Posted on 10/18/2004 2:01:02 PM PDT by Michael Goldsberry
WASHINGTON - Al Gore (news - web sites) on Monday accused President Bush (news - web sites) of intentionally deceiving the public about the reasons for invading Iraq (news - web sites) and said he is so ideologically driven that he refuses to admit - or even learn from - his mistakes.
"It is beyond incompetence - it is recklessness that risks the safety and security of the American people," the former vice president said during a speech at Georgetown University.
Gore, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000 and loser of that bitterly contested election, complained that Bush's refusal to budge from "a rigid, right-wing ideology" has led him to forbid any dissent and ignore warnings that may conflict with his assumptions about Iraq, tax cuts and other policy issues.
"He is arrogantly out of touch with reality," Gore said. "He refuses to ever admit mistakes. Which means that so long as he is our president, we are doomed to repeat them."
The speech, sponsored by the liberal activist group MoveOn.org, was billed as Gore's last major policy speech before the Nov. 2 election. He delivered his remarks in strong but measured tones, avoiding the overheated passion that had marked several of his appearances earlier this year.
Gore touched on many topics, but saved his sharpest critique for Bush's Iraq policies. He said evidence from the 9/11 commission and other reports shows the invasion of Iraq was Bush's first choice rather than his last.
Worst of all, Gore said, was that Bush and his Cabinet purposely created the false impression that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) was linked to the al-Qaida terrorist network and that the Iraqi leader was somehow to blame for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks - a notion that 70 percent of the public once believed, according to polls.
"This was not an unfortunate misreading of the available evidence, causing a mistaken linkage between Iraq and al-Qaida," Gore said. "This was something else - a willful choice to make a specific linkage whether evidence existed or not."
Gore, who won the popular vote in 2000 but lost the electoral vote after a recount of ballots in Florida, has not campaigned with Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (news - web sites), but he has made a number of speeches and appearances to support Kerry and help the Democratic Party raise money.
Gore endorsed Kerry in March, after his first choice - former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (news - web sites) - fizzled in the Democratic primaries.
Sounds like the Clinton/Gore administration
He makes these lame comments about GWB stifling all dissent without recognizing the irony of him making these dissent filled policy addresses without any stifling from GWB... I'm convinced the Gore is a stone-cold idiot.
This TERD needs to be in a straight jacket.
Geez will someone give this guy a job so he actually has something to do then stand around and look stupid giving ignorant speeches?????
Al Gore was, has been and will always remain be a stark raving lunatic.
Real question, how did this madman manage to hoodwink enough people to be president of these United States for 8 years?
The liberal media have plenty to answer for here.
Really scary part? The certifiable lunatic could have been the president of the United States!
The very thought of it send me into uncontrollable shivers!
What a very narrow escape we had from being ruled by a madman! Whew!
Wadda Maroon!
That Gore is a real gem. I wonder what he gets paid for these diatribes?
I guess Sore Loserman didn't watch the Fox news report last night on the UN oil for food blood money. What a fool.
Uhh, Al, you may want to read the unanimously-agreed upon reports from the bipartisan 9/11 Commission and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that back the president, before opening your ignorant mouth.
...and that the Iraqi leader was somehow to blame for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks - a notion that 70 percent of the public once believed, according to polls.
Well, first of all, the Bush administration did not link Hussein to 9/11 as an official reason for invading Iraq. And secondly, 70% of the public may believe that because it isn't out of the realm of possibility, given Hussein's hatred of the U.S., association with al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, his harboring of the Salman Pak training facility with a jetliner fuselage, and other facts that are known about him.
Al Gore has gotten fat, aged 10 years, and gotten even crazier than he was in 2000. He has become totally and completely irrelevant.
Looks like 'Meathead' sitting in Archie Bunker's house...
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great;
Those were the days....
So Gore pokes his head out just in time to revive memories of the 2000 election for the 2004 election, while Edwards is predicting Republican vote fraud in Florida--hmmm. . .
That is an amazing statement coming from Al Gore who must surely now that the Clinton Justice Department obtained a federal indictment against Osama bin Laden which included a statement about the terrorist's ties to Saddam.
More whoppers from Al. The Dems must be having a contest. I'd say right now Gore and Kerry are in a dead heat, with Edwards running a close third.
Hey Al, you lost. You're nobody. We don't care about your opinion. If we want to listen to a butt hole we'll fart.
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