Gore Wants to Mobilize US Against Biological Attack

Reuters ^ | October 24, 2002 | John Whitesides

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Former Vice President Al Gore called on Thursday for a broad public health act to mobilize defenses against a possible biological attack, saying the existing threat will grow with a U.S. invasion of Iraq.

In the latest in a string of policy speeches as he ponders another White House run in 2004, Gore cited intelligence estimates that the threat of a bioterror attack from Iraq would jump to "pretty high" after a U.S. strike on Baghdad.

"We need a national defense public health act to respond to the immediate threat in the wake of an attack against Iraq," Gore said in a speech at the George Washington University Medical Center.

"This initiative would not only act as a new line of defense against bioterrorism, it would also improve the way we prevent and detect many other health care problems," he said.

The 2000 Democratic presidential nominee said there was an "immediate and urgent need to act" given the possibility of a biological attack and the implications of the possible threat from Baghdad in the wake of U.S. military action.

"Unfortunately much attention has been focused on mobilizing public opinion for war, but not enough attention has been focused on mobilizing America's first line of defense against biological warfare -- our public health system," he said.

The broader debate about the millions of Americans who lack proper health care and health care insurance should "take a back seat temporarily" while the United States revamps its public health care system to improve its detection and response to a biological weapons attack, he said.

The public health act he envisioned would also integrate preventive health care services into the main health care system, improve communication about the outbreak of dangerous diseases and bolster inspections to prevent attacks on the U.S. food and water supply, he said.

$10 BILLION ESTIMATED TAB

Gore did not give a price tag on the initiative, but an aide said later the initial cost of instituting the public health changes would be about $10 billion.

Gore said it was "unfortunate" the intelligence estimate conveyed to Congress about the increased biological threat after U.S. military action in Iraq was not made public during debate in Congress on an Iraq war resolution.

But the estimate was made public two days before the vote on the resolution, in a CIA letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham, a Florida Democrat.

A Gore spokesman said the comment was meant to refer to information about North Korea's attempt to obtain a nuclear weapons, which became public after the vote in Congress. That link was mistakenly cut from the speech, he said.

The address to an overflow crowd in an auditorium at the college was the third in little more than a month by Gore, who lost a bitter presidential race to Republican George W. Bush.

Gore, who has promised to make a decision by the end of the year on whether to challenge Bush in 2004, earlier delivered high-profile speeches questioning Bush's military plans against Iraq and his stewardship of the economy.

Gore also criticized Bush's plan outlined this week to lower the cost of prescription medications, saying it was a "placebo" that would not save patients as much as a Democratic-backed alternative languishing in Congress.

He said the health community has been "lulled into a false sense of complacency" while infectious diseases are on the rise and antibiotic-resistant diseases flourish.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Doh'!

[TX Bluebonnet]

In the latest in a string of policy speeches as he ponders another White House run in 2004, Gore cited intelligence estimates that the threat of a bioterror attack from Iraq would jump to "pretty high" after a U.S. strike on Baghdad.

Pretty high? Is that a technical term? LOL!

[Yankee]

Gore himself wants to be innoculated against "Dutch Elm Disease".

Beat it Al you pathetic loser.

[rellimpank]

--yeah--Cabinet level , no doubt, all government union types, 99% Demotraitor--sure would do lots for the national health--

[RightWhale]

$10 billion? Where did he get that number? Surely he meant $10 trillion.

[Shermy]

Beat it Al you pathetic loser

He's coming out today with a policy speech why airplanes should be made more secure.

[Yankee]

Pretty high? Is that a technical term? LOL! Yes. It's the state in between "Sorta high" and "Three sheets to the wind".

[joesnuffy]

He ought to start with a bath
some deoderant
and odor eaters in his shoes..
But then he'd prolly jes dissappear
hmmm good idea!

[martin_fierro]

Al's idea of "mobilization"

[I'mAllRightJack]

I've got an idea. Lets not do anything and just hide in a corner. That's it Algore. A mind is a sad thing to lose.

[Paul Atreides]

Is he still talking? You would think that he had enough to do, with loading his ring finger down with Crisco shortening.

[Paul Atreides]

I beginning to think that the "package" he had, on the cover of Rolling Stone, was just the fat, squeezed down into his draws, by his girdle.

[finnman69]

Wait wait wait, I thought Gore said Iraq is not a threat.

[Man of the Right]

He won't lift a hand to eliminate the threat of a biological attack from Iraq which is eminently doable, but will spend trillions on civil defense to prevent an attack, which is not doable.

[Paul Atreides]

And, they say that cows are contributing to the greenhouse effect!

[weegee]

Someone needs to tell the Goron that HE LOST. He can't make policy and no longer controls the agenda.

Go back to being a board member or teacher or restaurant owner or slumlord or whatever else he's claiming to do for money this week.

[pfflier]

Former Vice President Al Gore called...to mobilize defenses against a possible biological attack

Wasn't that his JOB about three plus years ago?

[UCANSEE2]

Just like inventing the internet, when the time comes to mobilize defenses against a biological attack, GORE wants to be able to claim it was HIS IDEA all along. That is why he made this statement.

[TLBSHOW]

eARTH TO Albert, you lost the election. bUZZZZZZ OFF

[demkicker]

"Wait wait wait, I thought Gore said Iraq is not a threat."

And don't forget the party he "leads" refused to pass Homeland Security legislation.

The Goreon strikes again.

[McGruff]

I think it's too late

Thu Oct 24, 5:25 PM ET

Former Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites) called October 24, 2002 for a broad public health act to mobilize defenses against a possible biological attack, saying the existing threat will grow with a U.S. invasion of Iraq. Gore, seen delivering an economic policy speech at Brookings institution in Washington, on Oct. 2, cited intelligence estimates that the threat of a bioterror attack from Iraq would jump to 'pretty high' after a U.S. strike on Baghdad. (Hyungwon Kang/Reuters)

[navydad]

Sounds like some kind of national security excuse to try to ram Hillary-Care down our throats again.

[shiva]

Post# 22...Jesus!!!He needs to invent himself a new face. He looks like CA-CA.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

It is the same yard stick Mc Bride used in teh last debate with Jeb. Approximate figures, haveing no idea what the real figures are. Leave it to Fat Labert to come up with a great idea! Doesn't our President have the Atlanta Center doing just this?

[Cobra64]

Al should go back to renting his ghetto house in Arkansas.

[ladyinred]

Earth to Algore!
Earth to Algore!
You really did lose!
You really aren't President!
Go have some ice tea dear!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

"Let me be clear, only the president and the executive branch can speak for the United States." - Secretary of State Madeline Albright, Jan. 2000

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0200helms.htm

 

 

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Pretty high? Is that a technical term?

Ahhh... I thought 'Pretty High' was a step below YAHOO-HOT-D*MN-HIGH

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

OMG...That picture is a riot!

What a great 'Caption This Picture' that would be...

[Fintan]

"We need a national defense public health act to respond to the immediate threat in the wake of an attack against Iraq," Gore said in a speech at the George Washington University Medical Center.

Oh yeah, that'll scare the doo-doo out of Saddam.

Do people actually pay this dimwit to splatter his verbal diarrhea????

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Gore Wants to Mobilize US Against Biological Attack

Step one would be to get him to close his mouth.

[okie01]

"Former Vice President Al Gore called for a broad public health act to mobilize defenses against a possible biological attack, saying the existing threat will grow with a U.S. invasion of Iraq."

Got news for Algore.

The Bush administration has already done it.

Without any new legislation.

Without spending $10 billion.

It needed to be done. So, they just did it.

Sit down, Algore. And shut-up.

[Fintan]

Post# 22...Jesus!!!He needs to invent himself a new face. He looks like CA-CA.

This is the unretouched photo.

[MTCJK]

I recognize that as Chris Farley's body from the SNL skit with Patrick Swayze, am i right?

[martin_fierro]

I dunno -- could be. I just found the image out there on the Web.

[Jorge]

Gore himself wants to be innoculated against "Dutch Elm Disease".

ROFL!

[Undertow]

shut up al, just shut up

[John Lenin]

shut up al, just shut up

Speaking from his medicine cabinet, Al Gore announces sweeping new health care proposals but forgets that he is no longer in government.
doh !