OT Al Gore the ass...and traitor

Best of the Web Today - February 13, 2006
By JAMES TARANTO


Our Friend Al Gore
The man who came within a hair's breadth of the presidency in 2000 is
denouncing his own government on foreign soil, the Associated Press
reports:

Former Vice President Al Gore told a mainly Saudi audience on Sunday
that the U.S. government committed "terrible abuses" against Arabs
after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that most Americans did not
support such treatment.

Gore said Arabs had been "indiscriminately rounded up" and held in
"unforgivable" conditions. The former vice president said the Bush
administration was playing into al-Qaida's hands by routinely blocking
Saudi visa applications.

"The thoughtless way in which visas are now handled, that is a
mistake," Gore said during the Jiddah Economic Forum. "The worst thing
we can possibly do is to cut off the channels of friendship and mutual
understanding between Saudi Arabia and the United States."

There is a comical element to this, as Glenn Reynolds notes: "Only Al
Gore could come up with the idea of criticizing Bush for not sucking
up to the Saudis enough. Sigh."

Heh. Indeed. But blogger "TigerHawk" makes some serious points:

This is asinine both substantively and procedurally.

Substantively, the idea that cracking down on Saudi visa applications
is "playing into al Qaeda's hands" is laughable. Had we scrutinized
Saudi visas a little more carefully in 2001, thousands of Americans
who died on September 11 that year might well have lived. Fifteen of
the 19 hijackers on that day were Saudi nationals. If we had denied
some or all of them visas, exactly how would that have "played into al
Qaeda's hands"? . . .

Procedurally, Gore's speech is repugnant. It is one thing to say such
things to an American audience in an effort to change our policy. . .
.. It is, however, another thing entirely to travel to a foreign
country that features pivotally in the war of our generation for the
purpose of denouncing American policies in front of the affected
foreign audience. It is especially problematic to mess with Saudi
political opinions, which are subject to intensive influence and
coercion by internal actors and the United States, al Qaeda, and Iran,
among other powers. Supposing that some Saudis were inclined to be
angry over the American visa policy, won't they be more angry after Al
Gore has told them that they're being humiliated? How is that helpful?

Finally, Gore's outrage at the American treatment of Arab and Muslim
captives may be genuine, and it may even be worthy of _expression in
the United States, where we aspire to do better than press accounts
suggest we have done. But whatever nasty things we have done in
exceptional cases in time of war, they pale in comparison to the
standard operating procedure in Saudi Arabia. So this is what Gore has
done: he has traveled to Jiddah to explain to the elites of an ugly
and tyrannical regime that the big problem in the world isn't the
oppression of Arabs by Arabs throughout the Middle East and North
Africa, but the mistreatment of a few hundred Arabs in the United
States. This is like visiting Moscow in 1970 and denouncing the United
States in front of a bunch of Communist Party deputies for the
killings at Kent State. . . .

There is simply no defense for what Gore has done here, for he is
deliberately undermining the United States during a time of war, in a
part of the world crucial to our success in that war, in front of an
audience that does not vote in American elections. Gore's speech is
both destructive and disloyal, not because of its content--which is as
silly as it is subversive--but because of its location and its
intended audience.

The only consolation is that Gore likely would have done a lot more
damage had he spent four years in the White House. And given the
precedent set by Jimmy Carter, it isn't hard to imagine Gore as an
embittered one-term ex-president giving the same speech in Jeddah.

--

Scott in Florida

In article <uau3v1pbimtmv23rf06sb14bgrkd1rcuhd@4ax.com>,
Scott in Florida <JustAsk@Florida.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> Best of the Web Today - February 13, 2006
> By JAMES TARANTO
>
>
> Our Friend Al Gore
> The man who came within a hair's breadth of the presidency in 2000 is
> denouncing his own government on foreign soil, the Associated Press
> reports:
>
> Former Vice President Al Gore told a mainly Saudi audience on Sunday
> that the U.S. government committed "terrible abuses" against Arabs
> after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that most Americans did not
> support such treatment.
>
> Gore said Arabs had been "indiscriminately rounded up" and held in
> "unforgivable" conditions. The former vice president said the Bush
> administration was playing into al-Qaida's hands by routinely blocking
> Saudi visa applications.
>
> "The thoughtless way in which visas are now handled, that is a
> mistake," Gore said during the Jiddah Economic Forum. "The worst thing
> we can possibly do is to cut off the channels of friendship and mutual
> understanding between Saudi Arabia and the United States."
>
> There is a comical element to this, as Glenn Reynolds notes: "Only Al
> Gore could come up with the idea of criticizing Bush for not sucking
> up to the Saudis enough. Sigh."
>
> Heh. Indeed. But blogger "TigerHawk" makes some serious points:
>
> This is asinine both substantively and procedurally.
>
> Substantively, the idea that cracking down on Saudi visa applications
> is "playing into al Qaeda's hands" is laughable. Had we scrutinized
> Saudi visas a little more carefully in 2001, thousands of Americans
> who died on September 11 that year might well have lived. Fifteen of
> the 19 hijackers on that day were Saudi nationals. If we had denied
> some or all of them visas, exactly how would that have "played into al
> Qaeda's hands"? . . .
>
> Procedurally, Gore's speech is repugnant. It is one thing to say such
> things to an American audience in an effort to change our policy. . .
> . It is, however, another thing entirely to travel to a foreign
> country that features pivotally in the war of our generation for the
> purpose of denouncing American policies in front of the affected
> foreign audience. It is especially problematic to mess with Saudi
> political opinions, which are subject to intensive influence and
> coercion by internal actors and the United States, al Qaeda, and Iran,
> among other powers. Supposing that some Saudis were inclined to be
> angry over the American visa policy, won't they be more angry after Al
> Gore has told them that they're being humiliated? How is that helpful?
>
> Finally, Gore's outrage at the American treatment of Arab and Muslim
> captives may be genuine, and it may even be worthy of _expression in
> the United States, where we aspire to do better than press accounts
> suggest we have done. But whatever nasty things we have done in
> exceptional cases in time of war, they pale in comparison to the
> standard operating procedure in Saudi Arabia. So this is what Gore has
> done: he has traveled to Jiddah to explain to the elites of an ugly
> and tyrannical regime that the big problem in the world isn't the
> oppression of Arabs by Arabs throughout the Middle East and North
> Africa, but the mistreatment of a few hundred Arabs in the United
> States. This is like visiting Moscow in 1970 and denouncing the United
> States in front of a bunch of Communist Party deputies for the
> killings at Kent State. . . .
>
> There is simply no defense for what Gore has done here, for he is
> deliberately undermining the United States during a time of war, in a
> part of the world crucial to our success in that war, in front of an
> audience that does not vote in American elections. Gore's speech is
> both destructive and disloyal, not because of its content--which is as
> silly as it is subversive--but because of its location and its
> intended audience.
>
> The only consolation is that Gore likely would have done a lot more
> damage had he spent four years in the White House. And given the
> precedent set by Jimmy Carter, it isn't hard to imagine Gore as an
> embittered one-term ex-president giving the same speech in Jeddah.[/color]

I think al bore has lost his marbles. That is if he had any to beigin
with.
--
"Welcome to President Clinton, Mrs. Clinton, and my fellow astronauts."

Al Gore

Scott in Florida wrote:[color=blue]
> Best of the Web Today - February 13, 2006
> By JAMES TARANTO
>[/color]


Nuff said. Koolaid taste good today?

Scott in Florida, 2/14/2006, 10:38:57 AM,
<uau3v1pbimtmv23rf06sb14bgrkd1rcuhd@4ax.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> Best of the Web Today - February 13, 2006
> By JAMES TARANTO
>
>
> Our Friend Al Gore
> The man who came within a hair's breadth of the presidency in 2000 is
> denouncing his own government on foreign soil, the Associated Press
> reports:
>[/color]

Al Gore has just caused the Iraq War to last longer. He is doing
exactly what he says he doesn't want to happen.


--
"Politicians never accuse you of greed for wanting to take other
people’s money—only for wanting to keep your own money." ~ Joseph Sobran

On 14 Feb 2006 20:20:16 GMT, "badgolferman"
<REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Scott in Florida, 2/14/2006, 10:38:57 AM,
><uau3v1pbimtmv23rf06sb14bgrkd1rcuhd@4ax.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Best of the Web Today - February 13, 2006
>> By JAMES TARANTO
>>
>>
>> Our Friend Al Gore
>> The man who came within a hair's breadth of the presidency in 2000 is
>> denouncing his own government on foreign soil, the Associated Press
>> reports:
>>[/color]
>
>Al Gore has just caused the Iraq War to last longer. He is doing
>exactly what he says he doesn't want to happen.[/color]


How many US Troops will die because of that idiot Gore?

You can BET this will be part of the campaign in 06 and 08

What an absolute idiot...

--

Scott in Florida

In article <ahh4v15p61fcb28c71i7k13cqt72ijh5ma@4ax.com>,
Scott in Florida <JustAsk@Florida.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> On 14 Feb 2006 20:20:16 GMT, "badgolferman"
> <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >Scott in Florida, 2/14/2006, 10:38:57 AM,
> ><uau3v1pbimtmv23rf06sb14bgrkd1rcuhd@4ax.com> wrote:
> >[color=darkred]
> >> Best of the Web Today - February 13, 2006
> >> By JAMES TARANTO
> >>
> >>
> >> Our Friend Al Gore
> >> The man who came within a hair's breadth of the presidency in 2000 is
> >> denouncing his own government on foreign soil, the Associated Press
> >> reports:
> >>[/color]
> >
> >Al Gore has just caused the Iraq War to last longer. He is doing
> >exactly what he says he doesn't want to happen.[/color]
>
>
> How many US Troops will die because of that idiot Gore?
>
> You can BET this will be part of the campaign in 06 and 08
>
> What an absolute idiot...[/color]

What marbles al bore had he just lost the rest. Judgement is lacking.
We are so lucky not to have him in power.
--
"Welcome to President Clinton, Mrs. Clinton, and my fellow astronauts."

Al Gore

Scott in Florida wrote:[color=blue]
> On 14 Feb 2006 20:20:16 GMT, "badgolferman"
> <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >Scott in Florida, 2/14/2006, 10:38:57 AM,
> ><uau3v1pbimtmv23rf06sb14bgrkd1rcuhd@4ax.com> wrote:
> >[color=darkred]
> >> Best of the Web Today - February 13, 2006
> >> By JAMES TARANTO
> >>
> >>
> >> Our Friend Al Gore
> >> The man who came within a hair's breadth of the presidency in 2000 is
> >> denouncing his own government on foreign soil, the Associated Press
> >> reports:
> >>[/color]
> >
> >Al Gore has just caused the Iraq War to last longer. He is doing
> >exactly what he says he doesn't want to happen.[/color]
>
>
> How many US Troops will die because of that idiot Gore?[/color]

You mean, on top of the 2500+ that have died because of that idiot
Bush?
[color=blue]
>
> You can BET this will be part of the campaign in 06 and 08[/color]

Americans have grown tired of your hatred and fear.
[color=blue]
>
> What an absolute idiot...[/color]

Yeah Bush is an absolute idiot.