Al Gore’s speech, to a bi-partisan audience, on our “Constitutional Crisis” has just concluded. UPDATE: We’ve posted extended video highlights from the speech here…
Gore was to have been introduced by former Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA), but Barr’s live video feed broke down at the last moment. We are told by the Liberty Coalition’s Michael Ostrolenk (who jumped up to introduce Gore in an improvised statement), that Barr will be appearing on CNN’s Situation Room later this afternoon.
An early highlight from Gore’s address: “The President of the United States has been breaking the law repeatedly and persistently.”
MORE HIGHLIGHTS…
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The President and I agree on one thing. The threat from terrorism is all too real…Where we disagree is that we have to break the law or sacrifice our system of government to protect Americans from terrorism. In fact, doing so makes us weaker and more vulnerable.
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It is this same disrespect for America’s Constitution which has now brought our republic to the brink of a dangerous breach in the fabric of the Constitution. And the disrespect embodied in these apparent mass violations of the law is part of a larger pattern of seeming indifference to the Constitution that is deeply troubling to millions of Americans in both political parties.
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This shameful exercise of power overturns a set of principles that our nation has observed since General Washington first enunciated them during our Revolutionary War and has been observed by every president since then – until now.
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But the most serious damage has been done to the legislative branch. The sharp decline of congressional power and autonomy in recent years has been almost as shocking as the efforts by the Executive Branch to attain a massive expansion of its power.
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The Congress we have today is unrecognizable compared to the one in which my father served. There are many distinguished Senators and Congressmen serving today. I am honored that some of them are here in this hall. But the legislative branch of government under its current leadership now operates as if it is entirely subservient to the Executive Branch.
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In the 70’s and 80’s, the oversight hearings in which my colleagues and I participated held the feet of the Executive Branch to the fire – no matter which party was in power. Yet oversight is almost unknown in the Congress today.
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It is the pitiful state of our legislative branch which primarily explains the failure of our vaunted checks and balances to prevent the dangerous overreach by our Executive Branch which now threatens a radical transformation of the American system.
I call upon Democratic and Republican members of Congress today to uphold your oath of office and defend the Constitution. Stop going along to get along. Start acting like the independent and co-equal branch of government you’re supposed to be. [standing ovation received after this section]
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Fear drives out reason. Fear suppresses the politics of discourse and opens the door to the politics of destruction. Justice Brandeis once wrote: “Men feared witches and burnt women.”
The founders of our country faced dire threats. If they failed in their endeavors, they would have been hung as traitors. The very existence of our country was at risk.
Yet, in the teeth of those dangers, they insisted on establishing the Bill of Rights.
Is our Congress today in more danger than were their predecessors when the British army was marching on the Capitol? Is the world more dangerous than when we faced an ideological enemy with tens of thousands of missiles poised to be launched against us and annihilate our country at a moment’s notice? Is America in more danger now than when we faced worldwide fascism on the march-when our fathers fought and won two World Wars simultaneously?
It is simply an insult to those who came before us and sacrificed so much on our behalf to imply that we have more to be fearful of than they. Yet they faithfully protected our freedoms and now it is up to us to do the same.
We have a duty as Americans to defend our citizens’ right not only to life but also to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is therefore vital in our current circumstances that immediate steps be taken to safeguard our Constitution against the present danger posed by the intrusive overreaching on the part of the Executive Branch and the President’s apparent belief that he need not live under the rule of law.
I endorse the words of Bob Barr, when he said, “The President has dared the American people to do something about it. For the sake of the Constitution, I hope they will.”
A special counsel should immediately be appointed by the Attorney General to remedy the obvious conflict of interest that prevents him from investigating what many believe are serious violations of law by the President.
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new whistleblower protections should immediately be established for members of the Executive Branch who report evidence of wrongdoing — especially where it involves the abuse of Executive Branch authority in the sensitive areas of national security.
Third, both Houses of Congress should hold comprehensive-and not just superficial-hearings into these serious allegations of criminal behavior on the part of the President. And, they should follow the evidence wherever it leads.
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As I stand here today, I am filled with optimism that America is on the eve of a golden age in which the vitality of our democracy will be re-established and will flourish more vibrantly than ever. Indeed I can feel it in this hall.
As Dr. King once said, “Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us.”
Much more in the extraordinary full speech, for which RAW STORY now has the complete prepared text.
Crooks and Liars has video highlights.
Good one Al.
The accountability dominoes must fall. Congress and the courts must hold the president accountable, and if they do not do it for real, then the body politic must hold the majority party accountable.
The elections approach quickly now …
First he ripped Bush for doing what he has done, then he just finished ripping Congress for sitting back and letting it happen, and now he is ripping the voters for letting it all happen in the first place.
Very articulate and fiery!
Al is smokin’! Awesome! Not a full full house, but lots of people there.
Excellent point: We are NOT in more danger today than we were at previous times in our history, and in those times, Americans’ civil liberties were protected.
#1. Calls for special council on spying.
#2. Calls for whistleblower protections
#3. Calls for investigations of crimes exposed by whistleblowers.
#4. Calls for voting down the Patriot act and similar legislation without constitutional protections.
#5 Calls on all telecom entinties co-operating with the spying to cease and desist.
This is certainly a very scary time for our constitution. Where are America’s Patriot’s now? Sure we have some mighty brave one’s over in Iraq, etc. However, we American’s must stand up to the current abuses being made on our core values. Why is the current administration getting away with spying on it’s people? They could have spied legally. Regardless of one’s political party this is a time for all to take note that our constitution is in grave danger! Let us all call for a special council on spying. Hey, let the process play out. What are we afraid of? Why not? Explain Why not?
If in 2000 Al Gore had given any speech close to the one he delivered today, either in content or in
the emotional force behind it, Bush could have stolen ten times the votes he stole and still have lost by a landslide.
If John Kerry had given a single speech in 2004 with anything approaching Gore’s vehemence, no amount of vote-flipping could have denied him the presidency.
Can’t wait to read tomorrow’s New York Times. This morning they buried the story of Ney’s ouster on an inside page, not referring him by name in the headline. On the front page was a story about how Mayor Bloomberg had lost his Boston accent.
So far, nothing on the MSM over this historical speech.
at 10:33 msnbc mentioned gore’s speech with a small clip of gore saying bush broke the law and moved on to cheney someplace. I switched to cnn after that and at 10:50 no mention yet. I caught up with the speech after it had started after I went through all the major network/cable stations on my digital cable. Non coverage says quite a bit about the msm.
the REAL W Bush.
*BFG*
Now THAT is how a patriot from Tennessee is SUPPOSED to act!!
YOU GO AL!!!
Hey y’all, go to Google News, type in "Al Gore", then sort by date.
It’s not on CNN’s front page yet, but it looks like quite a few media outlets have chosen NOT to ignore his speech.
CSPAN has the video up on it’s front page.
It’s in Javascript, so I couldn’t copy a link, but the complete audio/video is already up there if you missed it.
I feel like The character in the English movie about a teacher in a boarding school who remembers his sudents as he reads of their deaths as soldiers in the war.
I personally see soldiers leave for the war every day, some return and some don’t. Those that do return have left their youthful exhuberance behind.
Some of those who haven’t come back I knew and mourn. I promise myself not to establish friendships again, only because I can’t bear the loss. Enevitably I do,I lend an ear a moment of solice,only because they are far from home and await the unknown.
And now I hear another politician. Gore, your’e a day late and a dollar short. Perhaps.
But maybe WE are not. Maybe this speech though delivered by a former contender, can be the catalyst for action, any action to remove the current administration from power, and bring our boys home.
If you have children, look at them. Imagine them forced into uniforms. Now imagine flag draped coffins.
Excellent!, the unvarnished truth!, simply excellent.
..KestrelBrighteyes said on 1/16/2006 @ 11:14am "Now THAT is how a patriot from Tennessee is SUPPOSED to act!!"
You might say he Volunteered quite a lot of spirit with that speech.
I think Martin Luther King Jr. would’ve applauded it.
The AP is reporting the story (link here).
The president’s comments today seemed like sacrilege in comparison to Gore’s speech.
I salute Al Gore for his jolting speech on what the Bush-Cheney cabal is doing to this country. His words were inspiring and gives me hope that congress will own up to its responsibilities. Will it happen? I have my doubts, but it’s about time to step up and start kicking some ass, both Democrats and Republicans. Great speech, Al!
Both the NYT and the WaPo have stories on the speech, but as a matter of emphasis — NYT did not deem it worthy of major story billing, and the WaPo does not carry it on the front page of their website at all.
I applaud Al Gore for his passionate and eloquent words. Had SCOTUS not appointed Bush as King, America would be a far safer and more economically viable country today. Kudos to Gore for allowing Americans to witness a true president in action.
WaPo just put a link to it at the front page of the website, but it isn’t featured
Sacramento Bee website has AP story hidden under Nation/World news link. It is #12 in the list after "New Orleans mayor sayd God mad at U.S." (spelling error is not mine!), "Texas plane mechanic sucked into engine" and other earth shattering news such as "Tanker truck fire blocks major NYC highway"
So far NBC is the only local network station with anything at their web page. It is very watered down and lacks any direction.
Excellent speech. This is how a real President speaks. He was right on target as usual. I guess he seems to be the only Democrat who has the courage to criticize the madness of King George, and the mess he has created for this country. I hope Al Gore continues to make these great speeches, and that he reconsider’s his decision NOT to run for President again. On the other hand, we cannot blame him for not wanting to undo the big mess made by the tyrants in the WH.
If Kerry and Gore started hammering away, and if they did it effectively, that alone would make a point about who is or should be president.
CNN airs it and so did a few other corporate media channels…
That was surprising…..Its time to force congress out or do their jobs, and finish off the voting machines.
Doug
As long as patriots like Al Gore speak their minds, there is hope. Keep talking, keep building. Make 2006 the year we fight back and win.
It was great! He covered it from A to Z, even global warming. I wish he would run, but I fully understand why he doesn’t.
Watching Gore’s speech today, I was struck by the vast difference in intelligence, character, and ability between Gore and Bush. It is a shameful representation of America that so many still to this day stand by George W Bush and his criminal regime. How have we let it come to this?
So many fools still voting republican in this day and age – bewitched by the disinformation of the monopolized MSM, content to keep their eyes and minds closed to the reality of what justice and liberty really mean, and to what America has become under the Bush administration.
Corruption and unethical behavior now, as much if not more than any time prior, permeates our society, saturating corporate culture, local politics, and even sadly personal relations – if only we could turn back the clock to the Clinton era of shriveling deficits and unprecedented economic growth – bring back the sex soaked nineties and be gone with the greedy, murderous, corruption-filled noughts.
equal to jfk’s "don’t ask what the country can do for you …"
Ahem… "Ask not what your country can do for you…"
Isn’t anyone else wanting more information about what happened to the Bob Barr introduction? Did he crap out? Was there some sabotage? Or was it just a snafu? WHY doesn’t Barr’s page have any information on it about this? I’d like, at least, to see a copy of the introduction he planned to make.
I was there, Barr was supposed to do the intro by video linkup. Prior to the MC statements, BB was in the video monitor and ready to start but then the aide came up and handed the MC a note telling her that the BB was no longer in the monitor, and then there was a five minute pause, as they tried to fix the video feed, and then the head of Liberty Coalition stepped in and made an ad hoc introduction. Could have been the NSA but more likely some technical stuff. By the way, the atmosphere in the room was electric.
Thanks, storm. Sure wish I could have been there. I would have found a Republican to hug. I know there are some out there.
Storm-
If it was possible to distinguish these groups, did you get the sense it was as well received by the Liberty Coalition and other conservatives as by the liberal groups present?
BA #33
You are so right about Schmitt’s comment. When I read that I marveled that someone could make that kind of statement in public and not be taken to task over it…but then again, we are talking about the US MSM here – no need to expect them to question anything that comes from the direction of the GOP.
One of the responses The Dick (apologies to The Donald) has made when asked about NSA spying on Americans, is that it would have stopped 9/11.
That is grossly speculative and does not fit the current evidence:
"In the anxious months after the Sept. 11 attacks, the National Security Agency began sending a steady stream of telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and names to the F.B.I. in search of terrorists. The stream soon became a flood, requiring hundreds of agents to check out thousands of tips a month.
But virtually all of them, current and former officials say, led to dead ends or innocent Americans." (link here, emphasis added).
didn’t they spy on us BEFORE 9/11?
…and the MSM will just provide the forum for Tracey Shit to misinform the American public, and not take her to task for her false statements. The MSM is just a forum to say whatever lies you want.
How about a 2008 Gore/Kerry ticket?
The ACLU Complaint filed today against the NSA and its spying on Americans is available in PDF (link here).
Virtually no coverage of Gore’s speech in today’s New York Times. A single photo with a caption saying that Gore had criticized Bush’s spy program.
Whoever Tracey Schmitt is, her comments carry as much weight as a troll’s. I suspect she was in diapers when Al Gore began as a Congressman in 1976. At that time, George W. Bush was getting stoned on a daily basis. For anyone to imply that Bush knows more about the dangers faced by Americans than Gore does is simply to pronounce onesself a blithering idiot.
Big Dan #39
No Gore-Kerry. Gore-Nader.
I counsel everyone to read the complaint I mentioned in post #41. It completely vindicates Al Gore’s speech.
It gives a history of the spy laws, has many plaintiffs (AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION; AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION;AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF MICHIGAN; COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS; COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS MICHIGAN; GREENPEACE, INC.; NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS; JAMES BAMFORD; LARRY DIAMOND; CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS; TARA MCKELVEY; and BARNETT R. RUBIN), and shows how such spying effects the efforts of journalists, professors, scholars, green peace activists, defense lawyers, and the rest of us.
It is worth reading. Please do so.
Brad it might be good to have a thread just on this case and its issues. It is a knock out!
Just read one of many msm reports. Houston Chron has the following comment:
Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, dismissed Gore’s speech. "Al Gore’s incessant need to insert himself in the headline of the day is almost as glaring as his lack of understanding of the threats facing America," Schmitt said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story...n/3591220.html
How can she get away with saying that – Elvis is seen in public more often…
Archive link? No problem. As mentioned above it’s on http://c-span.org. The direct link to the video is at:
rtsp://video.c-span.org/project/ter/ter011606_gore.rm?mode=compact
A tip regarding CSPAN video – yes, the JavaScript makes the link non-obvious, but if you "add to favorites" while playing the video and then go back to "manage favorites" you can see the originating link rather easily.
…agent99 #29
Ahem… "Ask not what your country can do for you…"
I’m only a thick australian doing a "drive by" comment ,did have time to listen to highlights of gore’s speech and it was uplifting to hear him "get it" , unlike kerry etc.
For Big Dan: Here’s a problem I see with a Gore/Kerry ticket in ’08.
Suppose it won, and in ’09 Gore fills Supreme Court vacancies and makes the court liberal. Then, evidence of deliberate fraud back in 2000 surfaces. After a protracted struggle, in ’10 the Supremes rule that Gore was properly elected in 2000. That would mean Lieberman was elected vice president.
But presidents can only serve two terms by law. After eight years from his first election, a president must retire. Thus Gore was not eligible to run in 2008, and his election with Kerry is thus invalid.
At this point the Republicans call for a new election and nominate Bush, on the basis that Gore was really president all along, thus the two-term limit doesn’t apply to Bush. Lieberman agrees, and is nominated as Bush’s vice president on a fusion ticket, to "bring the country together."
Democrats complain that since Lieberman was really vice president for eight years, he isn’t eligible to run again. Bush agrees, resigns the presidency, and Lieberman becomes president.
RLM #45
Problem is that once congress ratifies the election results, which was done last election even over objections in open congress to the validity of it, that is the end of the matter and it is not justiciable.
That is one of the holes in the current format of the constitution. Probably the only recourse is political … a landslide election that even the rigged machines cannot cover up because it is so obvious and huge.
If they ratify an obvious fraud election when even some of the news media is aware of the fraud … houston, we have a real problem here.
It will then probably take going into the streets like really free people do when their election process has been subverted by criminal political processes.
Dredd: My post was really written in a Saturday Night Live mode.
Al Gore really did beat George W. Bush in 2000. Six years on, this is still a problem? … http://www.research.fsu.edu/res...ttlefield.html … Everybody had thought that the chads were where all the bad ballots were, but it turned out that the ones that were the most decisive were write-in ballots where people would check Gore and write Gore in, and the machine kicked those out.
Al Gore really did beat George W. Bush in 2000. Six years on, this is still a problem? … http://www.research.fsu.edu/res...ttlefield.html … Everybody had thought that the chads were where all the bad ballots were, but it turned out that the ones that were the most decisive were write-in ballots where people would check Gore and write Gore in, and the machine kicked those out.