Nets Not Fazed by Gore Tirade that Bush “Betrayed the Country!” (Treated Like Normal Criticism)

Media Research Center ^ | February 10, 2004 | Brent Baker

[PJ-Comix]

     In a moment reminiscent of Howard Dean, at a Democratic Party event in Tennessee on Sunday night, former Vice President Al Gore launched into guttural screaming in which he charged that President Bush “betrayed the country!” and “played on our fears!” But Gore’s irrational and over the top outburst didn’t faze CNN and CBS, which on Monday afternoon and night highlighted Gore’s rant.

     CNN’s Wolf Blitzer played a clip of it for Bush aide Dan Bartlett, but when Bartlett started laughing Blitzer scolded him for not taking Gore seriously: “You're laughing. Why are you laughing? He's making a very serious allegation against the President.” CBS’s Byron Pitts seemed to admire Gore’s rant as he set up a soundbite by observing: “Often criticized for being stiff when he was a candidate, he was anything but last night.”

     Morton Kondracke, however, on FNC’s Special Report with Brit Hume, was appalled: “I think we can all really thank God that Al Gore was not elected President of the United States. I question whether this man is stable in a crisis. I mean, he’s clearly out of control of his words...” Noting how Gore alleged that Bush has “betrayed the country,” Kondracke, a columnist for Roll Call, referred to that as an instance of Gore “saying wild things” that are “beyond the bounds” and “irrational.”

     FNC showed this clip of Gore’s gravelly-voiced, full volume scream: “He betrayed this country! He played on our fears! [edit jump] He took America, he took America on an ill-conceived foreign adventure dangerous to our troops, an adventure that was preordained and planned before 9-11 ever took place!”

     On Monday, neither ABC’s World News Tonight or NBC Nightly News showed Gore’s bombast and neither did any of the broadcast network morning shows, though FNC’s Fox and Friends crew had a good time with it.

     The CBS Evening News on Monday, February 9, played it during a piece by Byron Pitts on the Democratic primary race. Pitts ran a clip of John Kerry declaring in front of a crowd: “Like father, like son: One term and you’re done!” Pitts added: “At a dinner last night in Nashville, even former Vice President Gore was looking toward the fall campaign against President Bush. Often criticized for being stiff when he was a candidate, he was anything but last night.”
     Gore, screaming: “He betrayed this country! He played on our fears!”

     A bit earlier, on CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Reports, Blitzer raised Gore’s tirade during an interview with Dan Bartlett, Bush’s Communications Director, who appeared from the White House lawn. Blitzer squeezed in Gore: “One final question before I let you go, Dan. The former Vice President Al Gore, he was really angry in a speech in Tennessee yesterday, going after the President. Listen to what he said.”
     Gore: “The reason I'm recalling those feelings now is because those are the feelings that were betrayed by this President! [audience cheers approval] He betrayed the country! He played on our fears!”
     Blitzer, as Bartlett can be heard laughing: “I want to give you a chance -- you're smiling. You're laughing. Why are you laughing? He's making a very serious allegation against the President.”
     Bartlett quipped: “Well, I'm trying to readjust my ear set, because he was screaming so loud. But, look, he's been angry the last three-and-a-half years. That's understandable. He lost the election. And I can see why he's probably a little upset. And his most recent act, where he endorsed Howard Dean, who is no longer nowhere near the front, I'm sure he has a lot to be upset about. But that type of bitterness and anger is simply not going to forward this debate at all....”

     Earlier, on Inside Politics, CNN’s Judy Woodruff described Gore’s language as “harsh,” but she treated it as a minor story: “Al Gore is denouncing President Bush once again and he's using increasingly harsh language to make his point. His latest remarks in an event last night in Tennessee question the President's rationale for removing Saddam Hussein.”
     Gore: “He betrayed this country! He took America on a foreign adventure dangerous to our troops, an adventure that was preordained and planned before 9/11 ever took place.”
     Woodruff simply added: “Former Vice President getting pretty worked up in Tennessee last night.”

[LisaMalia]

Anyone have a pic of Gore in the middle of his rant to post, just for some good comic fodder?

[RichInOC]

Al Gore is a pompous geek. For him, that kind of hysteria is normal.

[joybelle]

Mort has become more supporative of the President lately.
Don't Dean, Gore, Hillary sound more and more like Hitler in one of his screaming rants?

[SF Republican]

I thought this election campaign was going to be fun to watch but Al Gore speaking over the next 20 years is gonna be beeeeeeeee-autiful.

[newgeezer]

This is twice inside of two weeks I've heard Mort seeming to "get it." Two for two.

Maybe he's starting to see the light after all this time.

[latrans]

It was a stunning moment wasn't it?

[martin_fierro]

Morton Kondracke, however, on FNC’s Special Report with Brit Hume, was appalled: “I think we can all really thank God that Al Gore was not elected President of the United States. I question whether this man is stable in a crisis. I mean, he’s clearly out of control of his words...” Noting how Gore alleged that Bush has “betrayed the country,” Kondracke, a columnist for Roll Call, referred to that as an instance of Gore “saying wild things” that are “beyond the bounds” and “irrational.”

Even Mor-Ton gets it right occasionally.

[joybelle]

His bloated face makes one wonder if he was "inhaling" some of that stuff his son was caught with. Remember "second hand smoke?

[lawdude]

"Gore must be hitting the steroids again."

Actually, it is the 100mg Viagra's!

[TheBigB]

Al-baby is warming up for 2008. He'll run, bet on it. Al vs. Hillary.

[Pagey]

Al Gore is probably just angry that Terry McAwfuliffe won't let him speak at the Dumbocratic Convention later this year, so he must utter sentences such as these. What I would've given to hear Morton Kondracke make those comments. LOL

[jpl]

Have another Buddhist temple iced tea gathering with your Chinese buddies, Mr. "No Controlling Legal Authority".

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Al-baby is warming up for 2008. He'll run, bet on it. Al vs. Hillary.

Oh, good. It'll give him a chance to catch up on old times with Vince Foster, then. :)

[DonnerT]

Sounds like he took a 36hr pill and got a painful blister on his stiffness.

[eyespysomething]

I found a new MP3 mix of Gore and Dean that Boortz played this morning (You make me wanna Shout!):

http://boortz.com/nuze/index.html

Its about 1/2 way down the page, below the pic of Dean and Gore. (Hmmm, Dean Gored?)

[gipper81]

[OldFriend]

LOL....more like an alpha orangutang

[PJ-Comix]

ALL your butterfly nets BELONG to US!!!

[gipper81]

Gore's new phase seems wholly un-presidential

[elli1]

Lucianne has a photo of Gore on her home page, supposedly from the event. Not only does he look porky, it looks like he's been tearing his hair out by the handsful. Besides all that, in the photo he looks like someone who has lost their false teeth.