Vice President Al Gore at Liberty Hall
I just watched former Vice President Al Gore's speech which was televised on C-Span from Liberty Hall. The title at the bottom of the TV screen called the speech Bush Policies on Domestic Surveillance. It was more than a rebuke to the President about surveillance issues although he had plenty to say on that score.
Vice President Gore rebuked both Democratic and Republican parties for the careless and criminal way they approach elections and accountability.
Vice President Gore also rebuked the Supreme Court and the Congress for allowing the erosion of their Constitutional powers and forsaking their duty to exercise those powers under the Constitution and for the American people.
A key point came towards the end of his speech was when he rebuked American citizens, the sovereigns of the nation, for abdicating their responsibilities to hold their government accountable for abuses to the Constitution.
There was much more in his speech.
I found his concerns, accusations, and reading of the Constitution amenable to some of my basic concerns and accusations of which the domestic surveillance issue has become a lightning rod.
Actually, I was excited by his speech if you want to know the truth of my reaction. I hope the media gives it some attention, for it surely is a cut above what passes for political speechifying in this country no matter how far one feels it fell short of the mark.
posted by Lynn @ 12:37 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
The media will cover it as "sore loser complains about winner." You will hear one or two detatched quotes from the speech rebroadcast on the network news; cable news will have longer selective cuts. In all cases (save News Hour on PBS) the selected quotes will be the most boisterously accusational. Nowhere (again, save News Hour) will you hear about the depth and substance of his reasoned arguments.
Let's see if I'm right in 24 hours.
epm,
You are already correct. I just watched the opening of CNN's Situation Room and they did exactly that. They focused on the surveillance issue and the call for an independent investigation to the exclusion of everything else in the speech.
You will be right about the Lehrer New Hour too. They will be the only news program to present the broad content and implications of the speech.
Not sure about the medication remark, but Gore can get into what I call "preacher mode." His voice rises and there's a certain growl that creeps in when he's making a point he cares about passionately. This may be jarring to those who have bought into the caricature of Gore as a stiff, humorless and dispassionate wonk.
Gore's delivery can call attention to itself to the distraction of his message. He's fortunate he is not running for office and sometimes good forums in which to talk.
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