The Republicans are absolutely scared to death of an Al Gore run for President. They continue to try to trash him at every move. Gore won the first Presidential run and he would win again. That is why they attack him at every move.

Al Gore is a hypocrite... And if you look up the word 'Hypocrite' in the dictionary it should say - See DemocRAT. Because most of them are. Say one thing, do another has been the DumocRAT motto since the Civil War.

The attempts to smear Gore are off-base, misleading and typical of the right wing smear machine. Why bother putting things in context or telling the truth? Credibility hasn't been a concern of the right wing since W rolled into town. The Drudge Report and Rush Limbaugh are pathetic.

One of the more distressing developments in recent times is the ability of groups to provide a piece of information, present it without any context, and use it to completely misrepresent the situation. I believe this is a perfect example. Assuming that the 221MWh the Gore's used is correct (and I'm not thinking it is) there would have to be more to it than they are just running the A/C all day long with the windows open. I mean really. That much energy would mean an average current of 230 Amps, not something that you can actually do by running ALL of your appliances full out 100% of the time.

So, either there is some significant piece of the picture that was left out, OR it is wrong.

Either way, I submit that in the effort to do what exactly I don't know (are these the Pro-Global warming types or are they just unable to exorcise a personal animus against Gore?) this group has chosen to ignore the simple fact that while Gore could be taken to task for using 50% more power than average, or even 100% or so, 22 times just isn't reasonable to blame on being a glutton.

"Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint "
Carbon offsets are the biggest scam since snake-oil! What they mean to say is that they aren't about to cut back on guzzling electricity and pumping out CO2 into the environment. They are buying $$$ their way out of not having to do a damn thing!

GWB on the other hand walks the talk with is environmentally friendly awesome home.

"Citing a press release by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research . . ."

A press-release from a phony Think Tank (as reported today by the Post's own Howard Kurtz)that serves as 'news' for Right Wing nut-jobs and journalists like Rob Anderson, worthy of discussion on its own merits. I wonder if the journalism school Mr. Anderson received his degree from is anymore legitimate than the one Jeff Gannon 'earned', because at my alma mater, San Diego State, that would not be called 'news'.

So let me get this straight: The Washington Post was that really wonderful organization that used solid investigative journalism by two intrepid reporters to bring presidential to the light of day?

Wow. What a long way you have fallen.

"Say one thing, do another has been the DumocRAT motto since the Civil War."

This comment is too stupid for words.

Did you get this lame "DumocRat" insult from 3rd grade where you have been held back sine you got there?

Since when is a 4000 sq. ft. house a "modest"?

Ay yi yi

Ha! The "...right-wing fails to understand"?

First, create a fake commodity and sell it to stupid
people so that they can be guilt-free to pollute as
much as they want to, while telling poor people to
reduce their energy usage.

We understand it perfectly. Not even Al Gore believes this nonsense.

Algore is tainted goods for the Democrats. He does not help their cause any. I'm betting Republicans would love Gore to get the nod for the Democrats. It would be easy pickings to say the least. Gore is a non-factor anymore since his pseudo-scientific results are met with opposition from so many knowledgeable scientists.

Man, I wish I had me one of those "modest" little 4000 square foot houses.

How does Bush manage to live in a shack so small on a huge ranch with many outbuildings.

Maybe it is a question of priorities - he could have had a bigger house but chose to spend money on his $10,000 mountain bike?

Jeez - Limbaugh needs to go back on the drugs. He made much more sense then.

Citing a press release from the Tennessee Center for Policy Research is now characterized as "lashing out"? Jesus, sit down and take a few deep breaths, will you? There's going to be plenty of infighting over the next two freaking years, you don't have to try to incite any more.

Drudge Sludge is useless. Al Gore would rip John McCain and any other Repub in '08 to shreds.
What the hell does Gore's conspicuous consumption have to do with man-made global warming?
Has everyone forgotten that there is already UNDENIABLE VERIFICATION of man's effect on nature? Remember fluorocarbons, you idiot right-wing dolts? Remember the ozone hole over the poles? Remember the ozone hole shrinking once aerosal sprays were banned?
I'm sick of obfuscation and lies. I'm sick of smoke-spewers like Drudge. And, next election, we the people will be getting rid of more useless, far-right anti-science dolts, including the worst administration ever.
Be very afraid, Repubs, if Gore decides to run, or gets drafted.

Wait a minute, I thought that according to Drudge, Limbaugh, et al, global warming itself was a scam and didn't exist! So why would they care how much energy Gore uses?

I admire the Republican position on global warming, energy usage and sustainable growth: consume more oil, drive more SUVs, pollute more air, tear down more forests--and for God's sake, make sure some cronies make money on it. I sure wish I had a piece of that sub-contractor action in Iraq.

History is looking at a corrupt, interest-infested GOP and it doesn't look good. I give up on finding patriots, where are the REAL conservatives?

PS: it comes off petty and snarky to deny Al yet ONE MORE THING he won fair and square. You people need to grow up.

If I were Algore, I'd apologize to ALL Americans for giving such a poor representation of environmentalism.

"Algore is tainted goods for the Democrats. He does not help their cause any. I'm betting Republicans would love Gore to get the nod for the Democrats."

Um, Al Gore WON the last time he ran against President Howdy Doody. Just because the far right stole the election in Florida does not make Al un-electable - in fact, the opposite.
People know he should've been president. People are TICKED because they know Gore wouldn't have started an illegal war to kill a leader, and hundreds of thousands of civilians, so that corporate criminals like Cheney could let Halliburton run amok, stealing taxpayer money, giving soldiers crappy equipment, lying about oil paying for the war.
Halliburton should receive the corporate death penalty.
Cheney should be impeached - HE'S the head of the snake, not Cowboy Doofus - and after removal from office, tried for treason for forcing the CIA to do his lying for him, and starting a war that, after 3 and a half years, is lost, and sees Bush family buddy Osama bin Laden still free and laughing at us.

Typical of the conservative mindset to nitpick at one of the torch bearers of this issue, instead of earning an iota of self-respect by acknowledging that they were DEAD WRONG on the urgency and consequences of Global Warming.

Instead of being illustrated by an elephant, Republicans should to be depicted by the ostrich. They know nothing other than sticking their tiny heads in the sand when the facts don't fit their rigid precepts.

When did the wingnuts start hating capitalism?

If Gore pays big bucks for his electricity, that money goes to the local power company. If he pays the carbon offsets, that's more money to that company. What do you wingnuts have against someone who pays for what they consume in a free society?

It's hilarious how they can get all up in arms about something and yet turn a blind eye to common sense and their own supposed "convictions."

>>>Citing a press release from the Tennessee Center for Policy Research is now characterized as "lashing out"?

Would it be "lashing out" to point out that they are bought and paid for by the Republican Party in the state of Tennessee? Or would that just be "unfair" since it punctures the meme that this was done in a "fair and balanced" way to steal Gore's thunder at Oscar time?

Buying carbon offsets is the modern day equivalent of buying indulgences. One doesn't really need to change habits if one is rich enough to buy those "carbon indulgences". For secularlists, those global warming believers sure sound like a religion.

These Carbon footprint credits are like 21st Century Indulgences. Shame on you Al Gore. Glad you got an Oscar for your acting.

Next time you think to quote Matt Drudge as a source of information, please don't. Thank you.

You guys just never learn, do you?

Question: What does this have to do with global warming? (Answer: it tries to change the subject.)

What Gore did was to publicize the importance of global warming. Whether he personally implements private conservation measures or not, doesn't diminish the challenge of global warming one iota. That he won an Oscar simply increases the attention people will pay to global warming.

There are a bunch of partisan nasties out there (who might be called 'swiftboaters', for whom lying is a justifiable means to an end) that either (a) don't believe in global warming, (b) don't want Al Gore to get any publicity, or (c) both. The way this discussion has been framed simply sucks us in to play their sick (and very predictable) game.

Where does the Tennessee Center for Policy Research get its money? I tried to find out and could only find links to it from a lot of ardent arch-conservative web sites.

That kind of information in addition to the context supplied by Joel's post would place this charge in some context.

Al Gore is the best thing to happen to this country. He invented the Internet, was the role model for "Love Story", won the 2000 election and proved environmentalism can be possible by living in a mansion. Either you love him or hate him for being such a disingenuous politician. Your choice.

"Um, Al Gore WON the last time he ran against President Howdy Doody. Just because the far right stole the election in Florida does not make Al un-electable - in fact, the opposite."

Get the tinfoil hats out... The Whack-a-Doo Liberals are breathing fire.

If someone chooses one hundred percent green power or uses one hundred percent solar and wind, it's none of your business how much power they use. Republicans are so nosy poking into Americans personal lives.

Keep the blame where it belongs. Polluters love Bush because he doesn't make them pay to clean up their own messes (might hurt the economy). Bush, in his first 3 months in office violated his campaign promise to strictly regulate CO2...he tried to rool back Clinton/Gore EPA standards on arsenic in our water...that's just the beginning. He allowed polluters to have their way in texas (where the bunnies were turning GREEN from chemicals in the air/land/water...he's doing his best to ruin the other 49 states. Thank God for Al Gore. I don't care which democrat is elected, as long as they appoint Al Gore head of the EPA. He's done the planet a great service exposing the Inconvenient Truths Bush likes to deny.

"He invented the Internet, was the role model for "Love Story", won the 2000 election and proved environmentalism can be possible by living in a mansion."

LOL... That's the funniest thing. Al Gore is full of it and the liberals and DumocRATs continue eat it up like they always do... Just ask Bill and Hillary. Even their liberal Hollywood supporters like David Geffin know that these people are full of ****! So why do they keep voting for them? Fools!

The Tennessee Two by Four. Watta guy. He's not running for president until he loses about 50 pounds. That poor Armani suit was absolutely screaming for relief.

How do we know that Al Gore isn't practicing conservation? Are we saying that, per square foot, Gore uses more energy, or just that his house/mansion/estate uses more energy?

Now that Drudge is widely seen as a neo-con republican hack, and republicans as hacks and thieves in general, I think its just dandy that all he can do is whine like the non-event he has always been.

Welcome to the dist-bin of yellow-journalism political commentary!

Drudge is "wildly popular" in that he "rules the world" of Beltway Teabaggers like Mark Halperin, and provides endless fodder for whatever attack points the RNC is blastfaxing that day.

Period.

The ComPost didn't want to explain what those "Carbon Offsets" were. It sounds good until you learn the details.

What it means, according to a somewhat more detailed article published here yesterday (which hadn't yet edited out the inconvenient details) is that Gore has bought a lot of forest land, and the photosynthesis from his own personal trees makes up for the huge heating and air conditioning bills.

So, in order to "offset" their carbon use it means that everybody should go out and buy a few square miles of forest. Simple. If you have the millions in spare change like Gore does.

The leftist media also doesn't explain that gore inherited a huge bundle of stock in Occidental Petroleum, from his daddy, who worked for Armand Hammer and Uncle Joe Stalin. So he has plenty of money to buy land with. No problem.

On the broad issue of Global Warming/Climate Change, it is an undisputed fact that since its existence, at different times the earth has been much warmer and much colder than it is today and 99 percent of those climate changes predated human activity by tens of millions of years. Indeed, at various times there were no polar ice caps and reptiles inhabited what is now the Artic and the average temperature of the earth was considerably warmer than the current and predicted increase that Mr. Gore is fretting about.

At other times ice covered much of what is now the United States and southern Europe. Only three decades ago, many of the same environmental "experts" warning us of the global warming disaster hypothesized at length in a Newsweek magazine cover story that we were facing a new ice age. Imagine, in only thirty years those reputable "climate experts" changed their opinions 180 degrees!

If humans are significantly adding to global warming, how could such vast swings in global temperature have happened millions of years ago - particularly global warmth that was much greater than any predicted by today's current global warming "experts" - since humans did not drive vehicles and operate power plants/emit CO2 back then? And no one has explained why/how Mars is getting hotter since it is not inhabited by CO2 emitting humans. Many non-politicized scientists think that the sun is causing Mars to get hotter and many of those same scientists are positing the theory that the same sun is causing the earth to get hotter.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of reputable climate experts who do not agree with the global warming crowd assessment. Indeed, one might want to check out the June 26 column Wall Street Journal by Richard S. Lindzen entitled "There is no 'consensus' on Global Warming" - Lindzen is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT.

I like Al Gore, but I agree with the writers who want a much more active government role in environmental protection than is provided by carbon offsets. I'm happy to see Rush Limbaugh is on that side! I hope Rush comes out for very strong regulation of the coal and oil industries, soon, and especially pours scorn on the Bush administratins use of similar carbon offset accounting to let coal powered electic plants get away with increased carbon emissions. Way to go you guys! I think a few of the writers above - like Mike C - might want to take a look at Earth First as an organization that takes their environmental radicalism seriously.

"Since when is a 4000 sq. ft. house a "modest"?"

Well, conveniently for Mr. Gore, Mr. Anderson pulled his punches.

Bush's eco-friendly home is heated and cooled by a system whereby drilling pipes beneath the house to where the earth is a constant 67 degrees and circulating water keeps the house at nearly constant comfortable temperature. This uses about 25% of the energy used to heat and cool a house of that size.

Bush also uses a system of water capture from roof areas, dish water and yes, toilets which is then purified and then stored in cisterns to irrigate the natural plantings on his property.

The story is on the back pages (of course) of the Chicago Tribune, August 29, 2001.

Al Gore leaves a negative carbon footprint because he buys carbon credits, invests in green technology and PAYS MORE for green electricity.

By the way, this Tennessee group JUST HAPPENS NOT TO BELIEVE IN GLOBAL WARMING. Slight agenda don't you think?

Joel Said: "One of the more distressing developments in recent times is the ability of groups to provide a piece of information, present it without any context, and use it to completely misrepresent the situation. I believe this is a perfect example. Assuming that the 221MWh the Gore's used is correct (and I'm not thinking it is) there would have to be more to it than they are just running the A/C all day long with the windows open. I mean really. That much energy would mean an average current of 230 Amps, not something that you can actually do by running ALL of your appliances full out 100% of the time."

Maybe he is growing marijuana in his basement for his new lefty allies?

One need only read the narrow-minded comments of the Bush supporters to understand why this country is where is it. They never let the facts interfere with their arguments. That being said, last time I checked George Bush lived in a mansion on Pennsylvania Avenue that is much, much larger than 4000 square feet. Check it out. Let's compare apples to apples.

Matt Drudge and bews site in the same sentence! ha

Anyone who goes to Drudge's site online will find their Registry loaded with spyware and cookies; that's what goes on behind the curtain with Drudge.

The rest of it is his opinion. Who cares? As long as he doesn't back Ralph Nadir.

Isn't everyone entertained by my lies and my clever play on words?

Love me! Love me! Worship me!

Together we will run this comment thread into the ground and keep people from discussing the matter at hand, which is, namely, a hit piece sponsored by Matt Drudge, designed to taint Al Gore's movie and the Oscar that it won.

Love me!

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is a conservative think tank sponsored by Republicans. Does this make a difference? Judge for yourselves

Look at what is really going on here. Imagine you were the right wing Republican party and you geared up to beat a Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the election. At the last minute, a new candidate entered the race who had impecable experience and education. In addition, the only candidate to have both an Oscar and a Nobel Peace prize (could happen). Finally, it was a candidate greatly admired around the world and one who could immediately restore of the luster lost during W's administration. Wouldn't you want to try to "swift boat" him early to discourage his entering the race. Personally, my dream is Gore for president and Obama for vice president. The republicans wouldn't see the executive branch for two decades.

Steve Novak: "Um, Al Gore WON the last time he ran against President Howdy Doody. Just because the far right stole the election in Florida does not make Al un-electable - in fact, the opposite."

Inane: "Get the tinfoil hats out... The Whack-a-Doo Liberals are breathing fire."

Let's see...exit polls in 2000 showed Gore won Florida; upon hearing the news, Dade County and Jeb Bush kept that county's results until late in the evening...the Bushies, especially skag Katherine Harris, handled every single overseas ballot from soldiers and "only filled in missing parts of ballots so our Armed Forces would not be disqualified" - gee, wonder what else they filled in?
Harris and Jeb disqualified thousands of, mostly, black voters on the basis of lies concerning "felony" records who, upon informing the Florida election officials of their error, were STILL kept off the ballot...in 2000...in 2002...in 2004.
Dade County, loaded with mostly Jews, gave 6,000 votes to BUCHANAN, the idiot Holocaust denier? Sure thing.
Bush "won" by 700 votes. You do the math, Einstein.
By the way...your grade school taunts about liberals just ticks America off more everyday. Perhaps you were in a coma when last November's election was held? The fear and terror imposed on America by the Bushies will be gone in less than two years.
Keep up the good work, and thanks for the help. You can tell the far-right is disappearing faster than taxpayer money in Iraq. I love how all you "patriotic" right-wingers could care less about getting ripped off, could care less about Cheney's criminal conduct, and could care less about our Bill of Rights being turned off by President Fascist and his minions.
The people have had it with you, Iain.
Unabashed Liberal/Progressive Wingnut Whack-A-Doo

Tom Hilliard!

Stop! You are shining a light of reason where only shadows and obfuscation should be found!

Us wingnuts (and why ARE we hanging around the Washington Post, of all places?!?) just want you to have a giggle at Al Bore's expense, because what we fear most of all is a President who holds the Republican Party accountable for its criminal activities and its incomptence....

Love me! Pay attention to me! I'm dang funny! Yuk!

I found the 2005 Form 990 filing made by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. It received $104K in donations, but the filing didn't list the donors. I suspect one or two right wingnuts or another conservative organization put up most of the money.

The organization paid out half of what it took in for salaries and payroll taxes. Almost $5000 was spent on meals, which I would think would buy some pretty decent grub in Nashville, TN. I don't know how much electricity was used, but they sure didn't skimp on calories.

The point isn't that Republicans want to nose around in Al Gore's business. The point is he runs around the world telling others how they ought to sacrifice, while doing just the opposite in his personal life.

"Carbon Credits" are a sham. It's like Al Gore saying he's going on diet, and then claiming success because he bought someone else's Slim-Fast supply, and claiming their weight-loss as his own. He is an energy glutton, and he's entitled to be. He should just shut up about the rest of those who do the same.

Steve Novak!

Gasp! That one hit me in the throat and I nearly passed out!

Al Bore wears tight suits! Gaaak!

Laugh! Enjoy yourselves! Buy the lies and get the disinformation for free!

>>>"Carbon Credits" are a sham.

No, they help preserve the environment and they compensate for energy consumed in a way that benefits the planet.

They are also "optional" and "more expensive" and the fact that someone actually buys them indicates that they are NOT a hypocrite.

This Al Gore is a genius.

There could be a number of markets for this. I may start a company where people can send me money to reduce their Dumbsh!t Footprint. People could pay me to offset their own staggering incompetence, be it on the job, in their personal lives, or in executing the duties public office.

Think of the possibilities.

The number is just plain ridiculous: 221MWh? That's the consumption of a small industrial plant. it's either fake or it includes something else than Gore's personnal residence.

Being a Democrat means there need be no connection between your words and your deeds.

Poor wingnut Republicans.

How dismal is your demise?

Gore is a hypocrite, plain and simple. You can rationalise it any way you want, such as 'buying' abosolution as back in the days of another nascent religion, but that doesn't change the obvious phoniness. The report in question only listed one of at least THREE homes owned by the psuedo environmentalist king--- he is among the elitist priests of global warming who lecture while consuming with the best of us ( not there is anything wrong with that). this issue only makes the cult of global warming more apparent-- don't be assimilated!

Regardless of what people want to think of the "think tank" that reported Gore's household usage, Gore's office never denied the accuracy of the number. And for others who want to believe that usage "per square foot" should be the measure of conservation, then that would make Americans entitled to their enormous usage because we have much bigger homes on average than any other population. So stop whining about how much of the world's energy we use.

And for those who believe the argument is about capitalism or other GOP priorities, you know you are trying to change the subject. The point here is simply another indicator of Al Gore's hypocrisy--do as I say, not as I do! So, rather than make so many ludicrous attacks, try sticking to the subject.

Al Gore preaches that we should all conserve energy, even though he chooses to use 20 times more than what other Americans do. And his "justification" for doing so is that he is rich and can afford to pay for it.

The fact that Al Gore uses excessive amounts of energy is nothing surprising. John Edwards recently had a 20,000 sq. ft. home built. We all must make material sacrifices to lower our environmental impacts and everyone, including our politicians, should champion this effort. It is extremely hypocritical for Al Gore to come out with a movie about saving the environment and keep using so much energy just as it is hypocritical for John Edwards to claim he fights poverty while he lives in the largest home in his county.

>>> They are also "optional" and "more expensive" and the fact that someone actually buys them indicates that they are NOT a hypocrite.

So, in other words, if you're rich enough you can buy your way out of trouble with the environmental police?

Here's an idea: How about he make charitable contributions, and direct contributions, to those groups and entities that want to save the planet, AND reduce his own consumption. They're not mutually exclusive.

I love the way the Gore-loving libs attack the messenger rather than attack the facts.

Al Gore is living high off the hog and using a lot of energy for just him and Tipper. FACT. Nothing wrong with that but he is being a hypocrite for not doing more himself. Buying offsets or energy credits is not an option the rest of us can afford.

He tells others to use less while he jets around using a lot more energy in private planes or big SUV's. FACT. In his position as former Vice President, former Senator he earns a living doing speeches promoting his causes (mostly global warming) but he doesn't act in an environmentally friendly way between speeches. See Ed Begley Jr. who lives what he preaches.

President Bush uses far less energy than Al Gore (4000 sq. ft. house is pretty small when you factor in all the Secret Service and other people required by law to be with the President) . FACT.

Al Gore won more votes in 2000 but didn't get elected because the electoral college determines who becomes President. This is the fourth time that more votes didn't win the election. FACT Get over it.

Global Warming has little to do with man's actions and the United States alone should not be responsible for cleaning up the world's messes.

Judging from his girth, algore would have a mighty big carbon footprint.

But let me ask you this, Mr Peabrain, does this mean that since my Bible Class teacher has stopped smoking that I can now smoke his share and somehow we are both better off?

Dept. of Revenue says conservative think tank 'not a legitimate group'

By John Rodgers, jrodgers@nashvillecitypaper.com
February 16, 2007

The state's Department of Revenue is refusing to respond to inquiries from a conservative watchdog organization over a controversial tax, labeling them "not a legitimate group."

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR), who bills themselves as an "independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research and educational institute," made the inquiries to different employees of the Department of Revenue in early January regarding the unauthorized substances tax's budget.

A City Paper public records request revealed inner-department e-mails about the decision not to respond to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research or its executive director, Drew Johnson.

The conservative watchdog group has been very critical of the unauthorized substances tax, or the "crack tax," which requires drug dealers to buy stamps from the state showing that they have paid taxes on the illicit drugs.

TCPR says administering the tax costs more than the revenues the state collects and cites a Davidson County Chancery Court ruling that the tax is unconstitutional.

Officials in the revenue department elected not to respond to TCPR's phone calls about the "crack tax."

"Heads up: Several in the department are receiving calls from this group, re: the unauthorized substances tax. Please let your staff know this is not a legitimate group and therefore, we're not responding to them. Let me know if anyone in your group is contacted by them. (By the way, this is Drew Johnson's org.) Thanks," a Jan. 3 e-mail from Director of Communications Emily Richard to the revenue department's general counsel and its audit director.

In response, Johnson said the revenue department is "overtly keeping information from the public" and "overtly trying to block information from a group that they are afraid might be critical of them."

"It doesn't matter if it's some guy in his basement wanting to call and know how much this budget number is," Johnson said. "It's not their role to decide who receives essentially public information -- how tax dollars are spent."

In addition, an e-mail from Richard to two of Gov. Phil Bredesen's top communications aides -- Bob Corney, Bredesen's director of communications, and Rachel Lassiter, the deputy press secretary -- showed the governor's office was aware of how the situation was being handled.

"The Tennessee Center for Policy Research has called several people in the department, including me, re: unauthorized substances tax. As you know, this is Drew Johnson's group. We are not responding to the calls," Richard's e-mail to Corney and Lassiter read.

Another Jan. 3 e-mail, from Department of Revenue Attorney Brian Ramming to the Department of Revenue's General Counsel, David Gerregano, had a more candid reaction to TCPR's inquiries.

"Not legitimate? Drew Johnson would be crushed to hear us say that!" Ramming wrote. "I'm not suprised (sic) he is snooping around."

Reagan Farr, the new commissioner of the Department of Revenue, listed for The City Paper reasons why the Department of Revenue said the TCPR was not a "legitimate organization."

Farr said TCPR did not follow "the proper channels" by not directing all of their inquiries to Richard, the department's spokeswoman. He said TCPR representatives were calling different employees of the Department of Revenue and not specifically working through Richard.

Farr said they also misrepresented themselves as "college students," "couched facts" and didn't correct an "inaccurate report" after being alerted regarding the unauthorized substances tax.

"As long as they refuse to follow the proper procedures to obtain information, we're not going to deal with them," Farr said.

Johnson said the argument about not going through the "proper channels" is "not valid" because the first call TCPR made after the revenue department released a press release promoting the unauthorized substances tax was to Richard.

In addition, Johnson denies that representatives of the TCPR said they were college students and maintains that he did correct a June 2005 report regarding the unauthorized substances tax.

Farr said the TCPR's conservative ideology was not why their questions weren't answered.

"Their complete lack of professionalism is why," Farr said.

The Department of Revenue's General Counsel, David A. Gerregano, noted in a letter to The City Paper that Richard's statements "in no way violated the Public Records Act."

Gerregano said the Public Records Act only pertains to "requests to inspect agency records" and does not cover Richard's statements in the e-mails.

"Requests for employees of the department to make statements or answer questions are not within the scope of the Act, and refusals to answer such requests do not violate the Act," Gerregano wrote in the Feb. 14 letter.

Johnson said the reason why TCPR did not file an official, written public records request was because they wanted to "respond pretty immediately" to the Department of Revenue's press release about money raised by the "crack tax" and therefore made phone calls to revenue employees.

Robb Harvey, an attorney who works in intellectual property and media litigation for Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, said the state's Public Records Act provides protection for people wanting documents, but it can't require someone to return phone calls.

Corney said he thought the Department of Revenue, Farr and Richard handled the situation correctly.

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section=9&screen=news&news_id=54656

This also better

http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=ae876d30-9a3a-476a-8134-c50115fe5aca&f=00&fg=copy

Does this offset make my butt-print look fat?

While I may not agree with the politics of this think tank that brought up Gore's energy consumption, I applaud them for bringing it up. I've been annoyed for years about people like Gore and other celebrities who encourage me to leave less of a carbon imprint. Leonardo Dicaprio recently asked me and all other Americans to unplug their cell-phone chargers from the wall when not in use. Perhaps Leonardo should instead quit jet-setting around the world and burning jet-fuel. I dare say that will make more of a difference in carbon emissions than having me unplug my cellphone from the wall. And I don't care how much money Gore pays to offset the effect of his inordinately large home. It doesn't change the fact that he doesn't need to live in such a monstrosity and that he is using precious fossil fuels to live in it. Wise up politicians and celebrities - if you're going to get all high and mighty about the environment, you better change your lifestyle.

I'm going up to Home depot and buying whatever programmable thermostat they have on sale, and sell them on ebay at double the price as "ENERGY OFFSETS". Thanks for the great idea, Al Gore.

Offsets are a way for the wealthy to move credits around. If Al Gore is using 221,ooo KWH of power per year that is 22.1 KWH per SF for his 10,000 SF house. The average for homes in that area assuming a 2,500 SF home is 6.24 KWH per SF. It's not about buying credits it's about changing life styles. Get on board Al.

Don't you know Al Gore invented the environment

Well off liberals who speak out against global warming should be forced to live in tents, read by candlelight, and crap in a bucket. Maybe that would placate the idiotic GOP hit squad.

Al Gore VS Right Wingers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gwdNIxecwY

These TCPR/Drudge swift boat-style obfuscations are truly amazing. Al Gore has never advocated that we just stop using electricity in our homes to fight global warming. All he has advocated is that Americans make a few MODEST changes - i.e. put in a few low watt light bulbs, install a timer on our furnace, etc. No big deal - simple things that both he and we can easily do - today - without fuss or muss. And with just these few changes, the impact on the environment will be very positive. If Al Gore was advocating some extreme message that America needs to go back to living in the Stone Ages, then the TCPR complaints would have some merit. But that is not at all what he is advocating. Unfortunately his political enemies are deliberately choosing to "mis-speak" even this most simplest of messages.

The reason most sane people are opposed to Al Gore's global warming fictions are that what he has been moving towards pushing an acceptance of the Kyoto protocols. That would bankrupt the US economy without penalty to China, India or Russia. Remember that this came up for a vote in the Senate early in the first Clinton administration. The vote was something like 95-2 against Kyoto. Even John Kerry voted against it although he has said that Bush was responsible for the US not approving Kyoto. Different President, different Senate.

(2007-02-28) -- Oscar-winning filmmaker Al Gore today expanded his call for Americans to reduce their output of greenhouse gases -- the so-called carbon-footprint -- adding a demand to cut the rate of adult-onset obesity, which he termed "your gluteal fatprint."

Speaking to fellow Oscar winners who flew in to Nashville last night for a banquet at his 10,000 square-foot residence, Mr. Gore explained that Americans burn too much carbon-rich fuel, and eat too much fatty food.

While conservative groups have attacked Mr. Gore's "hypocrisy" on the global-warming issue, since his Tennessee home burns 15 times the electricity of the average home and he often flies on corporate jets, Mr. Gore maintains that he lives a "carbon-neutral" lifestyle because he also invests in solar and wind energy projects to counterbalance his own substantial carbon-footprint.

"Many people don't realize that I also live a fat-neutral lifestyle," Mr. Gore said. "While the inconvenient truth is that I've gained a few pounds since I beat George Bush at the polls in 2000, I also makes large investments in companies that produce bran, sprouts and legumes, thereby reducing my "real feel" weight to around 175."

Drudge is an ass wipe. Case closed.

Al Gore has so many inconvenient truths of his own. More proof that some animals consider themselves more equal than others (that would be the rest of us peasants).

Drudge is a glorified gossip columnist, and Limbaugh is the biggest hypocrite on the block. The *voice of the little guy* is a thrice divorced, draft avoiding drug addict who lives alone in a 30,000 sq ft palace and makes millions of dollars a year lecturing his gullible listeners about morality and patriotism.

Why does anyone pay attention to these blowhards?

Remember the words "no controlling legal authority" and now these new words "carbon footprints and carbon offsets". They are all esoteric legalisms meaning "I'll do as I please but put a pseudo legal-scientific spin on it". Trouble is ain't nobody going to fall for it.
As an aside when people look at that dumpling in a suit casing they see fat...I see cortisone. I don't think he'll run for President unless he is willing to answer health questions,JMO.

reading the comments of the liberals is proof of my long held contention that liberalism is merely a form of mental illness. If one simply repeats the news that Gore says on thing, while doing another, such as using twice as much energy as the average household is called a smear. So to mindless liberals, thelling the truth about one of their icons is a smear. These people are a joke. We on the right would love to see this insane idiot run in 08. Then he would have to asnwer questions about his work of pure fiction, particularly as to why the IPCC chart producec in 1995 which showed a Medieval Warming Period where the earth's temperature was warmer than it is now, had that period removed when it was reprinted in 2000, as the idiot was running for president. There are a hundred simlilar instances that he needs to talk about. Why do think this genius refuses to debate any credible scientist on this issue. Because being a failed divinity and law student tells who this clown really is.

Tony Moschetti

http://newsbusters.org/gaggle/2007-02-26.png

Hey right wingers Merry christmas

http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=1375335331

It is amazing the degree to which all of the comments in this thread talk past each other. The facts are fairly simple. 1. Mr. Gore uses more energy than 4 or 5 other Americans combined. He does so in part because he lives in a huge house. 2. Mr. Gore flies around the country advocating policies designed to force other people to lower their energy usage for what he regards as good reasons. 3. He tries to mitigate his high energy usage by paying above market rates for renewable energy and by buying carbon credits.

The problem I have is with the second point. If he truly believed that everyone should sacrifice by reducing energy consumption then he should lead by example. This is the same point the critics of 'chickenhawks' make. Why is that hard to understand?

Why is that Think Progress is identified as a liberal web site, but there is no characterization as to the orientation of the Drudge Report, which is about as right wing as you can get?

Amen Sam!

Once again no one bothers to check out the facts before printing and broadcasting crap. And thats what all this is - crap.

***OUR CHILDREN ARE DYING IN IRAQ IN CASE YOU HAVENT NOTICED

The petty ante antics of Matt Sludge and others have no other purpose than to divert your attention from the aforementioned statement.

Here's my question. Does anybody fact-check the stories Drudge pushes before they repeat them? Are all oppo research stories similarly passed on uncritically? I know the MSM is a commercial medium, and they need to fill pages and time, and a good gossipy attack does that, but Drudge's credibility for this sort of thing is absymal. In this case, it's complete BS fronted by an astroturf organization, but most news accounts to date haven't bothered to give full context to a) Gore's electric bill and b) the people making these silly charges.

Drudge is a homosexual and is evil in the sight of God. I for one will not believe the lies that are found on his rotten website.

We don't need no stinkin' Drudges!

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooo Al. Please run for President in 2008.

Conservatives have completely divorced themselves from reality, and are now content to make up their own Bizzaro world. If you have any doubts, google "Conservapedia" and prepare yourself to either laugh or cry.

"Get the tinfoil hats out... The Whack-a-Doo Liberals are breathing fire."

A tinfoil hat is better than the dunce cap you're wearing......

I love it.

The libs are trashing Bush for his BIG 4000 sf house that runs on geothermal energy while Gore gets a pass on his energy gulping 10,000 sf mansion. How does he use so much power? Is it the GrowLights in the basement? It would explain a lot about Al's weight gain.

Don't even get me started on Edward's new 30,000 sf estate in NC. Talk about 2 America's....

To simply call Drudge a hypocrit, scarcely begins to describe his role in the blogosphere. He replicates the actions
of an agent provateur, whose 'job' it
is to smear any opposition to the Nazi-like allegiance which Drudge appears to have to the Hard Right.

In the early 1980s, Jim Hunt as running for Senate in North Carolina, against the late Jessie Helms. In my capactiy as a left-wing organizer in New York City, I was called for contributions. I had little money to give Mr. Hunt. As it turned out, it was just as well.

A nut-case paper out in the sticks of NC, suggested that Mr. Hunt might have more than familial fondness for children. Hunt had been ahead in the polls, but this attack helped to break his momentum.

Later the 'editor' of the 'paper' admitted that his prior suggestions about Hunt were comparable to left wing comments about Helms, as if political disagreements between candidates, were comparable to sexual innuendo and smears.

Once the sexual innuendo was first stated, Mr. Hunt had about 5-6 days to get the matter under control. He had to go directly himself and see that 'editor' in his 'paper' and get right into that editors face. No denials or press releases mattered. The people of NC had to see that Hunt would not be smeared by some thug and not reply, in the medium best understood by local Carolians. Anything less, and Hunt was going to take a major hit.

I for one am sick and tired of half-truths and lies by any thug from the 'right'. There was a time in the early history of the United States, when a man had to back up his public statements, not in some press conference or some legal forum; but out on a river bank, one morning, with his 'second' close by, holding his coat.

While all was far from perfect in this system, I strongly believe that fewer out and out lies were told. Lies had sometimes, very serious consequences in 1800. If the lies from the right continue, that old time system may yet return; probably for the worse, but return nonetheless.

The funniest thing about this whole affair, to me, is how very little attention is being paid to this intellectually lazy right-wing smear campaign.

Sure, the republican brown shirts are all over it, and a few sites like this one. But back in the real world, this story is playing 3rd fiddle to a kid who died from a toothache (poor guy).

I can understand why the neocons are pissed, though. They're banking their 2008 hopes on a "flip-flopper" who wears magic underwear (Romney). Hell, the leading democrat is more conservative than all but one of the republicans in the race... much to their chagrin AND ours. :(

Reading the comments on this site makes "Idiocracy" look like a reality show.

First off, Al Gore is not running (per his own admission) for president and if you look at the pols in the article in this fine publication today, you would see that his rating is 14% where Hillary's is something like 47% and Obama's is around 27%. Gore is out, H and O are in. Second off, you can get all technical about the power usage thing, but who cares...Gore has a massive mansion and a ton of money. Buying carbon credits is like buying a plot in outer space...useless. He should have the most environmentally friendly house around if you think about it. It's not like he can't afford it, unlike the vast majority of the American public. Even Tyvek home wrap is expensive as hell. The basic message...Gore, like most of you people (and myself) posting on this board are HYPOCRITES. Gore is just a hypocrite in the public eye with a purported cause. Who cares what political party he is in, or Drudge is in, or who you are in? Stick to the issues and not partisan politics and bigotry. It's ridiculous...truly.

Add "name stealing" to the list of Republican crimes against the truth.

When smacked on a neutral comment thread, all the Republicans have left is thievery, lying and cheating.

Their end is nigh...

OK, now that we have Mr. Gore's electric bill, let's get ALL the politician's and corporate exec's energy bills. Any one want to bet that the top 1 percent uses as much as the rest of us combined?

Gasp! Al Gore is a hypocrite!

Gasp!! We are all hypocrites!

GASP!!! Matt Drudge is a hypocrite?

No, Matt Drudge is merely being the stinky, pimply twelve-year-old he really is, high-pitched giggle and all. Discovering that grown-ups have bad breath and fart and sometimes sleep with their nightlights on is a big part of the fun of being twelve. Continuing to pretend one is shocked by such discoveries is the fun of being an adult hypocrite, of which the cynic is but one subspecies. The pious hypocrite is another. From the viewpoint of the satirist, the world is wonderfully full of these types, and political parties rely on them.

But that doesn't change the strength of Al's message.

Grow up. All of you.

I was wrong in my earlier post about the timing of the Kyoto Protocol votes (95-0 actual vs my estimate of 95-2). Here is an except from Wikipedia on this (I know that use of Wikipedia is at one's own hazard):

"On July 25, 1997, before the Kyoto Protocol was finalized (although it had been fully negotiated, and a penultimate draft was finished), the U.S. Senate unanimously passed by a 95-0 vote the Byrd-Hagel Resolution (S. Res. 98),[44][45] which stated the sense of the Senate was that the United States should not be a signatory to any protocol that did not include binding targets and timetables for developing as well as industrialized nations or "would result in serious harm to the economy of the United States". On November 12, 1998, Vice President Al Gore symbolically signed the protocol. Both Gore and Senator Joseph Lieberman indicated that the protocol would not be acted upon in the Senate until there was participation by the developing nations.[46] The Clinton Administration never submitted the protocol to the Senate for ratification."

No wander Rush does drugs. It is so damn silly how the Repugs love playing in the mud. No wonder they can't get any tractions with the American public. I the Mud Report wants to publish something good, try promoting the end of body bags coming home from a lie Bush and Cheney created. With the bill over $2 TRILLION and a body count 3100 and growing and 20,000 seriously injured, this is trivial baby crap.

The reality is that we all need to start walking the talk on climate change. And that includes Al Gore, who has provided a wonderful service by raising awareness all over the world on global warning. It doesn't make him a hypocrite. It just shows that there are efforts we all can and should be making to reduce our carbon footprint. I hope Al does rethink that heated pool, and maybe close off some rooms during the winter. I hope everybody who has plans to move into a 4000 square foot dream house realizes how much all of us end up paying for their excess. We're all learning, including Al Gore.

If the wingnuts are hoping to derail efforts to respond to climate change by pointing out that no one is perfect, shame on them. It is amazing how many distractions and red herrings they are willing to throw up in order to avoid coming to terms with this very real very immediate problem. It's getting pathological already.

And now the award for best science fiction writer goes to??......Envelope Please..........AL Gore - for "How to Kill a Watt"...and starring Best Actor "Carbon Footprint"......Best cinematography...."Gore plantation"....and finally...best screen/script writing .."How to get over the America People"

To Mr. Limbaugh and his minions: not that you ever let facts get in the way of your bile but GW and Laura Bush have 2 children and have parents with one or more large residences for family gatherings. The Gores have 4 children, several grand-children and they do not have multi-millionaire parents and other extended family members to visit like the Bush family. So, we may never know which family is more "Eco friendly," -- but when Limbaugh makes his direct comparisons, they are obviously meaningless, mean-spirited and partisan.

" modest 4,000 square foot home..."

Everyone is so out of touch with the common person. Why do we even listen to anyone.

Do any of the Haters in these comments even understand what a "Carbon Credit" is?
Can they explain what they are, and why they hate the idea?

By the way no one on this discussion even knows what the real size of President Bush's home is or Vice President Al Gore's, so a lot of these posts are stupid and childish. We know from pictures and news reports that Bush's ranch has multiple buildings, so Rush's contention about the size of Bush's ranch is straight from where he gets most of his "facts," his big white butt.

Are we next going to try to compare the Bush compound in Maine with Gore's family land?

And considering President Bush did not move into the ranch until 1999 and so comparing the Gore family Ranch, which is and had been a real operational ranch and the campaign prop GWB bought in 1999 which does no real ranch work, this whole comparison is just stupid.

Yes folks that "real" man of the people, the "rancher" from out west, is a completely hoax. His stay at the ranch during the summer of 2005 is the longest consecutively he ever stayed at his ranch.

Now the President is using geothermal energy for one of the buildings on his property and should be commended. But then Al Gore gets all of his power from Solar and Wind. So basically this whole "Scandle" is just stupid. Hence Rush talks about it. Because that's all he has, Hate.

How about getting some facts before going on these stupid rants. Also how about debate the real issues instead of attacking the messanger.

R L Norman - Contrary to your liberal wet dreams, the Honorable Jesse Helms is still very much alive, just retired from the Senate and no doubt getting a few belly laughs from the contortions of liberals on sites like this, trying to justify their idol's hypocritical stands on global warming.

HE'S USING RENEWABLE ENERGY!!!! DUH!!

from http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2000/prespop.htm: just a reminder that al can (and did)win....

2000 PRESIDENTIAL POPULAR VOTE SUMMARY
FOR ALL CANDIDATES LISTED ON AT LEAST ONE STATE BALLOT
(Updated 12/2001)

Candidate (Party Label) Popular Vote Total
Percent of Popular Vote


Al Gore (Democrat) 50,999,897
48.38

George W. Bush (Republican) 50,456,002
47.87

Ralph Nader (Green) 2,882,955
2.74

Patrick J. Buchanan (Reform/Independent) 448,895
.42

Harry Browne (Libertarian) 384,431
.36

Howard Phillips (Constitution) 98,020
.09

John S. Hagelin (Natural Law/Reform/Independent) 83,714
.08

Write-In (Miscellaneous) 20,767*
.02

James E. Harris, Jr. (Socialist Workers) 7,378
.01

L. Neil Smith (Libertarian) 5,775
.00

David McReynolds (Socialist) 5,602
.00

Monica Moorehead (Workers World) 4,795
.00

None of These Candidates (Nevada) 3,315
.00

Cathy Gordon Brown (Independent) 1,606 .00

Denny Lane (Vermont Grassroots) 1,044 .00

Randall Venson (Independent) 535
.00

Earl F. Dodge (Prohibition) 208
.00

Louie G. Youngkeit (Independent) 161
.00

Total: 105,405,100*

Voting Age Population (Census Bureau Population Survey for November 2000): 205,815,000

Percentage of Voting Age Population casting a vote for President: 51.21%

Notes:
Party designations vary from one state to another. Vote totals for the candidates listed above include any write-in votes they received.
* Totals do not include the 138,216 miscellaneous write-in, blank and void votes that were compiled as one total in New York.

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ELECTIONS AND VOTING - FEC HOME PAGE

There is something terribly wrong with this country. I'm not a Democrat, or a Republican, I'm an American. What happened to this nation? It isn't so much blue or red, but more of a bruised bloody purple.

Amanda - old news...Al Gore lost remember...or are you still having Florida night mares?......Get over it.

ah...yes, the nightmare does continue....

my point however, was he does have a chance. Let's not get emotional....

Even if Al Gore is a hypocrite, does that mean that Global Warming isn't true?

Just because Al Gore isn't perfect doesn't mean that he is wrong on this issue. On the contrary, the failure of his critics to attack his scientific facts and focus on his character tells you more about them than it does about him.

There goes the Post (.com) again .... giving special coverage to right-wing hacks like Drudge. Why does the Post set up the debate as between Drudge and Gore? Why not Cheney and Gore? Now that would be a little more balanced! It's so easy to cover the rants of the right wingers. It fills up the space? But is it helpful to advancing meaningful debate? And iis it really rair?

>>>There is something terribly wrong with this country.

No, there isn't anything wrong with this country. The 2006 Election proved that there is something right with this country, namely, a repudiation of the right wing smear machine and the incompetent Bush administration.

There IS something wrong with the notion that right wing smear merchants have been allowed to get away with blatant lies and distortions. Welcome to a new era in American politics--the SmackDown of the WingNuts. They'll build a monument to the Conservative Wingnut, circa 2007, in New Orleans one day--a leaning, stinking pile of unremoved garbage is all it will need to be constructed out of, courtesy of Halliburton.

Charity cases, one and all, propped up with Wingnut Welfare and unleashed through the Internet, a marauding band of know-nothings and liars, with nothing on their side but a pathetic honor roll of patron saints--Rush "Hillbilly Heroin" Limbaugh, Matt "eggs" Drudge, Bill "$lot Machine" Bennett, Dick "salts his meat on both sides" Cheney and George W "Iraq War" Bush.

They all have something that sticks to them, and it isn't pretty. Gore is overweight and is working to save the planet--of course they have to go after him. It's all they know how to do.

I loved the one about carbon footprint credits being 21st century indulgences. I could not agree more with a statement and the hypocrisy it exposes in America's "limousine liberals".

Rush, Drudge and their Republic followers again! Oh my god. What is happening? Ale Gore. They are afraid again that they will lose the general Presidential election in 2008, just like they did in 2000! I know Rush is on drugs! I wonder what Drudge is on! I also know that both of them like some of their senators believe that trees are dangerous for us!

I've said for years that ZZ Top was better than Journey. But my friends told me I was wrong.

Conservatives, of all people, should understand why carbon credits work well. Basically, credits allocate the money to fight emissions to the cheapest method of mitigation. Say electrical use is worth $20 to you, and the cost of eliminating the same quantity of emissions that you created by using that electricity is only $5 using another technique. Then it's better to use the electricity and spend $5 on carbon credits than to give up the electricity usage at a cost of $20 of value. Heck, you could sacrifice the same $20 and get four times the return with carbon credits.

That's the model of economic efficiency, and the kind of thing that would make Reagan's economic staff click their heels with joy.

And, by the way, denying global warming means that you either deny the basics of atmospheric science, like the chemical composition of the atmosphere and the properties of those chemicals, or else you don't believe that humans burn things very often. Please clarify which part you disagree with.

Al gore has apparently not entered into his Carbon Footprint calculation the amount of energy required to supply him with an obvious over abundance of food nor did he consider a carbon footprint for the energy required to process his waste form that food.

In what kind of world does
one number for one six month period, unsubstantiated and only probably correct, with no knowledge of surrounding details or mitigating factors,
cancel out
an idea for a new way of life which a lot of research has supported as potentially necessary to keep our country and the world strong for centuries?
The old trick of "we're really bad, but the other guys are even worse (and we're gonna spend all our time attacking them and accomplishing nothing positive on our own to prove it)" isn't going to serve you Limbaugh-ites well next year. People are already starting to see through it in large numbers.
Why don't you start your comments with "I oppose energy conservation because..." instead of "I oppose Al Gore because...", and say what you really think on the issue here that is actually important. The people who fully practice this kind of conservation probably aren't in a financial position to fly around and advocate it, so they need Gore to do it for them.

Someone hit a sore spot when they dug up the electric bill for Gore's mansion. You liberals can't stand it that your God, Al Gore is being held to the same standards as everyone else. I've heard every excuse out there, including flat-out denial that Gore could be this blatently guilty. It's sad, because Gore is fighting for a noble cause, unfortunately, it's hard for a rational person to take his ranting seriously when he obviously doesn't believe it either. I mean, why should anyone bother to conserve energy when the 'King of Konservation' himself won't?? It's a farce!

Of course there is global warming. Ten thousand years ago, there was a sheet of ice a mile thick covering Buffalo, NY.

It got warm and it melted. This is called a cycle. Has to do with variation in the orbit of the Earth and the variation in the solar radiation.

Global warming is not a religion. No one is going to behead you for believing the causes of global warming one way or the other.

There is an entity in this world that does behead non-believers. I suggest Hollywood, Al Gore and the rest of Western Civilization take note. Otherwise, you'll lose your head over the most trivial items.

Interesting that the Tennessee group that reported this has definite right-wing and/or conservative leanings. I agree with those who say that the Republicans are terrified of Gore. I mean he won the last time he ran...

Wake me up when Al Gore is wrong about something.

The internet, Iraq, the environment... Every time, Al Gore has been right years before anyone else realized it. No other political figure of his generation has had anywhere near his level of foresight.

And yes, his home uses a lot of energy -- perhaps because he works from home and has security. He's also held a number of major global warming events at his house in the last year, training volunteers and trying to ignite people to action. If you had twenty people staying at your house all the time, you would have a pretty hefty bill too, no matter how much you try to cut your consumption.

Come on people, think it through. He's got a gigantic weed farm in the basement.

The GOP would love nothing more that to draw votes away from Hillary. Don't be fooled by this tact. Hillary / Obama in 2008.

There are natural variations in climate! These have been happening for thousands of years! That means that global warming must be ok, and that humans couldn't possibly have any effect on climate that could be harmful.

Plus, don't forget that hurricanes are a natural phenomenon too. That means that hurricanes can't hurt anyone either!

Disease? Hey, if disease is naturally occuring, then surely we couldn't impact the amount of disease in the world by, say, washing our hands or getting our vaccines! And besides, if disease is natural, then it must be fine!

Yay!

If Russ Feingold can't be induced to run, Al Gore is the next most logical person to be the next president.

What the Tennessee Center for Policy Research should be written in stone and brought down by Moses from the Smokey Mountains. Tennessee Center for Policy Research is our most trusted news source on Planet Earth and should be trusted as if they were speaking from the lips of God herself.

jdri: just because there have been previous warming periods in Earth history due to various causes does not mean that high concentrations of CO2, whatever the cause, are unrelated to warming. My understanding of the record is that the previous times there have been high concentrations of CO2, it has correlated to warming. While int he past htere may have been other causes, what is new here is that there is another cause - man-made emissions - that are on track to cause high concentrations in the atmosphere. You aren't arguing that the high the CO2 concentrations are not caused by humans? You seem to be saying high temperatures can be tolerated by the earth. In one sense, that has to be true - the old blue marble is still spinning. I don't think Gore would deny it'll spin even if we burned coal and oil without constraint. I think the concern is more with the disruption to existing populations and ecology. you aren't saying that the conditions you site - no polar ice, tropical temperatures at the poles, etc... woudl not cause chaos?

It probably ticks off Rush that Al Gore is significantly RICHER than he is.

Limbaugh makes no effort to hide the fact that Rush wants to use his radio program and other activities to make MONEY.

So it must really bother Rush that Gore is richer and, of course, Gore uses far less energy than Limbaugh does.

Forget the CO2. The problem is methane. Stop eating meat and kill off the termites.

TCPR is just another right wing smear tank and Drudge is a partisan hack. Neither of them ever tell the truth, let alone the whole story. It's always easy to see who threatens the right wingers the most by the frequency and viciousness of their attacks. Al Gore could live in a grass shack, lit by candles, and swim to China for speaking engagements, and they'd still find plenty of reasons to smear him. That's what they do, and you'd think that even their fellow conservatives would be getting a little sick of it by now. Personally, I don't have a problem with someone of Al Gore's stature and means living in a large home and being an environmental activist. I'm thankful for what Al Gore's done in raising awareness about global warming. I don't think trying to be more environmentally friendly means having to reduce your standard of living. He's been doing plenty to do his part. Frankly, Al Gore shouldn't have to justify why he has a large house to anyone.

'Someone hit a sore spot when they dug up the electric bill for Gore's mansion. "
Key point it is a Mansion, and thus takes more power than the average House. The Drudge and company forgot to point out the many energy saving methods the Gore's have implemented and the fact they buy all Green Power, and also forgot to even ask VP Gore about his power bill before going Public the Night he won the big O. Wonder what they have planned for when President Elected Gore wins the biggest prize on the Planet (Noble Peace Prize)?

Oh, please. Everyone just stop with all the demonizing hate speak.

As a political independent, I can tell you the hypocracy abounds in both parties.

Assuming Drudge and other assorted hatemongering conservatives are right and Al Gore is a hypocrite on the environment, please stop and consider what it means that GW Bush owns a "green" home but has instituted policies at every turn that trash the environment.

It means in his heart of hearts, he is an environmentalist, but he will do anything it takes to pander to the conservative corporate elite. That, people, is hypocracy.

A typically stupid and meaningless conservative argument that tries to elevate an issue that is beside the point...the substantive claims of Al Gore's film. The two issues are nowhere near equal (and we don't know that Drudge's info is accurate, and probably is not).

Some of these comments are quite ridiculous. I wish that people criticizing Al Gore's home energy usage would use the same amount of energy in questioning the lies of the Bush Administration. Of course, that would take significant amounts of mental energy and many of the Gore-bashers writing in this comment area are clearly lacking it.

So it appears according to our Republicant friends that the government needs to tax Al Gore more so he can't buy a large house and consume too much electricity. I concur and believe we should raise the marginal rates steeply for those making over 200K per year.
Plus we need a carbon tax as well.

The idiots who believe the TCPR report that Gore uses 221 Mhw worth of power should keep this in mind--a nuclear power plant is ONLY capable of producing a peak power output of between 500-2000 megs. If he is indeed using that much power I guess he has got 200 foot cooling towers and an AEC permit at his residence. IDIOTS--you believe everything from a neocon thinktank.

I am critical of Gore on this issue and am in no way a "Gore-basher." The reality is that Gore opened himself up to such criticism when he decided to become an outspoken environmentalist. If you're going to lecture people on how they should live, then maybe you should realize that they're going to turn the microscope on your affairs as well! I agree with a few others that the indulgence comparison regarding these energy credits is brilliant. It's a way for rich people to feel less bad about using so much energy.

wow...never seen so many idiots in one place. i guess placing the spotlight on gore is supposed to make us forget about the pathetic piece of work-in-chief? i think not. more smoke and mirrors from the whacko right.

A correction to my previous post: his home uses 221000 kilowatts not megawatts--an equivalent of 2210 100 watt lightbulbs on for 24 hours a day, 365 days a week. If this is indeed true, he still would need a power plant at his home.

"Carbon Offsets" are a scam used by people who want to act environmentally friendly but don't actually want to give up their big cars, private jets, and mansions. It is the moral equivalent of thinking you can donate money to a church and then commit any crime you want. When you defend the process and accuse people of failing to understand it, you are embarrassing yourself. Its too bad this concept wasn't in place 60 years ago: Mahatma Gandhi could have lived in a big mansion and eaten steak all day without any moral qualms, according to your logic.

Algore is most definitely NOT running for president. Here is all the proof you need.

According to a recent story in the Tennessean about Algore's monster energy use Algore's greeness includes driving a "Lexus hybrid".

Lexus?

Ain't that Toyota?

That's no way to gain favor with the UAW, an absolute necessity for a Democratic candidate.

Make no mistake about it. When Algore bought a Lexus he gave up any idea of ever running for President as a Democrat.

Lil Ole Me, you sound like the whacko left. How silly to label all your opponents idiots. I consider myself an equal opportunity critic, as I'm sure many others are. I criticize Gore, just as I regularly criticize Bush. You can do both at once!

what is wrong with me? that's supposed to be 365 days a year!

The point is not to respond to the charge with facts that offset the claim. The charge that needs to be made is the media reporting (Limbaugh, etc). They simply do not go out and get the whole story. Gore et al need to come back with the following:

The inept incompetent and incomplete reporting is shameful. The gutless tactic accusing instead of investigating shows the contempt members of the media have for the American people. The American people view sources like Limbaugh Drudge Fox not as credible news sources -- but as liars. With good reason. When the media makes up a headline without investigating -- the public sees this wind of the media as lying bastards ... and they are right.

So you are saying that someone that has one 10,000 sq foot house which uses more electicity in one month than most in one year, flies a jet that in his trip to the Oscars put out more carbon than an Escalade does in a year isn't a hypocrite? Give me a break. I am not saying global warming isn't an issue, I am saying that someone who tell everyone else about the issue, should consume more than a 100 times the average resources themselves.

Purchasing carbon offsets sounds suspiciosly like the practice of indulgences for the Catholic Church in Medieval times. The idea that money alone could somehow absolve ones actions, be it sins or CO2 emissions is just as absurd today as it was several hundred years ago.

Dear Rob,

So Drudge Report is just a "wildly popular online news outlet" ? !

That's like saying Pig Boy Limbaugh is an objective, non-partisan voice of moderation.

Get a clue my friend. Your whole post looks really stupid when you start of with a whopper like that!

Wow, you're covering an issue that happened three days ago...good to see Rob Anderson and the crack team at the Post are keeping up with those nutty kids and their crazy Internet these days. Do you guys operate in some sort of Bizzaro world slow motion time warp? You just heard about this? It's breaking news? I