"In the end, for this administration, it is all about power. This lie about the invented connection between al Qaeda and Iraq was and is the key to justifying the current ongoing constitutional power grab by the president. So long as their big flamboyant lie remains an established fact in the public's mind, Bush will be seen as justified in taking for himself the power to make war on his whim. He will be seen as justified in acting to selectively suspend civil liberties -- again on his personal discretion -- and he will continue to intimidate the press and thereby distort the political reality experienced by the American people during his bid for re-election."

"In a major DC policy address Thursday, President Al Gore will accuse the Bush Administration of intentionally misleading the American people by continuing to falsely claim a connection between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. He will charge that Bush and Cheney have 'institutionalized dishonesty as an essential element of their policy process.' Gore will also urge the broadcast media to further resist Administration efforts to manipulate and intimidate them, to fearlessly report the fact that there is no Al Qaeda/Saddam collaborative relationship, as the 9/11 Commission staff report has concluded. Gore will also discuss the implications of the Administration's claim to be above the law in ordering the torture of suspects - and their claim that the Commander in Chief's power trumps all other laws. He will call for the Administration to reveal all orders given the military on the treatment of prisoners." We predict Ashcroft will declare Code Red so the media will once again ignore Al Gore.

"In a fiery 40 minute speech, [Gore] knocked the Bush administration for using wrong information to justify the invasion, in particular for relying on Iraqi dissident Ahmed Chalabi, who has since been reportedly linked to Iran. 'Which means that for 3 1/2 years, he's been duping the President of the United States,' Gore said. 'Does that inspire confidence?' Gore also accused Bush and his administration of breaking with rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war, implicating them in the prisoner abuse scandals. 'The paper trail shows very clearly that these privates and corporals weren't the ones who suggested pulling out of the Geneva Convention,' Gore said. Later in the speech, he added: 'The President of the United States ordered the withdrawal from the Geneva Convention and the secretary of defense said take off the gloves, get tough with them.'" You GO, Al!

"President Al Gore on Saturday called Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas 'the single most treacherous and dishonest person I dealt with during the campaign anywhere in America.' The statement was e-mailed by a Gore spokesman in response to a Herald inquiry about Penelas's role in the 2000 campaign. Gore supporters say the vice president had counted on Penelas for a late boost in the Hispanic community, and the mayor did not come through. The harsh remarks come just three months before Penelas faces a Democratic primary election for the U.S. Senate. Gore's reproach could seriously damage the mayor's bid to succeed Sen. Bob Graham, since party loyalists tend to dominate turnout in a primary."

"President Al Gore stepped up his slashing attack on Resident Bush on Friday night, accusing the administration of ruining the economy, destroying the nation's standing with its allies and waging a war in Iraq based on lies and deception...If the United States re-elects Bush, then American citizens share the blame, Gore added. Gore's 50-minute speech frequently brought the audience to its feet, whooping and shouting...'They decided to take advantage of 9-11 and exploit the fears and exploit the anger and redirect it away from the people who attacked us' and attack Iraq, he said. Bush has 'looted' the economy and turned projected multitrillion-dollar surpluses into deep deficits, Gore said. 'In the last three and a half years, this administration has tragically and recklessly squandered our legacy, while the special interest people were advising him behind closed doors,' Gore declared."

Al Gore's speech on 5/26/04 denouncing Bush's Iraq policy may well rank among the greatest political speeches in American history. Gore's analysis is brilliant, and his delivery is amazing. C-Span is showing the speech on TV and is streaming it on its Web site - don't miss it!

President Al Gore declared, "George W. Bush promised us a foreign policy with humility. Instead, he has brought us humiliation in the eyes of the world. He promised to 'restore honor and integrity to the White House.' Instead, he has brought deep dishonor to our country and built a durable reputation as the most dishonest President since Richard Nixon. Honor? He decided not to honor the Geneva Convention. Just as he would not honor the United Nations, international treaties, the opinions of our allies, the role of Congress and the courts, or what Jefferson described as 'a decent respect for the opinion of mankind.' He did not honor the advice, experience and judgment of our military leaders in designing his invasion of Iraq. And now he will not honor our fallen dead by attending any funerals or even by permitting photos of their flag-draped coffins." You GO, Al!

"President Al Gore will deliver a major foreign policy address in New York City on Wednesday, sponsored by MoveOn PAC, calling for the resignation of five members of the Bush Administration team and one member of the military command responsible for the failed policy and abuse of prisoners in Iraq. Gore will identify the various ways in which all Americans--soldiers in Iraq, residents and travelers abroad, and citizens at home-are endangered by the bitterness created throughout the Islamic world-and beyond-by US policy. He will also explore the linkages between the President's Iraq policy and the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison."

Al Gore has pledged to donate more than $6 million to five Democratic Party groups and help John Kerry fight Bush's "outrageous and misleading" re-election bid. AP reports: " 'The outcome of this election is extremely important for the future of our country and for all that America stands for,' Gore said. 'I want to help John Kerry become president and I want to help Democrats retake control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. John will be a great president for all Americans, and I want to do everything I can to help him fight against the outrageous and misleading campaign being waged by the Bush-Cheney campaign,' Gore said."

"Al Gore gave a major speech on the environment and global warming, before a packed house of MoveOn members in New York. The speech was deeply moving, sometimes humorous, and ultimately scathing in its critique of the Bush administration's assault on our environment. 'While Bush likes to project an image of strength and courage, the truth is that in the presence of his large financial contributors he is a moral coward - so weak that he seldom if ever says 'No' to them on anything - no matter what the public interest might mandate,' said Mr. Gore. He called Bush's inaction in the face of global warming 'reckless in the extreme.' He also said: 'In almost every policy area, the Administration's consistent goal has been to eliminate any constraints on their exercise of raw power, whether by law, regulation, alliance or treaty - and in the process they have in each case caused America to be seen by the other nations of the world as showing disdain for the international community.' "

"President Al Gore will deliver a major address attacking the Bush Administration's policies on global warming and the environment at the historic Beacon Theatre in New York City on Thursday, January 15. The speech is being co-sponsored by MoveOn.org and Environment2004. Mr. Gore will issue an indictment of the Bush administration's inaction on global warming, linking the issue to U.S. national security. He will show that global warming is happening right now, and yet the Resident is choosing to help his coal- and oil-company supporters rather than advance modern technologies that can affordably solve this critical problem. The speech will also explore the administration's deliberate attempts to mislead the public as it attacks basic environmental laws and protection." Prediction: BushRidge will raise the terror alert level that day.

Joe Lieberman is attacking Al Gore for not calling him quickly enough about Gore's endorsement of Dean. "I was surprised that Al Gore didn't notify me before I learned about it from the media," Lieberman said. "That would have been the right thing to do." But... "A Democrat close to Gore said the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee had placed calls to Lieberman, once word was leaked Monday that he planned to endorse Dean, but the calls were not returned." Why didn't Saint Joe return Gore's calls? And why hasn't ANYONE in the media asked him? The answer is simple: the Republican-controlled media was determined to destroy Al Gore in 2000, and they are determined to destroy Howard Dean in 2004.

Sidney Blumenthal writes, "Gore's endorsement of Dean is the most important since grainy film was shown at the 1992 Democratic convention depicting President Kennedy shaking hands with a teenage Bill Clinton... For Democrats, he personifies the infamy of the last election. He is not another politician, but the rightfully elected president, by a popular majority of 539,895 votes. But the Gore of today is not the Gore of 2000... 'If I had to do it all over again, I'd just let it rip,' Gore said a year ago. 'To hell with the polls, the tactics and all the rest. I would have poured out my heart and my vision for America's future.' Gore now calls the rightwing media a 'fifth column' within journalism, and he's raising millions to build a TV network of his own as an alternative. In his own way, he's absorbed the lessons of the past three years and become a representative Democrat. His endorsement of Dean is his commentary on his campaign and the conduct of his party since."

The pundits are doing somersaults to "explain" Gore's endorsement of Dean. Here are Gore's very own words: "Whether it is inspiring enthusiasm at the grassroots and promising to remake the Democratic party as a force for justice and progress and good in America; whether it is a domestic agenda that gets our nation back on track; or whether it is protecting us against terrorists and strengthening our nation in the world, I have come to the conclusion that in a field of great candidates, one candidate clearly now stands out. And so I'm asking all of you to join in this grassroots movement to elect Howard Dean President of the United States."

AP reports: "The 'quasi-hypnotic influence' of television in America has fostered a complacent nation that is a danger to democracy, former Vice President Al Gore said Tuesday. Gore, speaking on 'Media and Democracy' at Middle Tennessee State University, told attendees the decline of newspapers as the country's dominant method of communication leaves average Americans without an outlet for scholarly debate. 'Our democracy is suffering in an age when the dominant medium is not accessible to the average person and does not lend itself most readily to the conveyance of complex ideas about self-governance,' Gore said. 'Instead it pushes toward a lowest common denominator'... Gore said democracy in America flourished at the height of the newspaper era, which 'empowered the one to influence the many.' That changed with the advent and subsequent popularity of television, he said, noting that the average American watches four hours of television a day."

Note the slanted language in this article at Murdoch's New York Post: "Al Gore is having serious trouble getting on TV. The former vice president has desperately been trying to buy a small cable news channel for $70 million but is getting blocked by mogul Barry Diller. Diller holds veto power over any sale of the channel, News World International, and says he wants to hold up the deal, but only for business reasons. Gore intends to create a liberal cable news channel for young people. 'This isn't about passing editorial judgment one way or another [on Gore's dream],' Diller, a longtime Democratic supporter, told TV Guide.com. 'There's simply a lot to be sorted out.' What's entailed is a complex chess game Diller is playing with crippled French conglomerate Vivendi, whose subsidiary controls the Gore target." Gee, the Post makes it seems like this is all a Gore vanity project. Hey, it's about time that there is a Liberal Network! Go to hell Rupert, you crypto-fascist!

Ron Brownstein writes: "In a blistering critique, [President] Al Gore accused [Squatter] Bush on Sunday of eroding personal freedoms and weakening the nation's security through 'mass violations of civil liberties' in the war on terrorism. 'Where civil liberties are concerned, they have taken us much farther down the road to an intrusive, 'Big Brother'-style government -- toward the dangers prophesized by George Orwell in his book '1984' -- than anyone ever thought would have been possible in the United States,' Gore told an enthusiastic crowd of 3,000 that filled DAR Constitution Hall... Gore charged that many of the domestic security policies the administration has pursued since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have actually weakened the nation's security by distracting attention from the most urgent threats [in that Bush has failed to adequately secure key infrastructure such as ports, nuclear facilities and chemical plants]. He called for the repeal of the USA Patriot Act." Right on!

"Former Vice President Al Gore accused Bush on Sunday of failing to make the country safer after the 9-11 attacks and using the war against terrorism as a pretext to consolidate power. 'They have taken us much farther down the road toward an intrusive, 'big brother'-style government - toward the dangers prophesied by George Orwell in his book '1984' - than anyone ever thought would be possible in the United States of America,' Gore charged... He brought the crowd to its feet when he called for a repeal of the Patriot Act... 'It makes no more sense to launch an assault on our civil liberties as the best way to get at terrorists than it did to launch an invasion of Iraq as the best way to get at bin Laden'... In both cases, Gore said, the administration has 'recklessly put our country in grave and unnecessary danger.' He also [charged] that there aren't sufficient protections in place for ports, nuclear facilities, chemical plants and other key infrastructure." You GO, AL!!

"President Gore will give his third major speech on the Administration's response to terrorism on Sunday, November 9th at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. Gore will describe the Administration's assault on our civil liberties as un-American and will charge that the Bush/Ashcroft attack on the Constitution is actually a smokescreen that obscures the Administration's fundamental failure to meaningfully protect our national security, and that their efforts have weakened rather than strengthened America. This event is cosponsored by the American Constitution Society and Moveon.org."

"The relentless drive for more intrusive technology to help improve security may result in a society that is less secure, warned Al Gore, former vice president of the U.S., speaking Tuesday at the Carnahan Conference on Security Technology in Taipei. Advances in technology allow governments to track the activities of individuals more closely and collect greater amounts of information than ever before, Gore said. But greater access to information does not automatically result in greater security, he said."

"This week, as NBC hammers out details on its proposed merger with Vivendi Universal Entertainment, Al Gore is trying to finalize his own deal: the purchase of a Universal-owned digital news channel called Newsworld International, a transaction that could herald Mr. Gore's official transformation from historical footnote to media player with the power to get in the game that he says has lately upset him so. 'He thinks the country is disserved by the absence of truth in news, by the absence of honesty in public-official presentation, by the apparently infinite cynicism of those who currently hold high office,' said Reed Hundt, the former chairman of the F.C.C. who saw through the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as well as a close friend of Mr. Gore's. 'These things disturb him, I know that. He's made these points to me. I think Al, and to my knowledge dozens of other progressives, would like to go beyond complaining to actually trying to fix the problems.'" You GO, Al!

"Call him Al Gore, media baron. The former vice president is close to striking a $70 million deal to acquire Newsworld International, a tiny cable network owned by French media giant Vivendi Universal, media sources said. Gore and his backers want to turn the digital channel into a liberal-leaning network. His partners include ex-Democratic fund-raiser Joel Hyatt and media investment banker Steve Rattner, who's said to be lining up financing. Carried in just 20 million homes, NWI airs newscasts from around the world, including reports from the Canadian Broadcasting Co. The net is part of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, the show biz empire that's about to be acquired by NBC. Reps for Vivendi and Gore declined to comment."

"Former Democratic Vice President Al Gore stumped the state with Gov. Gray Davis on Friday, trying to link the 2000 presidential election fiasco in Florida and the California recall by reminding Democrats that 'when the people vote in an election, it should be afforded the respect that's due." 'Trying to link' Bush's election theft to the California? Both are power grabs by the GOP! "In San Francisco and Los Angeles on Friday, Gore and Davis compared the recall to the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton and the Florida election debacle, in which the U.S. Supreme Court refused Gore's request to recount votes after the results were disputed in several counties." About the Bush residency, Gore said, "From peace and prosperity ... we now have a recession and three years in a row of job loss that hasn't happened since Herbert Hoover. This nation has tragically bungled into a situation in Iraq where our brave soldiers are paying too high a price for a historic mistake."

DraftGore.com writes, "For the first time since the 2000 elections, a major poll shows the country split evenly between Al Gore and George W. Bush. The Sept. 5-9 Zogby poll shows Bush with less than majority support and only with the narrowest of margins over Al Gore, 48% to 46% - a difference smaller than the poll's margin of error (3.2%). 'More than two and a half years after the 2000 election and we are back where we started,' said pollster John Zogby. 'The country was evenly divided then and it is still evenly divided.' Gore leads all major contenders for the Democratic nomination with 24% - compared to 16% for Dean, 12% for Lieberman, 11% for Kerry, 7% for Gephardt, and 2% for Edwards. Perhaps the most intriguing result was in response to a question never asked of voters before. The poll questioned respondents whether they agree or disagree that Gore would have been elected president had all the votes been counted in Florida in 2000. Almost half - 46% - agreed and 48% disagreed."

"The Draft Gore 2004 Committee today officially announced the launch of its New Hampshire campaign with the mailing of an official letter to 147 chairmen of Democratic town committees across the state and an announcement of a write-in candidacy to the New Hampshire Democratic Committee... The New Hampshire campaign kickoff comes on the heels of a series of political developments that underscore former Vice President Al Gore's continued support and stature among Democrats. A poll of New Hampshire Democrats released last week shows Gore easily leading all nine declared Democratic candidates, including New Englanders John Kerry and Howard Dean. Gore is also leading in national polls, by as much as 40% to 7% (Time/CNN poll). Also in recent days and weeks, increasing numbers of prominent Democrats, such as former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, members of the media, and Gore friends and supporters have called on the former vice president to enter the race for the 2004 nomination."

"As for honor and integrity, let me say this: we know what that was all about, but hear me well, not as a candidate for any office, but as an American citizen who loves my country: For eight years, the Clinton-Gore Administration gave this nation honest budget numbers; an economic plan with integrity that rescued the nation from debt and stagnation; honest advocacy for the environment; real compassion for the poor; a strengthening of our military - as recently proven - and a foreign policy whose purposes were elevated, candidly presented and courageously pursued, in the face of scorched-earth tactics by the opposition. That is also a form of honor and integrity, and not every administration in recent memory has displayed it. So I would say to those who have found the issue of honor and integrity so useful as a political tool, that the people are also looking for these virtues in the execution of public policy on their behalf, and will judge whether they are present or absent." You GO!

The New York Post reports: "Amid talk he's being urged to jump back into the presidential race, Al Gore has arranged to speak out on Iraq to a large anti-war group at New York University on Thursday. A Gore spokeswoman insisted, 'Truly, honestly, he's not planning on getting back into the race,' but the former vice president's speech to the organization MoveOn should only fuel the speculation. It will be Gore's first speech on Iraq since he came out against the Bush administration's push toward war last September. A MoveOn spokesman said Gore recently called the group and asked if he could address its members. He's set to speak to about 600 members at the Kimmel Center for University Life in Washington Square."

The Hill reports: "Former Vice-President Al Gore is coming under pressure from political supporters and friends to jump into the 2004 presidential campaign even though he ruled himself out in December. Gore's spokesperson denied that there was any change of plans, but a former Democratic National Committee official close to Gore told The Hill he believes the former vice president may enter the Democratic primary this fall... Former Vice-President Al Gore is coming under pressure from political supporters and friends to jump into the 2004 presidential campaign even though he ruled himself out in December. Gore's spokesperson denied that there was any change of plans, but a former Democratic National Committee official close to Gore told The Hill he believes the former vice president may enter the Democratic primary this fall."

William O'Rourke writes: "Al Gore should reconsider his decision not to run for the Democratic presidential nomination for 2004. Why? Look around at what is happening to the Democrats since Gore bowed out last December: the party splintering into its demographic pieces, name-calling among the jostling group running, conflicting and contradictory policies being touted."

Karen Tumulty writes: "Look out, Rupert, here comes...Al? Since deciding not to make another race for the White House in 2004, former Vice President Al Gore has been devoting considerable time to another dream, one he shares with many Democrats these days -- creating a media enterprise that could challenge the dominance of conservative voices in cable television and talk radio. Numerous sources in Hollywood and Washington tell TIME that Gore has been quietly sounding out potential financial backers for a cable television network. Separately, Gore has helped arrange meetings between key Hollywood figures and a wealthy Chicago couple who have publicly announced plans to invest $10 million in a liberal radio network." But an earlier NY Times article quoted a Gore associate as saying that Gore's project would be 'non-political'? Let's hope Tumulty's article is on the mark!

NY Times reports, "Democrats said that several months ago, after Al Gore decided not to run for president, he had expressed interest in starting a liberal challenge to outlets like the Fox News Channel. But associates of Mr. Gore and [Joel] Hyatt said ideas had evolved away from the creation of an overtly partisan outlet. 'It's not a political network, it's not an Al Gore network, it's not a Democratic network,' said Steve Rosenbaum, chief executive of Camera Planet... Among the programs Camera Planet has produced is 'Unfiltered.' Shown on MTV during the late 1990's, it assigned viewers to report stories about their lives using digital cameras. One possibility being considered [by Gore] is a network that would similarly have content generated by network viewers. Several associates of Mr. Gore and Mr. Hyatt said they were not worried about raising money for the network. Rather, their biggest challenge will be distribution." Hey Al: don't duck politics! Stand and Fight for us Democrats!

ElectGore04 Committee writes, "If we elect Al Gore in 2004, he will make history on at least four counts. He will be the man who won more presidential votes than any other Democrat in our history - the only candidate who was sued by the Republican Party over recounting votes - the only presidential candidate to be taken to the United States Supreme Court over an election - and the only candidate to be elected to the presidency by a grassroots effort of the American electorate. ElectGore04 is dedicated to making it happen. All we need is your vote and your support. Come along with us, make a little history, and just maybe, we can dispense a little justice while we're at it." If Gore is your candidate, go (or send your thoughts) to Nashville for a rally on Flag Day, June 14.

The Times-Picayune reports: "Former Vice President Al Gore Jr. toured the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research on Wednesday while in town to speak to technology executives at the second annual Wireless Enterprise Symposium. Both appearances were off-limits to the media. Gore, who popularized the phrase 'Internet superhighway' while a member of Congress, joined the board of directors of computer manufacturer Apple Inc. in March, and he also serves as a senior adviser to Internet search engine company Google Inc. Information about his speech to the wireless organization was not made available. Bioenvironmental Research Center director John McLachlan said Gore, who arrived at the center alone, was interested in discussing new issues involving the environment and human health with the laboratory's scientists."

Andrew West writes for the Sydney Morning-Herald: "Al Gore, the former US vice-president who won the popular vote at the last presidential election [and, according to the NORC recounts, would have won Florida had the Supreme Court not stopped the counting of votes], will visit Australia this month to urge the Howard Government to sign the Kyoto agreement on reducing greenhouse gases. Mr Gore will speak at Sydney's Westin Hotel on May 29 and argue against US President George Bush's policies on global security and environmental sustainability."

"I would never start this war if I were President, Former US Vice President Al Gore said via videoconferencing at the Economist Conference 'Seventh Roundtable with the Government of Greece', which takes place April 2-4 in Athens. Al Gore, whose participation in the conference has been prevented by secret services ban on travelling, underlined that he would have tried to deal with Saddam Hussein with all other means available."

The Tennessean reports, "With fewer companies owning more media outlets, the lack of tolerance for opposing views increases, Al Gore told a college audience. Using recent attacks on the Dixie Chicks that followed anti-war comments by one group member as an example, Gore said big corporations threaten the true meaning of democracy because representatives try to stamp out opposing views with financial retaliation... Gore's concern over limiting opposition was one of the topics in his lecture at Middle Tennessee State U... 'Mass media has had a pervasive impact on families. Most families don't have dinner together - and of those that do, a television is on during the entire dinner.' Besides substituting for family communication, Gore said the entertainment industry has contributed to immobility, debts, lower voter participation and increased cynicism. He said his biggest concern is people's inability to hear and express an opposing view. He called it 'an extremely serious problem.'"

"Apple announced that Albert Gore Jr., the former VP of the United States, has joined the Company's Board of Directors. 'Al brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to Apple from having helped run the largest organization in the world-the United States government-as a Congressman, Senator and our 45th Vice President. Al is also an avid Mac user and does his own video editing in Final Cut Pro,' said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO... 'Steve and his team have done an incredible job in making Apple once again the very best in the world,' said Al Gore. 'I have been particularly impressed with the new Mac OS X operating system and the company's commitment to the open source movement.' ... As a member of the U.S. Congress 25 years ago, he popularized the term 'Information Superhighway,' and was instrumental in fighting for federal funds to assist in building what later became the Internet... Mr. Gore serves as a Senior Advisor to Google, Inc."

A Zogby International poll shows that in spite of his three-month absence from the national political scene, President Al Gore is still the strongest Democratic challenger to Bush. If the election for president were held today, Bush would be the winner by 51%, with Gore at 42%. All other Democrats lag behind Bush by 12 points or more. The poll of 1,129 likely voters was conducted March 14-16... Gore also enjoys the greatest support among Democratic voters (74%), followed by Clinton (70%), Gephardt (70%), and Kerry (65%). Draftgore.com writes: "This is very encouraging news for us. Al Gore still leads the Democratic pack and has in fact improved his standing in the polls even though he removed himself from contention. It's remarkable that with other Democrats actively campaigning and Bush constantly in the limelight on the eve of the war, Gore is still within easy striking distance of Bush. This indicates the great depth of grassroots support that Gore enjoys."

Erik Sorensen writes, "In September 1992 Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Al Gore addressed the Center for International Policy and articulated a comprehensive dissertation on the inconsistencies, fabrications and collaboration between the Reagan/Bush I administrations and Saddam Hussein. Republicons.org has acquired a transcript of the speech delivered by Gore and it exhaustively details, in classic Gore fashion, a twelve year history of politically expedience, appeasement and clandestine cooperation with Iraq." Gore's speech helped throw BushDaddy out of the White House - but he should have gone to jail!

Knoxville News Sentinel writes, "Some die-hard Al Gore fans don't really believe it when he says he doesn't want to run for president again in 2004. So the Draft Gore 2004 group is taking out a full-page ad in Wednesday's Carthage (Tenn.) Courier urging the former vice president to accept a draft for the Democratic nomination... 'You are the only Democrat who can represent us in what may be one of the most crucial elections in American history,' says the ad. Efforts to reach Gore for comment were unsuccessful. When Gore announced his decision Dec. 15, he said that he still had the energy and desire to be president, noted Monica Friedlander, chairman of Draft Gore 2004. 'It sounded like he just doesn't think he'll have the support from the Democratic Party. I think we can prove to him that the people support him,' said Friedlander... [Her group] has grown to about 500 through a Web site, draftgore.com. 'I know we're going against the odds. But we're hoping to persuade him.'"

DraftGore.com writes, "We are grassroots Democrats from coast to coast who believe that Al Gore is the only Democrat who can represent us in what may be one of the most crucial elections in American history, as well as the only one who can unite the country behind him and lead us to victory. He is the voice of patriotic dissent in America -- a voice for the people, not the powerful. We are asking him to reconsider his recent decision and run for the Democratic nomination for president in 2004... If you agree that America needs Al Gore now more than ever, join us. Browse through this site, find out why we think a draft can work, and learn about what you can do to help."

Marc Ash writes, "One lie in the great nest of lies that has become America since December 13, 2000 is that Al Gore 'ran a poor race.' The truth is that no Democrat who ever ran for anything, anywhere at anytime ever got more votes than Gore got in his bid to become our 43rd President. In fact only Republican Ronald Reagan in 1984 got more votes... Gore faced down a ruthless frontal assault by right wing extremists determined to destroy him at any cost. He withstood a litany of deliberately bad press, bought and paid for by corporate financiers looking for control of the federal government. He survived a treacherous backside assault by Ralph Nader. He even succeeded in preventing Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris from stealing the election in the state of Florida; in the end, Bush and his corporate backers had to enlist the aid of their right-wing allies in the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only did Al Gore not 'run a poor race,' he ran one of the greatest races this country has ever seen."

"Dear Al Gore: We, your most loyal supporters, were devastated by your decision not to run for President in 2004. You are our greatest hope for change. You are the man who received 51 million votes, the second largest number in our history. You are the man who presented a vision for the future full of hope, not of fear. You are the man who knows better than anyone the enormously powerful forces we are up against... Some of us support a 'Draft Gore' movement to try to persuade you to change your mind and run in 2004. But if your decision is firm, we call upon you to help us fight for a better future. We call upon you to remain fully engaged in our political system, and to take a leadership role in a massive grassroots movement for change that we are trying to organize at Democrats.com and with our progressive allies across the Internet - your world-changing creation. We are behind you, and we urge you to help us lead the nation and the world towards a better future." Sign the petition!

Bob Fertik writes, "In announcing his momentous decision not to run for President in 2004, Al Gore offered only a precious few words explaining why. For the millions of Americans who remain outraged over the 2000 election - and believe Al Gore deserves to occupy the office that was stolen from him by George W. Bush, his brother Jeb Bush, five Republican Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, and the right-wing media led by FOX News - these few words were profoundly inadequate. Even more importantly, the reasoning behind those few words is historically wrong. In its usual fashion, the Republican media will not spend much time analyzing Gore's historic decision, and will instead turn its attention to the field of Democratic hopefuls [to] launch a campaign of personal destruction against each of these candidates. But for those of us who will never accept George Bush's theft of the Presidency, Gore's few words deserve a more thorough analysis."

Here is Al Gore's all-too-brief explanation for his decision not to run. "Well, I personally have the energy and the drive and the ambition-- to make another campaign. But I don't think it's the right thing for me to do. I-- I think that a campaign that would be a rematch between myself and President [sic] Bush would inevitably involve a focus on the past that would in some measure distract from the focus on the future that I think all campaigns have to be about... The last campaign was an extremely difficult one. And while I have the energy and drive to go out there and do it again, I think that there are a lot of people within the Democratic Party who felt exhausted by that. Who felt like, okay, I don't wanna go through that again. And I'm frankly sensitive to that-- to that feeling."

Why did Al Gore decide not to run in 2004? Did the media push Gore out of the race? Will this open the 2004 campaign to a candidate who will not be destroyed by the media? Share your thoughts in Democrats.community (registration required).

"I've decided that I will not be a candidate for president in 2004," Gore told Lesley Stahl. "I personally have the energy and drive and ambition to make another campaign, but I don't think that it's the right thing for me to do. I want to contribute to ending the current administration. I think the current policies have to be changed. I think that my best way of contributing to that result may not be as a candidate this time around... I think that a campaign that would be a rematch between myself and President [sic] Bush would inevitably involve a focus on the past that would in some measure distract from the focus on the future that I think all campaigns have to be about," Gore said. "I think there has to be an unrelenting focus on the economy," he said. "I think that the policies they're committed to do not work. And I think that if they don't change them, which I don't think they're likely to, that it's gonna be apparent to people."

From Intervention Magazine: "In Joined at the Heart, Al and Tipper Gore bring some needed sanity to the culture war...and lay a substantive foundation for a comprehensive domestic policy agenda based on people's daily realities, not on Washington groupthink. Cultural conservatives dubiously hold up the classic nuclear family, led by married heterosexual parents, as the cure-all for a litany of social ailments -- from child poverty to low life expectancy to domestic violence...using the time-tested, yet slipshod, tactic of taking any correlation between two factors and assuming that there is a casual relationship. The Gores choose to deal with the real world. Divorce happens. Moms, both married and single, often need to work. Some people are gay. Some choose to live together before, or instead of, marriage. Following their observations to a logical conclusion, the authors offer a reassuring, optimistic long-view."

Al Gore's book tour was greeted with the usual howls from the Republican media hyenas. But Gore is not climbing under a rock - instead, he's taking his case to the American people. Catch his TV appearances - and if the coverage is biased, call the networks to complain. Sunday 12/08/02 - ABC's "The Week"; Monday 12/09/02 - CNN's "Inside Politics"; Monday 12/09/02 - Comedy Central's "The Daily Show"; Wednesday 12/11/02 - MSNBC's "Hardball"; Wednesday 12/11/02 - NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" - (unconfirmed); Saturday 12/14/02 - NBC's "Saturday Night Live".

In an important interview with Josh Benson of the NY Observer, Al Gore diagnosed the right-wing cancer in the media. "The media is kind of weird these days on politics, and there are some major institutional voices that are, truthfully speaking, part and parcel of the Republican Party. Fox News Network, The Washington Times, Rush Limbaugh - there's a bunch of them, and some of them are financed by wealthy ultra-conservative billionaires [like Ruppert Murdoch, Richard Mellon Scaife and Rev. Sun Myung Moon] who make political deals with Republican administrations and the rest of the media. Most of the media [has] been slow to recognize the pervasive impact of this fifth column in their ranks - that is, day after day, injecting the daily Republican talking points into the definition of what's objective as stated by the news media as a whole." You GO, Al!

Jon Prestage writes: "Karen Tumulty's recent Time article about Al Gore is a wolf in sheep's clothing. While it reveals Gore as candid, engaging, and adjusting to the new political realities of a post-9-11 world, Tumulty cannot help herself but to spin Gore and mislead her readers. The article shows just how subtle spin can sometimes be. There are more than a dozen examples, some more egregious than others. Here's a primer, outlining a few. To begin her article, The Making of a Comeback, Tumulty describes Gore's surprise and disappointment with how poorly Democrats did in the 2002 election. Then, in the second paragraph, Tumulty says, 'Only now -- after an election that seemed to give George W. Bush a strong mandate to lead the American people -- is Gore beginning to talk frankly about the man who narrowly defeated him in that painful election two years ago. Despite the triumph that Bush enjoyed this Election Day, Gore is on the offensive.'"

"Brandishing the new 'let-it-rip' philosophy that he said would be the foundation of any political comeback, Al Gore offered a blistering assessment of...Bush's performance, accusing the commander in chief of having become so obsessed with Iraq that he has 'lost his focus on the war against terrorism.' Gore, in bolder language than he used during his...campaign, called Bush's war strategy misguided, his economic plan a 'catastrophe' and his environmental policies 'a shameful display of special-interest-payback politics. Of course I'm biased,' Gore said in an interview...'I didn't vote for the guy.'...Gore characterized Bush as 'misleading' the nation during the 2000 campaign, 'pretending that he cared about the environment.' Once elected, Bush bowed repeatedly to the 'ultra-right wing,' Gore said....his decision whether to try again for the presidency will be made public no later than early January...'Actually, the family has voted, but we are waiting on the recount,' Gore said."'

Al and Tipper Gore write in "Joined At The Heart: The Transformation of the American Family": "We started dreaming of having a family soon after we met, thirty-seven years ago. We were just teenagers then, and unlike most high school sweethearts these days, we somehow grew together instead of apart. Now, four children, two grandchildren, and thirty-two years of marriage later, we are looking beyond the family we have created together to write a book about the rapidly changing American family." Join the Gores as they examine the changing face of the American family; read excerpts and the ten key trends in the changing American family; view some poignant, breathtaking photographs of American families in all their varieties: interfaith and interracial marriage, new gender and age configurations, increased divorce rates, single parenthood, and ever-shifting roles are among the new ties that bind our American families.

The transcript of Al and Tipper Gore's appearance on Larry King Live to discuss their new books "Joined at the Heart" and their photographic journal "The Spirit of Family" is available now. Larry's questions range from how each heard about 911 (and how the Mounties helped Al return to the States) to policy issues including how to get the economy back on track; his opinion of our current privacy intrusions, such as collecting information on citizens and wiretapping; the vote on the Homeland Security bill; his friendship with President Clinton; and his words to a very enthusiastic campaign volunteer. Asked why he's speaking out, he said: "I went for a year without offering any criticism whatsoever. You know the story about the little boy who didn't talk until he was 6 years old? And then one day he said, this sandwich is terrible. And his mother said, You're talking. How come you didn't say anything before? He said, Well up until now everything's been all right."

WashPost's Dan Balz reports that "Al Gore today accused Bush of losing focus on the war against terrorism, saying Bush's two-month campaign to 'beat the war drums' against Iraq may have helped Republicans win control of Congress but left the country less secure against possible future attacks." Ouch! As for the 2002 elections, "What Democrats must do, he said, is 'go back to our base of strength and support at the grass roots and nourish those grass roots and bring a lot of fresh ideas back to the center of the national debate'... He argued in favor of a politically risky single-payer national health insurance system, saying incremental approaches cannot solve the problems of rising costs, bewildering bureaucracy and a steady increase in the number of Americans without health insurance... Gore said he favors scrapping future installments of the Bush tax cuts aimed at top income earners." You GO, Al!

Time.com reports: "Gore is on the offensive. Bush's economic agenda, he says, is 'catastrophic,' his foreign policy 'horrible,' his environmental stance 'immoral.' 'Our country is headed for very deep trouble,' Gore told Time. 'I wish it were not so, but I believe that with all my heart. I think that our economic plan has zero chance of working. I think that it is wrong at its core. I think that our foreign policy, based on an openly proclaimed intention to dominate the world, is a recipe for getting our country in some of the worst trouble it's ever been in.' Bush, Gore says, has compiled the worst economic record since Herbert Hoover. 'For Democrats to lose the Senate and to lose ground in the House means that we have got to examine what we could have done more effectively as a party. I think it's the time now for us to be a loyal opposition, not just in name but in reality, and to present a clear alternative.'"

Gore News Network writes, "Al and Tipper Gore are working their way across America on a 25 day, 12 city tour promoting their new books Joined at the Heart and The Spirit of Family. Several major media appearances by the Gores, including an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman (CBS) and 20/20 (ABC) were made last week. On Late Night, in addition to trading jokes with Letterman, Gore discussed foreign and domestic policy, including criticisms of the way Bush handled the aftermath of the war in Afghanistan. The 20/20 interview by Barbara Walters aired on Friday, November 15th, 2002. The program was taped at the Gore's home in Nashville, TN- and included interviews with Al and Tipper Gore, and their two oldest children, Karenna, and Kristin. Note: The footage shown here includes a segment not shown nationally that was picked up by ABC's Seattle affiliate, KOMO TV" - that's about the Rethugs who threatened the Gore family outside their home during the Florida recount.

Al Gore was in his zone on David Letterman's show on 11-15-02. When Letterman asked about the 2000 election, Gore had the audience roaring with his brilliant timing and facial gestures. Even Letterman declared: "I think you've gotten funnier in two years." Hey Dave - you ain't seen nothin' yet! Enjoy the show, courtesy of the Gore News Network.

ABC's 20/20 censored the discussion of the right-wing riot outside the VP's house during the Florida recount: "KARENNA GORE: There was a...an organized effort by, I don't know whether it was the RNC or it was...it was right-wing groups, it was definitely Bush-campaign-oriented effort to bus in people to have a sort of siege at the VP's house, and, so, they were all lining there, screaming, and it was kind of an assortment of groups. I mean, some of them were anti-abortion groups, and some of them were pro-gun groups...they all had their different signs. But they were all screaming, 'Get out of Cheney's house,' the whole time... KRISTEN GORE: It was just very...upsetting that someone would...yell those things at us. It felt...we felt sort of like...trapped in this...you know, little house with all these people yelling mean things. It's no fun. You know, whether you're a child of the person who they're directed at, or anyone else. It wasn't a good situation." Protest to 2020@abc.com

WashPost's Dan Balz reports, "In his first interviews [in] two years, former vice president Al Gore calls the outcome of the 2000 election 'a crushing disappointment' and criticizes the 5- 4 Supreme Court decision that put Bush in the White House as 'completely inconsistent' with the court's conservative philosophy. 'I believe that if everyone in Florida who tried to vote had had his or her vote counted properly, that I would have won,' Gore said... 'I strongly disagreed with the Supreme Court decision and the way in which they interpreted and applied the law. But I respect the rule of law, so it is what it is.' Gore told ABC's Barbara Walters, in an interview...on ABC's '20/20,' that he 'absolutely' believed he would become president when the Florida Supreme Court ordered a recount of all disputed ballots in the state, making the result all the more emotionally difficult to accept. His wife, Tipper, said in the Post interview, 'I still believe we won.'" So do we!!!!!

Barbara Walters previews her interview with Al and Tipper Gore: "At one point he's singing 'On the Road Again', the Willie Nelson song. When he goes to colleges and universities, he is very very well received. He does the line that he's been doing for a while, 'I'm Al Gore, I'm the man used to be the next President of the United States.' He's much looser. He seems to have, well we always thought that he had humor but it never seemed to come across. He campaigned for a great many candidates, most of whom he said did win. We asked him if he was testing the waters for his own presidential run, and he said 'no,' he was only trying to help other candidates. But of course it is a way to see what kind of response he did get, and, especially from young people, it seemed quite strong." Check your local listings, gather your friends and family, and enjoy a chat with Al!

"Gore suggested he was hesitant to reveal his position at this forum - but then declared that he had come 'reluctantly' to the conclusion that single-payer is the best solution to the nation's health insurance crisis. He offered no details for what kind of system he would favor, or how he would propose transitioning to such a massive change. Afterward, a Gore spokesman said that the former Vice President would offer more specifics in the future for what kind of plan he envisions. Long supported by the left, single-payer plans involve all money spent on health care being collected by some public agency or trust fund, which then pays for comprehensive coverage, delivered privately and publicly, for all citizens. Issues of taxation, quality of care, availability of care, and medical innovation are all implicated in such a system, with Canada's plan often used as the basis for understanding and analysis."

Al Gore described what he meant by "regrouping" in an ABCNews.com exclusive interview with Barbara Walters: "I mean taking a hard look at how we can talk about the real life concerns that families in this country are wrestling with every day and present a very forceful alternative, supporting [Bush] when [he] is right, but offering a constructive alternative and presenting it boldly when we think we have a better approach." That kind of statesmanship explains why he beat the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by 543,895 votes.

Miami.com reports: "Former Vice President Al Gore on Sunday urged black voters 'to walk through fire' to cast their ballots, testifying to his experience during the Florida recount of 2000. 'If anybody ever tells you that one vote doesn't make a difference, ask them to come talk to me,' said Gore… That line, repeated at three Orlando-area black churches, was met every time with applause and cries of approval. Democrats have long regarded black voters as a crucial part of their base, and Gore's appearance was intended to boost Democrat Bill McBride in his race against Gov. Jeb Bush - W's younger brother....'I want somehow to communicate to you how important I believe it is that you overcome any obstacle, external or internal, to get to the polls,' Gore said to a packed house at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. 'That you walk through fire, if it's necessary, in order to exercise that right to vote.'"

'Al Gore has become the latest politician to try his hand at comedy, as NBC television announced that the former vice president would host an upcoming edition of the popular 'Saturday Night Live' programme. Gore will host the show on December 14, network officials announced.' So gather family and friends, set the VCR, and enjoy!

ABCNews.com reports: The popular vote winner, Al "Gore will give ABCNEWS' Barbara Walters his first formal televised interview since the presidential election two years ago. Tipper Gore will join her husband during the interview, which is scheduled to air on 20/20 on Friday, Nov. 15, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC...In his interview with Walters, Gore promises to address a wide range of issues, including the hotly contested 2000 presidential election and the Florida recount; his reflections since leaving office; his future political plans; and his criticisms of Bush's foreign policy and economic platform." Mark your calendar, check your local listings, and set the VCR! Why not watch with family and friends at your own Gore get-together?

In a lecture at Middle Tennessee State University, President-Elect Gore diagnosed our modern media. Because news has become a commodity, networks feel compelled to give it "something extra" to compete with other news sources. Too often that "something extra" is entertainment, opinion, attitude -- any of which can bias the reports. News sources also bias the news by catering to a specific political audience in order to guarantee a market share, being in such a rush to be "first" with the news that the networks use pre-written pieces from sources with their own agenda, and neglecting to fact-check the sources of news.

Chicago Tribune reports, "Gore urged Democrats [in Iowa] to keep the anger from the 2000 presidential race in mind when voting in the Nov. 5 elections, invoking the historic controversy for the first time... 'I want you to remember not just what you were thinking, I want you to remember what you were feeling,' Gore said at a Democratic rally. 'The next time somebody says to you that it does not make any difference who wins the election, think about all that has happened since that election'... The most forceful political remarks from Gore were invoked at three stops when he asked Democrats to recall his presidential race two years ago, including the split decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that ended a 36-day legal battle in Florida. 'Are you completely over that?' Gore asked his audiences. 'No!' the crowds shouted. 'God no!' The exchange was a striking contrast to previous statements from Gore that he was at peace and had accepted the Supreme Court's decision."

For 3 years, the media has been obsessed with vetting the accuracy of every statement by Al Gore. Meanwhile, Bush tells a new lie each day with utter impunity. To add insult to injury, the media ignores Gore when he is proven right. The recent spate of Al Qaeda attacks in Pakistan, Kuwait, the Philippines, and Indonesia proves Gore was right - and prophetic - with his speech on 9-23-02. "I am deeply concerned that the policy we are presently following with respect to Iraq has the potential to seriously damage our ability to win the war against terrorism and to weaken our ability to lead the world in this new century." (http://www.algore04.com/news/gnn/EpFklEVVZFrTfONOYJ.shtml). Call/write the media and tell them Gore Was Right Again!

Jon Prestage critiques Adam Nagourney's coverage of Al Gore's speech on the economy: "Your coverage of Al Gore's remarks...about the president's failed economic policies and his call for the president to lead a reassessment of those policies was a crass attempt to spin your readers and censor Gore. You told us next to nothing about what Gore actually said... you neglected to tell us that Gore said that if the nation experiences another quarter like the one we just endured 'our national losses will take us into truly uncharted realms.'...Let me inform you of a few of the details you missed....Gore urged the president to take responsibility for our stalled economy even as he focuses on international affairs. While Gore admitted that Iraq is an urgent matter, 'it's even more urgent that both he (the president) and the Congress take action to strengthen our economy prior to the election.' Gore asked how Bush 'plan(s) to pay for war, homeland security, Social Security, and Medicare?'"

Eric Alterman of The Nation is amazed by the sour, childish attitude even so-called liberal journalists cop when dealing with Al Gore. When he's mild-mannered, they sneer, when he's more aggressive they sneer - he can't win. But Gore rises above it all. "Personally, I never really liked Gore, and he's not my choice for 2004. But he sure galvanized Tom Daschle and other Democrats to face up to a frightening juggernaut for war they would have preferred to duck for the sake of re-election. Naderites take note. It was not 'smart' in the Washington sense. It was not strategic. But damn it, it was brave. The victim of a stolen presidency demonstrated why democracy matters. The more media chicken hawks sink their tiny beaks into his ass, the more--just this once--I admire his courage." Hey, folks isn't that what COUNTS?

Al Gore declared: "I am deeply worried that America's economy is in big trouble and that our current approach is failing... When seeking office, [Bush] said he would lead a new 'Era of Responsibility.' But today, he won't take any responsibility for the damage economists say his policies have created. [Bush] needs to take responsibility for the fact that his own fiscal policies are the largest factor responsible for the $5 trillion evaporation of our surplus. [Bush] needs to take responsibility for the failure of his economic team to respond in a swift and coordinated fashion to our domestic and international crisis. And he needs to take responsibility for the fact that these policy failures have contributed to the crisis in confidence in U.S. economic leadership." No wonder the Republican media censored Gore's speech! (Watch the speech here: www.forumsondemand.com/brookings/2002/10/02/gore/all.ram)

In a speech to a high-powered audience in Washington DC, President Al Gore declared: "How can it be essential that we go to war prior to the election but absolutely fine to wait until after the election before we take any action to deal with the economy?" Not ONE of the 24-hour cable networks covered Gore's speech, with CNN and FOX focused on a California car chase. Express your outrage! Call/e-mail CNN 404-827-1500 cnn@cnn.com, FOX 212-301-3000 comments@foxnews.com, and MSNBC 201-583-5000 TheNews@msnbc.com

After delivering a devastating blow to Bush's Iraq Insanity on 9-23-02, Al Gore will now take on Bush's economic policy in a speech in DC on Wednesday. Clinton-Gore presided over the longest peacetime expansion in history. They left office with unemployment at 4%, the DOW near 11,000, a budget SURPLUS of $200 billion and a projected 10-year SURPLUS of $5.4 trillion. Now unemployment is near 6%, the DOW is below 8,000, a budget deficit near $200 billion, and a 10-year deficit in the trillions. On Wednesday, President Al Gore will have a thing or two to say about Bush's economic catastrophe. The White House is in full "wag-the-dog" mode - heck, they'll probably start bombing Baghdad on Wednesday just to divert attention from Gore. But come war or hurricane, we DEMAND full live coverage of Gore's speech! Call/e-mail the 24-hour cable news networks: CNN 404-827-1500 feedback@cnn.com, FOX 212-301-3000 comments@foxnews.com, and MSNBC 201-583-5000 TheNews@msnbc.com

The Hill reports, "Senate Democrats praised Al Gore Tuesday for giving voice to their own qualms over...Bush's Iraq policy. Even as Gore spoke out, a growing number of Senate Republicans also expressed concern over what they viewed as an overly broad resolution crafted by the White House authorizing the use of force against Iraq. Gore's warning in a San Francisco speech on Monday that a preemptive strike against Iraq could hurt the war on terrorism [made him] the first major party figure to assail Bush's policy. The speech became front-page news, giving Democrats an opening to bolster their go-slow arguments. It also raised the specter of Bush leading a divided nation into war."

Joan Walsh writes, "Better late than never, and better now than ever, Fighting Al Gore has emerged to lead his party. Just as congressional Democrats seemed ready to roll over and authorize the resident's reckless war with Iraq... the former vice president came out swinging, denouncing the rush to topple Saddam in a fiery San Francisco speech. [Later in the week, Gore] blasted Bush on the economy, the intelligence failures that missed 9/11, and his administration's assault on civil liberties in the name of national security. Gore's fighting words are exhilarating, and long overdue. They're particularly bracing given the demoralizing timidity of most Democratic leaders, who have been neutered in the year since 9/11. [Gore asked 'Are you better off now than you were two years ago?' But not everybody likes the new Al Gore. Republicans called him a 'hack,' and their right wing toadies called his Iraq speech a 'disgrace'] All I can say is, You go, Al."

Joe Klein writes that a few months ago, Al Gore said that his mistake was "paying too much attention to 'polls, tactics, and all the rest... I should have let it rip, poured out my heart, and my vision ... and let the chips fall where they may.' [Gore wasn't blaming his consultants - he was blaming himself. Politicians should] distance themselves, from time to time, from their witch doctors. [Gore's] Iraq speech this week was rather inconvenient for Democrats - especially those in Congress running for re-election, who have 'decided' to take Iraq off the table... because their political consultants are convinced that Iraq is a 'bad' issue for them! The unanimity of this conviction among consultants (and the willingness of commentators to buy into it) should give us pause... because the issues the consultants want Democrats to run on... are minuscule when compared to the decisions about to be taken by the Bush administration."

AP reports: "Al Gore...accused the administration Thursday of an 'attack on civil liberties' and ignoring signs that Osama bin Laden had been planning an attack on U.S. soil... 'The warnings were there' before the attacks, Gore said... Gore said 'highly questionable' decisions are being made in the criminal justice system under Attorney General John Ashcroft. 'What's going on nationally, with the attack on civil liberties, with American citizens in some cases just disappearing without right to counsel, without access to a lawyer, I think that is disgraceful,' he said. 'I think we need to stand up for our principles in this country and stand up for what this nation represents, even as we face the terrible dangers that we have to confront in the world today,' he added... Gore also decried any efforts to portray Democratic critics of the administration's homeland security plans and possible war with Iraq as unpatriotic or unconcerned about national security.'"

Al Gore's leadership 02 Committee (www.leadership02.com) has set up a special comments line to let Al Gore know how you feel about his courageous speech, that challenged Bush's dangerous foreign policy exploits! Call 703-875-0667 and let him know how you feel by leaving a recorded message! You may also send an email to leadership02 at: connectandelect@leadership02.com. Now Let's get out there and let the man the people elected know that we appreciate his courage!

When Al Gore delivered his strong indictment of the administration's Iraq policy and its preemptive strike doctrine, he did something very unusual for this day and age. He took a stand. His was the most forceful and eloquent statement on the subject made by a major Democratic figure in the country. Thereby the winner of the 2000 presidential election did more than challenge Bush on the war issue. He set himself up as the true leader of the Democratic party and its grassroots members nationwide. Moreover, Gore laid out a vision for America's role as a moral leader of the free world, a role that would place our country back within the framework of international law. As a member of the international community, Gore said, we must act as we expect others to.

Al Gore proved on Monday what the Marines have always said, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." The gloves came off and the most forceful speech made by ANY prominent Democrat so far was delivered to an adoring audience that responded with wild enthusiasm. After months of wimpo Congressional Dems afraid to speak up, Gore's frank, powerful statements made all who heard or read them feel like plants in a drought that finally got some rain. No wonder the mainstream media hushed it up - Gore's forceful dignity makes Bush look like a badly drawn cariacture of Napoleon. All Americans should be thrilled that the real President has finally stepped back on stage - with renewed confidence and courage.

C-Span has archived Al Gore's historic speech on Iraq. This archive should be available for a few weeks. Look under "recent programs" or click "more" - or search their site for "Gore".

On Monday, September 23, 2002, Al Gore gave a major speech on Iraq at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco (You can see the speech or read the full text by clicking on the links at the below URL). Al Gore called the war on Iraq a distraction from the war on terrorism, warned against unilateral action and Bush's preemptive strike policy, and addressed the timing questions of Bush's war in Iraq. How did the networks cover Gore's historic speech? They didn't! We demand that Gore's speech be aired in prime time - and we demand full coverage for the anti-war movement, which represents the MAJORITY of Americans. 1. Call CNN at 404-827-1500. 2. Call Fox News at (212) 301-3000. 3. Call MSNBC at (201) 583-5000. The media did a hatchet job on Al Gore in 2000 - it's time to get justice for Al Gore. Act now!

In a MAJOR speech in San Francisco Monday, Al Gore declared: "By shifting from his early focus after September 11th on war against terrorism to war against Iraq, the President has manifestly disposed of the sympathy, good will and solidarity compiled by America and transformed it into a sense of deep misgiving and even hostility. In just one year, the President has somehow squandered the international outpouring of sympathy, goodwill and solidarity that followed the attacks of September 11th and converted it into anger and apprehension aimed much more at the United States than at the terrorist network, much as we manage to squander in one year's time the largest budget surpluses in history and convert them into massive fiscal deficits. He has compounded this by asserting a new doctrine of preemption." Once again, the corporate media blacked out Gore - but you can watch his speech on C-Span Monday at 10:43 pm EST on C-Span1 and 2:15 am on C-Span1. You go, Gore!

ABCNews.com reports: "President Al Gore plans to break his recent silence on U.S. policy towards Iraq in a speech to members of California's august Commonwealth Club this coming Monday. The speech, scheduled to be delivered at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, is open to the press and being touted by Gore aides well in advance, a signal that Gore hopes the public will hear his words. Gore's aides declined to say whether Gore would follow the lead of most Democrats running for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination and adopt a harsh line toward Saddam Hussein and a doubtful attitude about U.N. weapons inspections... In February, Gore told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York that 'as far as I am concerned, a final reckoning with that government should be on the table. To my way of thinking, the real question is not the principle of the thing, but of making sure that this time we will finish the matter on our terms.'"

President "Al Gore returned to Washington Saturday night to praise the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and intensify his criticism of the Bush administration. Appearing as the featured speaker...Gore mixed self-depreciating humor with a harsh assessment of the state of the union...Much of the President's speech was reserved for criticism of George W. Bush's domestic policies...The President also decried the erosion of civil rights, saying 'I believe that one of the tests of our nation is whether or not in times of great challenge, we will have the courage to be true to our deepest principles, to be true to what we are as Americans.' Gore blasted Attorney General John Ashcroft for not being 'respectful of the civil liberties that the American people deserve.' He illustrated his point with the case of Juan Padilla." In addition, Gore "ridiculed the Administration for depleting the surplus in one year and demanded they stop raiding the social security trust fund."

"Al Gore warned that American democracy is facing a dangerous threat from media conglomerates. The lecture, delivered to an overflowing room of students and professors...focused on upcoming Federal Communications Commission commentary regarding the dismantling of media ownership regulations. 'The FCC proposal to eliminate all of the restrictions on highly concentrated ownership of multiple news outlets is a dire threat to the survival of democracy in the USA,' Gore said. The FCC is investigating the merit of keeping its regulations in place regarding how many television and radio stations any one individual or corporation can own in any given media market. The current limit is three. 'They are not asking for comments on why the limits should be removed,' Gore said, 'they're asking for comments why they shouldn't be removed.' (Gore said) there is a two-fold danger when one group owns a substantial portion of a region's media outlets." Contact Info: http://www.fcc.gov/contacts.html

"President Al Gore urged some 2,000 fervent supporters Saturday night to channel the anger they felt upon hearing he lost [sic] the presidency into electing Democratic candidates in November. 'Get the White House,' yelled one supporter during Gore's 30-minute speech in support of U.S. Senate candidate Bob Clement and the party's other nominees at a fund-raising picnic for five county Democratic parties. A woman near the stage then added '2004!' 'We're going to focus on 2002. We can't wait four years. We've got to have a change this year,' Gore responded. 'Remember just for a minute what you felt like inside when you heard the Supreme Court decision' that cost Gore the election. 'Boo!' they responded, and one man chimed in: 'It never left!' Gore told them to 'take all of that feeling every day between now and Election Day. Take it into the voting booth. Let's take our country's policies back from the group that has taken it from us.'" You go, Gore!

CNN reports, "A staff member at ... President Al Gore's office in Nashville discovered a 'suspicious white powder' Tuesday in a small envelope that was sent to the office. Officials have not yet determined what the package contained. Gore's office manager, Mary Patterson, opened the small package at approximately noon CDT. Patterson and Gore's Tennessee director, Robert McLarty, were the only people in the office at the time. They immediately turned off the office air conditioning and contacted local authorities, who dispatched a hazardous-materials team to the site, in the city's Loews Hotel." Stay tuned for more details...

USA Today reports, "A major correction is needed in the course of our nation,' Gore said, urging voters to send new lawmakers to Washington this fall. Democrats hold a 50-49 edge over Republicans in the Senate, with one independent, and need to pick up seven seats to take control of the 435-member House. Gore contended that as a result of Bush's economic policies, 'What has been put at risk is nothing less than the future of democratic capitalism. Standing up for the people, not the powerful, was the right choice in 2000. In fact, it is the ground of the Democratic Party's being, our meaning and our mission,' he said in a statement defending his policies. He said a theme of his 2000 campaign had been that a Bush administration would favor special interests at the public's expense... 'Some considered this warning 'anti-business.' It was nothing of the sort,' Gore said. It is often 'smaller companies that play by the rules' that suffer along with the people, he said."

Al Gore writes: "There has always been a debate over the destiny of this nation between those who believed they were entitled to govern because of their station in life, and those who believed that the people were sovereign...what is far more important than the pursuit of a few bad apples in the White House is the need to recognize that what has been put at risk is nothing less than the future of democratic capitalism. And it cannot be rejuvenated unless the people and the politicians focus on the question: What is good for the whole?...Presidents of both parties in the past have risen to meet that responsibility when the interests of the people were at risk from the unrestrained greed of the powerful...We are at such a moment again. Uncommon power has combined with uncommon greed to create immense deceptions and losses. Millions of average Americans have been victimized. So have thousands of honest American corporations...A major correction is needed in the course of our nation."

Carla Binion writes: "Al Gore accused the Bush administration of lying to Americans about the nation's economy... if Gore keeps up this feisty attitude, he will appeal to potential voters who rightfully want Democrats to strenuously oppose certain corrupt Republican policies. Gore said the Bush administration has 'lied about the future liabilities they have put on our shoulders as taxpayers.' I like to see Gore fighting the Bush team on such substantial issues... Grassroots Democrats and others should applaud Gore and other Democrats when they stand up and speak out against the worst of the Bush policies. If Gore continues to show backbone and vitality in his opposition to corrupt Bush administration practices... he will receive overwhelming rank and file support."

Al Gore returned to Washington yesterday to lunch with union leaders and thank them for their support. "You were out there for me, and I appreciate that," Gore told the group. "I can't thank you enough." AFL-CIO president John Sweeney began the luncheon, hosted by Gore's PAC, with a toast to the people's presidential choice. "Gore and the union presidents spent much of the buffet lunch talking about the economy and their mutual dislike of the Bush administration, with the labor leaders criticizing many of the administration's decisions and what they see as a more anti-union climate among corporations. Gore told them they could expect him to be a strong voice this fall in defending working families and challenging the administration" as he campaigns this fall for Democratic candidates around the country. Gore "assured the group of about a dozen union presidents that he has not made a decision about running in 2004, but told them, 'After Tipper, you'll be among the first to know.'"

Gene Lyons writes, "According to [Joe] Lieberman, Gore's 'people versus the powerful' rhetoric cost Democrats the election... that Gore's populist rhetoric obscured his 'pro-growth' voting record and alienated voters 'who don't see America as us versus them' ... Meanwhile, The Economist, hardly a Marxist publication, points out that in hindsight, Gore's rhetoric sounds like prophecy. During the campaign, Gore warned that Bush was being bankrolled by 'a new generation of special-interest power-brokers who would like nothing better than a pliant president who would bend public policy to suit their purposes and profits.' Boys and girls, can you spell Enron?... Fact is, the only 'class warfare' fought in the USA since 1980 was declared by free market fundamentalists in right-wing 'think tanks,' politicians like Newt Gingrich, and their media allies who persuaded millions of gullible voters that... vast wealth absolves its possessors of what old fashioned theologians called 'Original Sin.'"

On Sunday, C-Span's weekly "American Politics" will broadcast President Al Gore's first appearance on Capitol Hill since January 20, 2001. Gore spoke to college students at an event sponsored by 21st Century Democrats. An estimated 500 people attended the event on Thursday, July 25th, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Watch it on TV Sunday 6:30pm, 9:30pm & 12:30am ET, or view the video over the Internet for the next four weeks.

"Al Gore visited Capitol Hill for the first time in 18 months on Thursday, blasting the Bush administration for mismanaging the economy, cozying up to corporate interests and [lying about] its centerpiece tax cut...Gore said this year's midterm election was a referendum on whether the government would be run for the benefit of a wealthy few. 'The Republican Party today is at the hands of an elite that embodies wealth and power,' Gore told 500 young Democratic activists... He likened Bush's economic stewardship to the actions of the directors of collapsed energy trader Enron Corp. 'Everything Enron did, to mislead people about the extent of that company's future liability in order to grab the money for the benefit of those at the top of the corporation, that is pretty much the same formula that this administration has taken on the national budget,' Gore said." (See Gore's speech at C-SPAN's site, http://www.c-span.org/americanpolitics)

"Al Gore accused the Bush administration...of lying to Americans about the nation's economy...The Bush administration has 'lied about the future liabilities they have put on our shoulders as taxpayers,' Gore said. The former vice president prompted a cheer when he said: 'I don't care what anybody says. I think Bill Clinton and I did a damn good job.' The recent spate of corporate corruption cases reflects the administration's policies and its appointees, who are supposed to police big business, Gore said. He compared the administration's handling of the economy to business decisions that led to the collapse of Enron, saying Bush is creating a huge deficit. 'It's going to lead to bigger deficits than when the first Bush was there,' Gore said. He said the administration should 'completely scrap its economic plan and its team on...start over from scratch and start rebuilding this economy.'"

"Al Gore told a group of young Democratic activists that victories by Democrats in the upcoming November elections are the first step in rescuing the country from its current 'economic doldrums'...The GOP 'have a radical agenda,' Gore said...'We need to keep the Senate. We need to take the House of Representatives.' Gore blamed the sagging economy on the work of Bush and his advisers. If given the chance, he said he would tell the administration to 'scrap your entire economic plan and start from scratch.' 'The economy is suffering. Unemployment is rising,' Gore said. 'I was one of the first laid off - January 20th, 2001.' However, Gore offered hope to his listeners yesterday. He said things can be turned around and that based on recent economic happenings, Democrats can be assured 'we have a better way.' 'We have to win the elections less than 100 days from now,' he said. 'Then, two years after that … we will take back over the White House and start over with a fresh administration.'"

Al Gore writes, "This November, not only do we have the opportunity to widen the Democratic majority in the Senate and create one in the House, but we also have the chance to elect gubernatorial and state legislative candidates across the country-candidates who share our vision of government that lives within its means and invests in the American people. But we will only be able to do so if we work together. That's why I formed Leadership '02-an organization dedicated to connecting and electing Democrats. Leadership '02 will not only give support, both financial and political, to candidates in races across the country, it will also help train young people interested in getting involved in politics… I know that we will be able help those candidates who want to bring our economic house back in order; believe in safeguarding our environment; and will protect the well being of our children as they grow and the promises we have made to our nation's seniors as they age."

From The Economist: "Statistics have never confirmed the theory that Mr Gore's populism was suicidal. After all, he won more votes than Bill Clinton ever managed (51m compared with 47m). Whatever the merits of running as a populist during a boom, Mr Gore's campaign is now looking more far-sighted by the day… Mr Gore gave warning that his rival was being bankrolled by 'a new generation of special-interest power-brokers who would like nothing better than a pliant president who would bend public policy to suit their purposes and profits'... Mr Gore still looks prescient. He argued that the country needed somebody in Washington who was willing to hold corporate America accountable for its misdeeds... Mr Gore left the 2000 campaign with important advantages: astronomical name-recognition; a network of fundraisers; and a bitter sense that the election was stolen. Now he can add the fact that he warned America against putting a corporate dupe in Washington."

"Former Vice President Al Gore said in a speech Saturday, 'They picked the principal lawyer and lobbyist for the big five accounting firms who, before coming to the government, went and pleaded with the SEC to open up loopholes for the accounting companies.'" The 2000 Presidential vote winner referred to Security and Exchange Commission chairman Harvey Pitt who is currently vowing to continue his probe into Halliburton accounting irregularities instituted when Dick Cheney was its CEO. "I head an independent regulatory agency," Pitt said. "We don't give anyone a pass. If anybody violates the law, we go after them'...the investigation could become politically embarrassing for the Bush administration as it tries to fashion a response to the spate of accounting scandals on Wall Street."

Dan Balz writes that Al Gore says "if he runs in 2004, he will 'let the chips fall where they may. If I had it to do over again, I'd just let it rip. To hell with the polls, tactics and all the rest. I would have poured out my heart and my vision for America's future'... Gore sharply challenged the success of Bush's war on terrorism, noting that 'they haven't gotten Osama bin Laden or the al Qaeda operation.' He also accused the president of allowing his political team 'to use the war as a political wedge to divide America.' On domestic issues, he accused the administration of lying about the budget and described the Bush economic policies as 'a total catastrophe for our country." He said the administration has recruited 'the hungriest fox' to be in charge of 'every federal government chicken coop.'"

"Thank you for that warm welcome. It is truly a pleasure to be back in Wisconsin. It was your enthusiasm and hard work that carried Wisconsin for me and my partner Joe Lieberman. Thank you for welcoming us into your hearts and into your homes. Thank you for your faith and thank you for your friendship. I will never, ever forget it. We need the same kind of commitment this year to keep the Democrats in charge of the Senate, take control of the House and send a Democrat to the Governor's office here in Wisconsin. Our future is at stake. We meet here today at the beginning of a new American century - full of hope and opportunity. However, we are at a crossroads on critical issues that will set the future for our families. Today I'd like to talk about three things where our future is at stake - where the Republicans want to set us on a very different path - the quality of life for families, economic security and American values." So begins Al Gore's speech to Wisconsin Dems.

"Al Gore sure got the crowd's attention, urging them to remember 'how you felt the morning after the Supreme Court decision in December,' Gore said as the crowd moaned and hissed. 'Take that feeling you have inside and use it.' Encouraging people to be actively involved, he said 'Don't wait - 2004 is a long way off. 2002 is here now.'" So writes ~Chip Yost.

Al Gore spoke to an "adoring crowd of more than 1,600" at the Wisconsin Democratic convention and said the nation's war on terrorism is "not a Republican or a Democratic fight," and said Bush must "start putting politics aside" and stop "using the war as a political wedge." During his speech, Gore waded through a sampler of those issues - health care, global warming, energy industry and other corporate executives dictating federal policies, and Enron-style federal budgeting. "A lot of our most precious values are being overturned, ignored and trashed," he warned. And like our precious values, Gore himself was ignored once again by the national media.

Paula Zahn asked stupid and hostile questions (what did she mean that "it's time for us all to grow up"?), but Tipper Gore was great, especially on election 2000. "I think that [Al] ran a terrific campaign, and I think most people don't probably give credit to the hundreds and hundreds of people who worked in states all over this nation in order to elect him, because he was the voice, the spokesperson for their point of view. And I am so proud of the way he ended the stalemate. I'm so proud of the way that he conceded and let the country go on and become healed and whole. And I'm so proud of the fact that he won the majority of votes in this country, because that says to me that everything that he talked about -- you know, civil rights and women's rights and inclusion and caring about the environment -- all of those things are the kinds of things that most of the American people cared about. And that's the direction they wanted to see the country go in." You go, Tipper!

Anthony York writes in Salon, "Former Vice President Al Gore widened his criticism of President [sic] Bush Wednesday to include the administration's handling of the crisis in the Middle East, and linking the administration to the latest revelations that Enron may have manipulated power markets in California. [Gore said] that he would continue to publicly challenge and criticize the administration as the election season gets underway. He also accused the administration of manipulating post-Sept. 11 patriotism for political purposes. 'Patriotism does not mean being silent about the course our country should take for the future, and we're going to express our disagreements when we believe we have better ideas about how to help the people of this country,' he said to thunderous applause. 'The President of the United States should not take that kind of unity and patriotism and attempt to misuse it as a way of getting support on the cheap for some right-wing agenda item.'"

"The Bush-Cheney energy policies leave us at the mercy of a region that's racked with violence and instability, now more than ever," said Al Gore, former vice president and popular vote winner of the 2000 judicial (s)election process, during an Earth Day speech at Vanderbilt University. "Our environment is under siege…The Bush administration has chosen to serve the special interests instead of the public interests and subsidize the obsolete failed approaches of the past instead of the exciting new solutions of the future. Instead of ensuring that our water is clean to drink, they thought that maybe there wasn't enough arsenic in the drinking water." You said it, Al!

"On this Earth Day, and during the days and months ahead, all who care about the environment should speak out, because our environment is under siege. There is a movement afoot by polluters to dismantle America's capacity to limit their releases of dangerous waste products and poisonous emissions, threatening to take us back to the days when America's rivers and lakes were dying, when skylines were disappearing behind a shroud of smog, and when toxic waste threatened countless communities. America is only as healthy as the air our children breathe, the water they drink and the earth they will inherit." So declared Al Gore.

In an Earth Day op-ed in the NY Times, President-elect Al Gore hits Bush right between the eyes. "Under the presidency [sic] of George W. Bush, the environmental and energy policies of our government are completely dominated by a group of current and former oil and chemical company executives who are trying to dismantle America's ability to force them to reduce the extremely dangerous levels of pollution in the earth's atmosphere... Put simply, on the environment, this administration has consistently sold out America's future in return for short-term political gains." We can already hear the screaming from the right about Gore's "exaggerations." But Gore's remarks hit the bullseye on Bush's earth-destroying butt. You go, Al!!

"'The time has come to speak out boldly,' former Vice President Al Gore told a wildly cheering crowd at the 2002 Florida State Democratic Convention this morning. An impassioned Gore followed his own advice, delivering his most partisan speech to date. 'On one key issue after another, the Republicans' radical agenda is completely at odds with our vision for America, and, I believe, with the will of the American people,' he told the assembled Democrats... Gore gave his recipe for a Democratic victory in 2002: 'stand up with conviction for what we (Democrats) believe in'. Several times in the speech he stated his firm belief that victory depended on showing the American people the Democratic party's agenda - - and showing them the truth about the Republican party's record." So writes Janet Hessert in the Gore News Network.

"My fellow Democrats, this year we're going to show America that our party stands for a fairer America with a brighter future ahead. In the coming months, we're going to take our agenda to the American people. And we're going to show them the truth of the Republican record. Over and over they have turned the clock back on progress. I tell you, it is a good thing they love the past so much, because pretty soon, they're going to be history. And if we tell America about our vision, we will win in 2002. We will make Dick Gephardt Speaker of the House, keep Tom Daschle as Majority Leader, and put Democrats back in charge in Tallahassee... Never give up on what you believe in. Never give up on your vision for the future. Never give up on fighting for what's right. As Churchill also said: Never, never, never, never, never, never give up. God bless you and God bless the United States of America." So declared President Al Gore. (To view the video, click the link on the right.)

Responding to E.J. Dionne Jr.'s specious query of "Where's Gore?" Democrats.com Managing Partner David Lytel (former member of President Clinton's White House staff) wrote an article to the Washington Post asking "Where's the Press?" On March 26, Gore blasted Bush's administration for "its collusion with the energy industry and for undermining a generation of laws guaranteeing citizens an open and transparent government." On Feb. 15, Gore encouraged "Congress to overturn the administration's decision to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, calling the decision bad science and bad policy that completely circumvented due process." As an earth lover, Gore blasted Bush on Valentine's Day for his laughable substitute for the Kyoto accords. So, here's the beef: stop the opposition blackout! You go, David!

President-elect Al Gore, who won the national popular vote by 540,000, delivered an impassioned speech Saturday at the Florida Democratic Convention in Orlando. Gore, a fervent advocate of environmentally sound policies, criticized Bush's proposal to transport nuclear waste across the country. "'Waste will be trucked through 45 states,' he said, adding that's 'some domestic security.'" On the budget, Gore noted that "in just 15 months... (the) surplus has all but evaporated." Referring to Cheney's private energy task force meetings, Gore denounced his actions to "defy the General Accounting Office and the courts of this land to keep official files secret from Congress and from the American people." The people's presidential choice in 2000 summed it up by saying, "I'm tired of this right-wing side sidewind. I've had it"! So have we, President Gore!

In another of a seemingly endless series of failures of the commercial news media, it was generally NOT reported today that the candidate for president in the most recent election (who received more votes than his opponent and according to polls is the leading contender to challenge the president at the next election) gave a speech sharply critical of the current government's policies. He blasted the administration for its failed energy policies and for undermining a generation of laws guaranteeing citizens an open and transparent government. But none of this was in your newspaper or on your television news, was it?

"Tipper Gore announced yesterday that she would not seek the U.S. Senate seat once held by her husband... 'I weighed all the factors. My family was completely supportive of me either way, and Al even shaved his beard in support of me... As I was considering whether to run, I was weighing the best way to continue to work for the people of Tennessee on issues that I feel very passionate about, such as health care and mental health care, children and family issues,' she said. 'All of these are very important issues. 'I understood, too, that I could offer my candidacy, but also I can work on these issues in many other meaningful ways. I do believe in public service, community service and civic responsibility, but I can focus my energies and attention on these issues in other ways...' Her decision leaves open the possibility of an uncontested primary for U.S. Rep. Bob Clement, D-Nashville, who is expected to announce his candidacy for the seat today." So reports The Tennessean.

AP reports, "Tipper Gore is weighing an overture from Democrats to run for her husband's old Senate seat from Tennessee, sources close to her said today. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Democrats urged Mrs. Gore to run after Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., announced last Friday that he would not seek re-election. One of the sources said Mrs. Gore was committed to public service and believed she owed it to herself to give some thought to a run. Her husband, Al Gore, held the Senate seat from 1985 to 1993, before becoming vice president. Gore said he would not run for his old seat immediately after Thompson made his announcement... There was some doubt Mrs. Gore would run, given her tendency to shrink from the limelight during the presidential campaign and her general unease about the national political process. Still, the official, said it was telling that Mrs. Gore did not reject the overtures out of hand." You go, Tipper!

In TomPaine.com, Richard Blow writes, "Al Gore gave a speech the other day, and some influential members of the press didn’t like that much. Their gripe wasn't so much the content of the talk, a substantive address about foreign policy that contained some useful criticism of the president [sic]. What seemed objectionable was that Gore won't just sit down and shut up." Why are "liberal" pundits like Maureen Dowd and Jack Germond out to get Gore? First, they are not "liberals" - they are overpaid courtesans of the Washington elite, who think their opinions are more important than anyone else's. Plus, they think they are simply "cooler" than Al Gore. If Al Gore wants to run again, we say: the man who beat George W. Bush by 540,000 votes the first time has earned the right to ask his fellow Democrats for the opportunity to beat Bush a second time. In the end, this is a decision for Democrats to make in the 2004 primaries. Until then, our message to the pundits is: Stop trashing Al Gore!

Comes from the mountain state of Tennessee, The greenest state in the Land of the Free, Raised to love the woods and to love every tree And works to save a "bar" (bear) for the future, yes siree! Albert, Albert Gore - champion of the wild frontier!

In an e-mail to reporters, Al Gore declared: "I am deeply disappointed in what the Administration has proposed as an alternative to the Kyoto agreement. Instead of accepting an accord endorsed by over 170 nations, President Bush has put forward a plan that falls far short of the needs of both America and the world. He has tried this type of approach before - in Texas - and it failed. I am also particularly troubled by his plan from a national security perspective. It is now more than abundantly clear that our country is dangerously dependent on oil. A strong policy on climate change would lessen that dangerous dependence and move us to a clean and safe energy future. By contrast, this policy, like the Administration plans to drill in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, [will] keep us tied to the dangerous global oil politics that pose a grave threat to our national well-being." Read the full statement at the Gore News Network!

In his first major foreign policy speech since Election 2000, Al Gore declared: "We must also expand our idea of what constitutes a threat to our security in the long run... It is time to accept that massive environmental disorder including global warming is literally a threat to international peace and stability. We must finally develop alternatives to mid-eastern oil, internal combustion engines, inefficient boilers and the inertia that has paralyzed needed efforts at conservation. HIV/AIDS is a national security threat. It is now the most deadly pandemic in the history of the world. U.S. leadership is needed. We must acknowledge that the utter poverty of hundreds of millions of people is not a matter for compassion only, but a threat in the long term to the growth and vigor of the global economic system. We must see it as a part of our charge to help create economic opportunity so that the gap between the richest and poorest does not grow ever wider."

"If it's open season on Gore all over again, we should give him credit for what he got right. Maybe he couldn't connect with voters and maybe he was a stiff on camera. Regardless, he sure knew what he was talking about with that 'people versus the powerful' stuff. As inconsistent as it seemed with the political moment of 2000, it has since proven an uncanny predictor of how the Bush presidency [sic] would unfold." On the budget, campaign finance reform, health care, Social Security, and the environment, Al Gore's warnings about Bush's extremism were right on the mark. This "is yet one more reminder about how the incessant focus on the way politicians campaign can crowd out even the slightest consideration of their ideas." So writes Jonathan Cohn in The New Republic.

Here is Al Gore's speech - courtesy of AlGore-04.com

The Tennessean reports, "Standing before a giant Tennessee flag in a ballroom at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, his casual blue shirt open at the collar, Gore said, 'For everything, there is a season. And tonight, as a new election season begins, I intend to rejoin the national debate.' He tore into the Republican administration for, among other things, not running a government 'that lives within its means,' passing what he called unfair tax cuts, weakening pollution controls and threatening to spoil pristine wilderness with oil drilling. To the 1,000 Tennessee Democrats attending last night, Gore, joined by his wife, Tipper, and mother, Pauline, pledged his commitment, 'heart and soul.'" You go, Gore!

"Last night, I went to see the 'Real President' Al Gore. Let me tell you, at first my friend Susan and I thought that we would be deeply disappointed, thinking that all we would hear tonight was a bunch of bull roar for Bush and his W-ar. But after hearing Al Gore speak tonight I came out feeling better than I have ever felt--even before the stolen election! Al Gore is back and he is fighting like I have never heard him before!!" So reports Nancy Lynn Nagy.

In his first public speech since he conceded the Stolen Election on December 12, Al Gore pledged his support for George W. Bush. "We are united behind our president George W. Bush, behind our country, behind the effort to seek justice not revenge, to make sure this can never, ever happen again, and to make sure that we have the strongest unity in America that we have ever had," Gore said. As Americans, we applaud Al Gore for putting his country ahead of politics. But as Democrats, we are waiting for a leader of our party to step forward and stand up to Republicans in the Administration and Congress who want to exploit our precious national unity to advance their right-wing ideological agendas - whether on civil liberties, taxes, trade, or the environment. Sign our petition here: http://www.petitiononline.com/ddc20/petition.html

In 1997, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security - commonly known as the Gore Commission - issued 50 recommendations for defending air travel against terrorists. The cost: $2-8 billion, to be paid from user fees. But the airline industry dismissed the threat of terrorists, and attacked the commission. And conservative ideologues rejected the proposal on "cost-effectiveness" grounds. How much are 5,000 lives - not to mention the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and America's security - worth?

According to a recent Fox poll, 58% of Americans are still angry over the stolen election - an unpleasant fact the pro-Bush New York Times does not consider "fit to print." Now that Al Gore is moving towards launching his 2004 campaign, the Times is at least acknowledging that many of Gore's DONORS are still angry over the Stolen Election. But as the entire Republican media did in 2000, the Times is looking for every possible way to trivialize Al Gore - which includes relying entirely on ANONYMOUS Gore critics. Why should we believe the Times isn't simply making up these anti-Gore quotes? DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe has it exactly right: "He got more votes than any candidate other than Ronald Reagan. He has got a very strong base out there. He's back, he's giving speeches, he's going to raise money for us this fall. I'm still bullish on Al Gore." Gore gives his big speech in Iowa on September 28 - give 'em hell, Al!

President "Al Gore's second grandchild was born Thursday morning in New York City to his oldest daughter, Karenna Gore Schiff, his aides said. The 7-pound, 8-ounce baby, named Anna Hunger Schiff, has an older brother, two-year-old Wyatt. The Gores have four children and two grandchildren. 'Mother and baby are well and, along with the whole family, are happy,' said Kiki McLean, a Gore spokeswoman. Gore's wife Tipper was already in New York for the birth and Gore immediately traveled to the city to be with his family." Congratulations to all!

Only 100 people were accepted into the Gore/Alexander Young People's Political Workshop held on August 11, 2001. Al-Gore-2004.org member Will Radford was fortunate enough to be one of the few chosen to attend. When he found out he was going, Will promised to report back on the workshop in detail. True to his word, he has provided us with the following, wonderfully detailed report about the day's events - - and about finally meeting his idol, Al Gore.

USA Today has become the mouthpiece of George Bush and Karl Rove. Their coverage of their recount with the Miami Herald in May recount was totally biased and without credibility. And now that Al Gore is resurfacing, they can't wait to attack him. In reality, several polls show Gore and Bush in a dead heat - which means that after 7 months of pretending to be President and dominating the news EVERY day, Bush has won NO support, while Gore has kept ALL of his support despite getting NO coverage. Tell USA Today (editor@usatoday.com) to stop attacking Gore!

Al Gore is returning from his self-imposed exile, and the political pundits can't wait to resume their favorite game - hyperanalyzing Al Gore. Hey Al - you'll NEVER win this game - they will always find some way to put you down, so they can prove how oh-so-smart they are. So IF you want to run for President, just come out and say so. And start touring the country, telling Americans the truth about George W. Bush - that first he stole our election, and now he is stealing our future.

"And you thought Al Gore had a dicey relationship with the FBI. Well, the bureau had quite a low opinion of the former vice president's father, the late Senator Albert A. Gore. FBI documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request show that Gore Sr. was officially blacklisted for nearly 17 years, from 1954 until the Tennessee Democrat left the Senate in 1970. Gore Sr. was placed on the bureau's shit list (known formally as the 'Not to Contact' list) after he branded the FBI a 'snooping police agency' that used 'guilt by association' tactics to smear innocent people." So writes The Smoking Gun. Where there's smoke, there's fire: did the FBI work against the election of Al Gore?

In 1998, Vice President Al Gore conceived of a satellite in steady orbit 1 million miles away. It would be "permanently pointed at the Earth and sending real-time imagery to be seen on cable TV and the Internet 24 hours a day." That satellite, named Triana, was built for $120 million, would make a valuable contribution to the measurement of global warming. But because Al Gore invented it, Tom DeLay and the Republicans have tried to stop its deployment. Yet one more reason why the Republicans need to be defeated.

"You have to respect Gore's decision. No one can be forced to take on a role he doesn't feel in his gut. But, at the same time, you have to regret it. Because, in Gore's silence, there's no other voice in the Democratic party who is speaking, or can speak, with national authority. Bill Clinton can't, yet. Think Marc Rich. Tom Daschle and Dick Gephardt are superb leaders, but their influence doesn't go far beyond Capitol Hill. Strong Democratic senators like John Kerry, Joe Lieberman, John Edwards, Joe Biden and Evan Bayh are too busy running for president themselves." So writes columnist Bill Press.

"In his first public appearance in Florida since he lost [sic] the state and the presidency, Al Gore said Wednesday that he has kept a low profile because America needs time to recover from last fall's election debacle. 'I decided to observe a period in which I would not enter the public arena to criticize what the new president was doing,' the former vice president said. 'I didn't think that would be appropriate after what we've been through,' Gore told several thousand people at a Travel Industry Association of America conference. 'We need a little time to get our act together in the United States.'"

President Al Gore was greeted by a friendly but dissatified protest from Bob Kunst and the Oral Majority. "Welcome President Gore, you won, now behave like a President and demand a federal investigation of this election fraud and speak up about America's isolation to the rest of the world and Bush's 'war' on America, and that this was the time to speak after 5 months of silence." Now that we've learned the truth about Florida's stolen election, it's definitely time for Democratic leaders to speak out.

"I believe he's making the right decision to sit back and relax," campaign manager Donna Brazile said Wednesday at a National Press Club luncheon. She said the 2000 Democratic presidential nominee should "allow the Bush administration to accumulate a record and come out this fall to speak out on the issues." Gore has been teaching classes at Columbia University in New York and in his home state at Fisk University and Middle Tennessee State University. He and wife Tipper also are going to work on a book. Some Democrats say Gore needs to be out in public, talking about the issues. She said Gore hasn't told her whether he'll run for president in 2004, but "if Al Gore decides to run, he will have a leg up," she said.

March 31 is President Al Gore's 53rd birthday. Join Tammy "the Diva" and her resistance fighters in sending birthday cards to the only legitimate President of the United States.

Last election, Republicans tried to tar Al Gore over his tenuous association to Armand Hammer, even though it was Gore's mother who held Occidental stocks in a blind trust (see http://www.american-politics.com/200010NaderDirtyMoney.html). Visit Slate for a balanced account of the Gore family's business with Occidental, which looks as clean as a whistle compared to Bush Sr.'s pardon of Hammer.

"On this Presidents' Day, I'd like to congratulate you on your exceptional election victory! You ran a hard and decent campaign. You were up against a formidable money and media/propaganda machine, and you played your cards right. I could barely keep up with you as you smartly dismissed the lame theatrics of the Bush campaign, as they repeatedly bluffed their "inevitability card", even lamely claiming that they'd win California! Too funny! But you were on it!"

Upon returning from a brief trip to Aspen, the Gores were met at the gate with several dozen arrangements which were left outside. Upon entering the Naval Observatory, they were again met with dozens of arrangements which had been brought indoors. But the full impact of this effort was not realized until the Gores left the Naval Observatory for the last time and drove to their home in Arlington, where the bulk of the hundreds of arrangements had been moved and carefully arranged inside.

Al Gore won the popular vote, and he's now the clear leader in the Electoral Vote. George W, what the heck are you waiting for? It's time to bite the bullet and concede. That will give you a lot of time for rest and relaxation, of which you are so fond.

Our man Al appeared on the Tom Joyner Show (one of the most popular African-American DJ's) on Wednesday, to talk about the Florida donnybrook And you know what, Al sounded relaxed, candid and diplomatic. He stopped just short of agreeing with an assertion that Bush was stealing the election. But you knew what Gore was thinking. You could practically see the wink and the nod. As one of Joyner's sidekicks said about the stealing charge, "If it talks like a duck, and walks like a duck, then it's a Bush."

Don't take it from us, that's the Chicago Tribune, an ardent Bush fan talking in its Sunday editorial. That's refreshing to read because some of the media pundits are picking on Gore when all he is asking for is what is due him under the election laws: A chance to get a fair vote count.

The Bush Campaign takes no prisoners, and argues any position that will help get Dubya in the White House. One morning it excoriates the Gore campaign for contemplating legal action, then the Bush attorneys file a Federal law suit against a recount the same afternoon. Bush decries manual recounts, even though he signed a bill in Texas supporting their accuracy and making them the standard for the Lone Star State. The Bush people don't care about consistency or integrity; they just care about winning. Is the Gore campaign finally taking a page from their play book? We hope so.

Only 27% of Americans believe that Gore should concede now or in the near future, according to a Time Magazine poll. Other poll results bolster Gore's current efforts to receive a fair vote.

Gore is declining a bit in the polls nationally, but gaining in key states. The possibility that Al could win the electoral vote but lose the popular vote is becoming a bit more real. Let's hope he wins both. Otherwise this nation is going to have its undies in a bunch for sometime to come.

The tide hasn't completely turned yet, but there are some very promising signs. Conventional wisdom says that George W. can't win without Florida. Well, one poll shows Al with an eleven point lead. We'll take it.

Why, because they're lazy. The media takes the Bush fiction fed to them at face value. It saves them the research time of looking into the facts. A five-year-old could see through Dubya, but not the inside-the-beltway pundits.

Sunday morning Gore attended black churches in Michigan to energize the most loyal Democratic voting base. Meanwhile, on the Sunday morning talk shows Lieberman called into question Bush's ability to lead the nation. Hey, Joe, why did it take you so long to get the truth out there?

Sunday morning Gore attended black churches in Michigan to energize the most loyal Democratic voting base. Meanwhile, on the Sunday morning talk shows Lieberman called into question Bush's ability to lead the nation. Hey, Joe, why did it take yo so long to get the truth out there?

Sunday morning Gore attended black churches in Michigan to energize the most loyal Democratic voting base. Meanwhile, on the Sunday morning talk shows Lieberman called into question Bush's ability to lead the nation. Hey, Joe, why did it take yo so long to get the truth out there?

Despite the paper's recent lapses into promoting anti-gore exaggeration stories, the New York Times strongly endorses Gore in their Sunday edition. Of Bush, they write: "Mr. Bush's main professional experience was running a baseball team financed by friends and serving for six years as governor in a state where the chief executive has limited budgetary and operational powers." At least somebody noticed.

Despite the paper's recent lapses into promoting anti-gore exaggeration stories, the New York Times strongly endorses Gore in their Sunday edition. Of Bush, they write: "Mr. Bush's main professional experience was running a baseball team financed by friends and serving for six years as governor in a state where the chief executive has limited budgetary and operational powers." At least somebody noticed.

Well, the Gore campaign has consented to let Clinton do a few things at least! Our man Bill will be "calling" (at least an automated Bill will be) millions of registered black voters to help get out the vote for Gore. Go Bill!

It won't be pretty if Dubya moves into the White House. If the Republicans hold the House, Tom DeLay and Dick Armey will be calling a lot of the shots. After all, they're fellow Texans. That's enough to give everyone a real Halloween scare.

Gore is ahead of Bush in Florida 46-42 percent among those expected to vote, according to a New York Times/CBS News Poll. Seniors are apparently showing the wisdom of age in moving toward Gore. They know a bogus Social Security scam when they see one -- and they have had enough of the snake oil salesman from Texas.

It finally looks like Howdy Doody has peaked in the polls. The man whose slogan should be "I may have been a no-good alcoholic, drug user, skirt chasing failure in business, but I'm a Bush Goddamnit!" is hopefully going back south -- and this time for good. In the latest Reuters/MSNBC Poll Gore has rebounded and is up three points.

Shaking in their boots at the thought of a Bush presidency, progressives are starting to come out of the closet now and campaign for Gore. After all, in a Bush presidency the oil companies will run our environmental policies, the Supreme Court will reverse Roe v. Wade, and the NRA will run our gun policy. And it's not even Halloween yet.

What could be more timely than this Rand Corporation report to be released on Tuesday. According to a Reuters article: "The Texas education "miracle," hailed by Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush as proof of his power in the classroom, may well be a myth, according to a study to be released on Tuesday. The study by the nonprofit RAND Corp., a private think tank, found that dramatic increases in tests administered by Texas on its students are not reflected in national exams of the same youngsters. In fact, while Texas found the gaps in achievement shrinking between white and nonwhite students, the national tests showed them actually increasing slightly in some areas."

Once again, it's dead even. But the big "Mo," well maybe the little "Mo," is moving in Al's direction today, which gives us all a sigh of relief. He is regaining ground with independent women and other voter segments. Nader still remains a problem, however, with 4% of the polling respondents supporting him.

Here's Al's dilemma. In a few of the battleground states there are a number of pro-gun union members that the Gore campaign is afriad of offending by bringing up Bush's radical and deplorable pro-NRA record in Texas. However, by not bringing up his support of gun control, Gore is probably losing women voters who respond most strongly in polling to the gun control issue. Indeed, some polling done by Peter Hart over the summer indicated that suburban women shifted in double digits toward Gore when told the details of Bush's pro-gun record. BuzzFlash.com proposes a speech for Al Gore that would establish him as a strong leader on the issue of protecting American Families. We love you, Al, but sometimes you just got to toss the micro-polling aside.

The 3-5% points that Nader is now polling is currently the spread in the polls between Gore and Bush. If you are thinking of voting for Nader, think again. We could give you a thousand reasons, but the thought of more Anton Scalias and Clarence Thomases on the Supreme Court should be enough. Visit the "Greens for Gore" website.

Al Gore has the right stuff according to the Washington Post. That's the reason they endorsed Gore for President, not to mention that Bush doesn't have much of any stuff.

The big smear campaign against Gore was a brilliantly cynical success. By creating a false caricature of Gore as an exaggerator, the Bush campaign was able to pull off the biggest deceit of presidential politics in recent history. That is to say that the whole promotion of George W. as a candidate is based on deceit and deception. By camoflouging the Bush campaign as supporting core Democratic issues -- education, the environment, women -- Bush's people were able to hide the fact that George W. is a light weight n'er-do-well who works short days and has a few rooms for rent upstairs. By tarring Gore with the image of an exaggerator, the Bush people hid the fact that their entire campaign is based on one lie after another.

Al, we love you man, but it's time to let the big dog loose. If the Democratic core is not energized come election day, you will lose. Since your advisors believe you can only bring up one or two issues (otherwise you will alienate one group or another) your hands are apparently tied. So, in that case, let the big kahuna do his thing. Bring on Bill to tell it like it is, and the Democratic faithful will swarm to the voting booths like bees to honey.

In a cogent, incisive editorial, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution endorsed Gore. The paper's editorial department put the rest of the brain-dead media to shame with assessments like the following:"As long as the debate discussion followed the script, so to speak, Bush proved capable of speaking in generalities and memorized belief statements. When he was forced to venture out on his own, however, when he was pressured to actually think about a response rather than regurgitate a programmed reply, something troubling happened. All too often, Bush's face and voice betrayed a nervous uncertainty that verged on panic. He was intimidated, not by Gore, but by the situation."

Republican mockery aside, Al Gore did play the leadership role in Congress in getting seed funding for the Internet. Because of his foresight and support of the Net and advancements in new technology, the 'father' of the Internet announced his support for Al. Well, George W. has the oil barons behind him. We'll take the Internet backing, anyday.

At one point, Bush was so exasperated with Gore's tenacious emphasis on details that he turned to Jim Lehrer for help. That's because Bush doesn't have any details. George W. also showed last night that he can't answer any question his handlers haven't scripted him for. On the other hand, Al was confident, strong, knowledgeable,and in command of the town hall forum. Last night Gore showed leadership and a masterful control of the issues. Bush's appeal to voters boils down to dubious claims he makes that he will always tell the truth and that he is a man of honor. Even if these self-evaluations were true, which they aren't, that's not enough to get you elected president. Click for the full transcript of the debate.

In a poll taken just before the third debate, Gore and Bush were tied in a complete deadheat. As for the debate, this morning Gore said: ``The first was too hot, the second was too cool, the third was just right.'' He is probably buoyed by an ABC poll among Independents that chose Gore the winner of the third debate by 47-33 percent. Even Bush voters were swayed in favor of Gore's performance, according to another ABC poll.

Sometimes a campaign gets in a rut when the consultants run the show, urging caution and restraint. The problem with that approach is that it allows the opposition to define you. In this election, the Bush operatives have successfully created a caricature of Al Gore as an exaggerator. Bush, however, is the grand dissembler and exaggerator extraordinaire. Almost nothing that he says about his record is true -- and he regularly embellishes tales about his personal life (including the anecdote that the birth of his daughters turned him around, eventhough he admits he didn't sober up for another nine years). Al Gore needs to take off the gloves and reveal the truth about George W. Bush. Al, you owe it to us.

George W. may have the NRA minions as his foot soldiers, but Gore has the unions. In the state of Michigan, the men and women of organized labor could be the decisive factor in a Gore win. And if Gore wins Michigan, he may very well win the election.

Al, don't go there. Say it ain't so. You didn't say that, did you? Please don't let us down again.

For Pete's sake, let the guy sigh a little. When you have to listen to the bilge water that comes out of Dubya's mouth, you're entitled to emit a few sounds of frustration. The pundits are determined to fine tune every gesture and inflection of Gore. That will certainly hamper his efforts to loosen up. Go ahead, Al, let that sigh rip!

Democrats who have patiently waited for the Gore Campaign to show some fight will finally be rewarded. Ads will shortly begin running educating the public about Bush's dreadful record as Governor on the issues he is championing, including education and health. These aren't attack ads; they are a public service. It's about time!

On the Map of states, Bush is on the defensive. The polls may be tight, but Gore is ahead in states solidly for him or leaning in his direction. Bush is on the defensive in several key states, including Florida. Almost every analyst agrees that if Bush loses the Sunshine State, he loses the election.

In round one of the heavyweight championship for leader of the free world, Gore won by decision. Although no knock out blows were delivered, Gore beat Bush in the first flash poll on the debate.

Forget about the polls until after the first debate, even if Gore was ahead for a day. Basically, it's a dead heat going into the first mano-a-mano confrontation between Al and George W. Meanwhile, the Bush camp is playing the game of lowering expectations. That way if George just gets out with his hide intact, they will declare victory.

Single and Urban Women are responsible for a Gore surge in five key Northern and Midwestern states. Three of them give the Vice President a clear and commanding lead. It looks like election 2000 will once again evidence a signficant gender gap.

In an unusual phenomenon, single women prefer Al. However, married women under 50 swing to Bush. Is there a marriage gap when it comes to women voters?

As Bush bumbles along, Al is rising steadily in the polls. He's pulling way ahead in several key Midwestern states. More significantly, a Newsweek Poll put Gore 14 points -- yes, that's right --ahead of the "turn back the clock" Bush-Cheney ticket.

It's been a rocky road for Dubya lately, with all his bumbling and stumbling. So his handlers called the Bush "debate dodge game" off. The public wasn't buying George W's spin on things. In the end, polls showed that people just thought Dubya was afraid to take Gore on in a serious format. On Thursday, Bush fully capitulated to the original plan proposed by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

Continuing to work hard to show that he's a regular guy, Al Gore appeared on the Letterman show Thursday night. At ease joking with Dave, he topped the appearance off with a top ten list of rejected slogans for his campaign. What was number one? "I'll be Twice as Cool as That President Guy on 'The West Wing.'''

In one area, there is nothing fuzzy about the difference between Gore and Bush. Bush has said that he likes the style of Justices Scalia and Thomas, the radical right bench of the Supreme Court. Kiss abortion, gun control, and a lot of our civil rights goodbye if George W. moves into the West Wing.

In one area, there is nothing fuzzy about the difference between Gore and Bush. Bush has said that he likes the style of Justices Scalia and Thomas, the radical right bench of the Supreme Court. Kiss abortion, gun control, and a lot of our civil rights goodbye if George W. moves into the West Wing.

Continuing to work hard to show that he's a regular guy, Al Gore appeared on the Letterman show Thursday night. At ease joking with Dave, he topped the appearance off with a top ten list of rejected slogans for his campaign. What was number one? "I'll be Twice as Cool as That President Guy on 'The West Wing.'''

Gore is ahead in New York by 25 points, according to a Marist College Poll released on Monday. He's ahead 40 to 33 percent among independent voters. The poll only included likely voters, increasing its accuracy.

History favors Gore's chances. No Presidential candidate with a lead outside the margin of error on Labor Day has lost the election since Gov. Thomas Dewey led President Truman by eight points on Labor Day, 1948, when polling was so unscientific that Truman’s five-point win came as a stunning surprise.

As odd as it may seem, an image of personal intimacy may have provided Gore's biggest boost coming out of the convention. Given that conventional wisdom has duly noted -- again and again -- that the Vice President is tainted by Bill Clinton's pecadilloes, Al's three-second smooch with Tipper showed that he is his own man in more ways than one. The unusual public display of personal passion accomplished more than all of the campaign's efforts to distance the candidate from the President's personal faults. "The kiss struck everyone as a political gesture based on truth, and nothing is rarer than that," writes Caryn James of the New York Times."Among the list of promises Gore made in his speech, the ultimate promise may have been the one he sent with body language: to restore All-American marital sex to the White House." Three days after the convention ended, it is this image that lingers with the media and the public at large. That can only be good news, perhaps even great news, for Al Gore.

Al Gore was everywhere over Labor Day, playing the role of "everyman." It's inspiring to see that a 50-something man can still pull an all nighter. Altough by the end of the stint, Al was getting a little bit punchy. "I'll be durned if we're going back to the old ways," he said in the wee hours. "I've got approximately 75,000 cousins in Kentucky," he mockingly boasted to a crowd. Let's hope that they are all registered to vote.

Al Gore is pumped up, because for the moment the campaign is about plans and details. In a contest fought on this terrain, Gore wins hands down. After all, Cheney admitted on Sunday that he and his little prince don't really have a drug plan, even though they are running ads trumpeting one. On Monday, Bush tersely told reporters that he wasn't sure when a Medicare drug benefits plan would be ready for prime time. That, folks, is about as sad as it gets. Does anyone guess why his handlers won't let Bush Lite agree to any debates yet?

Okay, the election is a long way off, but you can bet both campaigns are already thinking about cabinet positions. The Financial Times speculates on some potential Gore appointments.

Al Gore served in Vietnam and George W. Bush didn't. But you don't see any humble pie grin on the GOP standard bearer's face. And what does Dick Cheney have to say? He might have served as Secretary of Defense under Papa Bush, but when it came to Vietnam, he ran the other way. Not that the Republicans want to discuss such a detail. You know, they like to keep skeletons nicely tied up in the closet. Speaking of Cheney, he needs to have a little talk with George W. After all, during the Papa Bush-Cheney administration, military spending was cut dramatically. Is Bush then criticizing his own V.P. candidate -- and father -- when he rails against military cutbacks? In contrast, defense spending has risen the last two years under the Bush-Gore administration. George W., you got that silver foot in your mouth again.

This year's targeted voter is the blue collar working mom. That may be why Al Gore mentioned "working families" nine times in his acceptance speech. Conventional wisdom has it that the working mom is more concerned about bread and butter, meat on the table issues than her more affluent counterpart, the soccer mom. As a result, in the last few days Gore has hammered home that the Dems have always offered a helping hand to those in economic need. That theme is apparently striking a chord with cash-strapped, two income working class families.

Maybe it's the shot of confidence from new polls that show he has pulled ahead, but whatever the catalyst, Gore was in his zone this weekend. Paddling down the Mississippi with Tipper and the Liebermans, Gore pushed for a Patient's Bill of Rights and for a prescription drug benefit for seniors. Since the convention, the Republicans have been on the defensive, and Gore was reveling in the sudden shift in fortunes. After all these months, he finally seemed to be enjoying himself -- and the crowds loved it.

Well, the first reviews of Al Gore's acceptance speech are starting to come in. Most pundits note that the Vice President balanced his centrist Democratic themes with populist appeals. He revealed a lot about himself, at the same time offering up details of his ideas for the future. Altogether, he made George W. look like he was still in the Bush leagues. But the buzz among the delegates wasn't about Al's talk, it was about the liplock of a kiss that he gave Tipper. It was an unusual moment of sincere passion in a tightly scripted convention.

More than ever, this year the major party conventions are being reviewed more for their theater than their politics. In this regard, it is opening night for Al Gore on Thursday. The stakes are high as media critics and political pundits have set an expectation that Gore's acceptance speech is a make-or-break proposition.

It is no coincidence, of course, that Gore and Clinton met in a Detroit Suburb, the epicenter of the so-called "Reagan Democrats." As Gore travels through key states on his way to a Thursday night acceptance speech in LA, Clinton stopped to "pass the torch." For his part, Gore promised to keep the robust economy going strong. After the public event, Gore stayed on to shake hands and Clinton headed to McDonald's.

The latest Reuters/Zogby poll puts Bush ahead of Gore by just 3% points, a statistical dead heat. It is likely that the convention bounce will up Gore's standing and put him in the lead.

The glow of the masquerade convention in Philly is beginning to fade. George W. Bush is starting to play a defensive game, and Cheney's record continues to come under attack. As a result, Gore is starting to pick up in the polls. The convention should bounce him back up to a dead-heat or ahead of the rich man's GOP ticket.

Giving a strong sign that they will not abandon the South in this election, the Gore-Lieberman ticket campaigned in Atlanta yesterday. Touting a conservative message of success in welfare reform, the Dem candidates appeared with four of the party's Southern governors.

From one perspective, it only helps broaden the appeal of the Gore-Lieberman ticket to have the media headlining their differences. It shows that the Democratic Party, unlike the Republicans, is indeed a big tent. It also makes it more difficult for the Bush campaign to stereotype the Gore ticket as "too liberal."

On the second day of a well-coordinated V.P. rollout, Al Gore introduced Joseph Lieberman as his running mate. Lieberman, known for a keen sense of humor, debunked any notion that some of his more moderate positions reflect a kinship with George W. Bush. "With all due respect," Lieberman said at a rally in Nashville, "I think that's like saying the veterinarian and the taxidermist are in the same business because either way you get your dog back."

The Gore campaign strategically timed and paced the Lieberman announcement to crush coverage of the Bush-Cheney train tour. By managing the leaks about the V.P. selection, the Gore staff also showed, by contrast, that Bush sloppily handled the announcement of Cheney as the GOP V.P. candidate. In effect, the Dems are dominating the political coverage the week before their convention.

Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut will, in all likelihood, become the V.P. candidate with Al Gore. The dramatic move will help position the 2000 Democratic ticket as dynamic, forward looking, bold, and anchored in integrity. The appointment of an observant Jew to the position shows that Gore is willing to pick the best man, even if it challenges a long held assumption that a person of Jewish faith could not be elected to national office due to anti-Semitism.

Bill Daley, fresh from a stint as Secretary of Commerce, is, by all accounts, reinvigorating the Gore campaign efforts. Scion of the legendary Chicago-based Daley family, the new campaign manager is known for his media savvy, openness, and management skills. As the L.A. convention approaches, it appears that the Gore campaign is finally hitting its stride.

Vice President Gore portrays the GOP convention as a 'masquerade ball.' Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that Massachuetts Senator John Kerry has the inside track for V.P. nomination. The Post also reveals that the long-awaited United Auto Workers endorsement will come soon.

with an announcement apparently not far off. Indications are the spot will be given to someone who can counter Bush's "roll-back-the-clock" choice of Dick Cheney. Current speculation centers on Bayh, Edwards, Kerry and Lieberman. But don't rule out Gephardt just yet.