinton. We need to end this period of animosity and open a new chapter in our history.
I'm also from Ohio and I have to go now so I can root for the Cavs!
[Posted by couric_babe1 at 06:34 PM : May 31, 2007]
so ... does this mean he's doing it for the money? and where are these millions coming from?
[Gore will not acknowledge this because like most of the politicians they would rather write books, and put fear into the minds of people as well make millions of dollars as well as being on talk shows ... Because if he really did something about the problem, he and the other so called "ecologists" would shoot themselves in the foot.]
you could say this about cancer ... couldn't ya? if they cured cancer all the doctors, researchers, and fund raising orgs would be out of business. does this mean that everyone involved really doesn't want the honorable result ... the cure?
Florida is also getting it from Mother Nature: Drought on Fl landscape. You just can't fool Mother Nature.
Adam of CA.
"My money is on 'stupid man'...all of it."
You could be right, history will decide; and I am sure many people say they don't have to wait to decide.
[Posted by AJMarine1 at 05:27 PM : May 31, 2007]
ahhh ... my money is on 'stupid man' ... all of it!
[Posted by Dan9111 at 05:35 PM : May 31, 2007]
who's they?
Don't kid yourself. Gore is making millions of $$ on his global warming crusade. I am not saying that there is not a problem, but I remember putting some info
on his website about a substance called DECARBITE
which is manufactured by PW Perkins.com. This substance (like some C02) scrubbers will absorb
greenhouse emisions. Gore will not acknowledge
this because like most of the politicians they would rather write books, and put fear into the minds of people as well make millions of dollars as well as being on talk shows.
Because if he really did something about the problem, he and the other so called "ecologists"
would shoot themselves in the foot.
The problem is with the Politicians.....that run this country....obviously. Both Demos and Repubs
STINK.
millions of dollars to do nothing but Yap.
Scientists Renounce Global Warming Alarmism
from staff reports
Claims of 'consensus' not lining up with reality.
While the mainstream media continue the drumbeat about consensus among scientists on global warming alarmism, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., said some researchers who once bought into the hype have changed their minds.
Marc Morano, a spokesman for Inhofe, explained: %u201CWhat%u2019s happening is rank-and-file scientists are now openly rebelling from these governing boards and their statements, and that is where, essentially, the myth of this whole thing of consensus comes out.%u201D
Ian Clark, a paleoclimatologist at the University of Ottawa, he changed his mind after doing his own research. He said he found carbon dioxide %u2013 the greenhouse gas most commonly associated with climate change %u2013 was a "very minor player."
"If we increase the concentration of a very minor player," he said, "then we must anticipate a very minor effect.%u201D
Stuart Shepard, a meteorologist, said the claims of consensus are part of a liberal political stratagem.
%u201CIf they can convince people that global warming alarmism is real, then they feel that everyone will fall in line and agree with their agenda," he said. %u201CThis is not a scientific problem that found political support, this is about politicians who found a scientific issue they felt could leverage them into office.%u201D
Nice post.
I live in Ohio, we have had three ice ages here. Where I live use to have a glacier on top of it; if Gore was here back then, would he say that we have to keep everything just the way it is. Volcanos put out more green house gases in one day than man does in a year. The sun also has more to do with climate change than man does.
I could imagine this subtitle would also describe the Democrats, not just the Republicans. What is global warming if not "fear, secrecy, and blind faith"? They are asking for money and power, peddling phony numbers that don't even add up, and saying "or else we'll lose our planet!" That's certainly not science, so it's a good subtitle for him too. Is Mr. Gore trying to tell us he is full of major BS?
Although he almost hits the nail on the head when he says political money is the problem. But it's time for Al Gore to criticize the real problem, and not ask for more money and power. That's Bush's job apparently.
Sorry, I just get tired of people going on about President Bush. Sure he has done things that most of the people don't agree with, is that a sign of a strong leader, or a stupid man? I don't know, I'm just trying to bring back a little respect for the office of President, if not the man. I am an Independent and I try to keep faith that no matter who is in the White House, they have the countries best interests at heart.
As for stolen votes, I live in Ohio, it seems like everytime there is an election, we go through this. If people are cheating, I am with you, put them in jail.
I have not decided who I will vote for, we still have a long way to go.
Of course Gore is attacking the administration. The pitiful record of Bush & Co. is obvious. Well, obvious to anyone except the 28% fringe elements who still - in some sort of hallucinogenic haze I guess - think Bush doing a good job.
I'm not the one calling Bush stupid and as I said, I'm over 2000 & 2004, it's 2008 I'm concerned about.
I'll get over it when the voting process is protected and people who steal votes are prosecuted.
"I never said that Bush invented the practice but the facts are clear that he stolen 2 national elections,"
I don't know how on one hand Bush is so stupid he can't tie his shoes and on the other he is so smart he can steal two elections and lie us into a war. Now he is going to set up to steal the 2008 elections.
Gore lost in 2000 and Kerry lost in 2004, get over it.
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