asking Al Gore to run in 2008!
Gore comes to town.
Posted March 28th, 2007 by reelectademocrat
March 21st. 2007
Like so many American's that care about the environment (let alone our possible survival) the day I heard that Al was coming to the Hill to talk to our elected leadership I felt joy down to the bone. Here we go I said to myself and anyone else that happened to be around me for the next couple of weeks.
So the day comes-- it is the first day of spring and the it looks like the first day of winter. It cold, wet and yet alive with the air of change. While walking up to the Capitol I stopped to take a look at a press event for Formula 1 race car that ran on ethanol. I smiled and thought someone had their thinking cap on to make this event happen today.
Leaving the event I headed over to the Senate's Environment & Public Works hearing room for Al's testimony I have to say, since I live and consult in politics in Washington these hearing are not normally too big of deal. However it was plain from the line going down the hall that today was going to be different.
As I headed into the room I could hear the folks in the hall excitedly talking about being there that day. From the looks of them many could not even vote for in the last election, let alone 2000. Yet there they were with their parents, friends and many alone just wanting to be there. To me making a statement as to which way American is going to grow as this next generation finds their stride.
Within the room, which is one of the larger Senate room's, the place was packed. There was a energy in the room too. Seeing how Al had been a member of this body and the former Vice President I was interested to see how the Senators were going to treat this returning son. As we all have heard the reports that the press has filed about this day I would like to give yet another one.
First I have to say Al Gore looked great, and the command that he showed in the room at all time, even when a certain Senator seemed to be off his Ritalin, was impressive. I don't know what Sen. Inhofe was thinking, but watching the Charwomen Boxer trying to muster all the motherly love she could to control this out of context rambling was worth the trip down.
Let me just take a moment to talk about the good Senator from Ok. He clearly had an agenda! I mean If I was the people of that State-- I would demand your money or vote back.. As other Senators questioned Gore about the impact of his finding and what they meant to each State and other such important considerations.
The Okey Senator launched into what could only be described as Comedy Central skit about some crazy pledge. Which if you think about it how could Gore be using green without spending it. The skit when on complete with large color displays and full color handout one of which was a screen shot from AIT. His staffers were already handing out a press release saying that Al Gore refused to take the pledge as even as the words left Al mouth. How much money and time was wasted for this I don't know, but a year from now few will even remember it.
Yet there was Al, sitting on the edge of his seat all the way to the end of what had to be quite a day for him trying to reach out to the man that was attacking him to the point of being gaveled by the chairman over and over again.. Al did not ask him to go to lunch, Al said he knew they had a mutual friend and that he would like to meet the three of them to talk. Away for the press, away for the BS.
It was one of the most sincere requests I have heard in a long time and it made me really, really hearten to hear it come from someone I support. Kind of like a parent the first time their child thanks someone unprompted you are just so proud and I want everyone that was not there to feel that exact same way about Al Gore
Proud to support him.
Nels
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a workplace experience
I was as impressed as everyone else at Al Gore's testimony. Very impressed.
Then a couple days ago at work I hear one of my coworkers talking on the phone. He's saying "did you hear he was testifying and refused to take this pledge and just went on talking about some other tangent. His personal electricity use is 20X the average", and so on.
This is someone I like and has even recently done a favor for me. But is he ever stuck in the right wing spin cycle. I ask him " Are you talking about our President?". He says "no, I'm taking about Al Gore" and I say, "yeah, our REAL President".
I guess that's why we don't talk about politics at work : (
But if you're listening to what my buddy at work is listening to, you would think Imhofe was courageous and Al Gore made a fool of himself. I just don't know what to do, probably nothing in this case.
Buzz Building
I noted that several days before Al was scheduled to testify on the Hill he would be speaking at a little-publicized conference set up by the Environmental Law Assoc. at GWU's law school. As I am in a job classification that would allow me to register for the conference, I sent in my check and was looking forward to seeing the full "Inconvenient Truth" presentation and hearing Al speak. But... I'm sure you can anticipate what happened! The Buzz on the campus was so loud ... so many people wanted to hear Al Gore speak that there wasn't a room large enough to accommodate everyone. I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear Al Gore's presentation.
A couple days later (the day before Al was to testify on the Hill), I headed from my office to a meeting a few blocks away. I stood on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue waiting at the crosswalk for the light to change, and a blast of sirens went off as police Buzzed by on their motorcycles -- stopping all traffic and pedestrians -- so a host of limos and SUVs could head up the Avenue towards the Hill. The sirens and motorcades are an every day occurance in this part of town, but as the cycles and cars buzzed past, I caught a glimpse of Vice President Al Gore. I hope he loved the feeling of riding up Pennsylvania Avenue from the direction of the White House to the Capitol --- and I hope he's looking forward to spending a lot more time in Washington, D.C. (from 2008 - 2015).
So there I was, in my suit and horned-rim glasses, the nerdy wonkish understated type -- and I found myself waving to Gore (by this time, a block away) -- big smile on my face --as he Buzzed past. (I probably had the same proud parent grin that Steven Spielberg had on his face when he gazed at Al the night of the Oscars -- the same gaze Nelson had on his face when he watched Gore testify on the Hill.) The woman next to me, also waiting to cross the street, looked at me with a little surprise. Losing my ingrained-Washington- staid demeanor for a moment, I addressed the stranger on the street with "That was Al Gore! He's Going To Be Our Next President!"
She said, "He's not even running."
I replied, "He's too busy doing great things at the moment. But he has people all over the world urging him to run."
Then, we parted company.
The next day, I watched Al testify (on my new Hi-def TV). Like Nelson, I watched Al take charge of the discussion. Al was charming, tactful, in control of the facts, never lost his cool in response to all the bullying, and demanded the respect he deserves. He looked wonderful and Tipper looked lovely. It was actually heartening to see Inhofe and a few others try to prevent Al from speaking and try to contradict Al's facts. This shows how afraid some Republicans are of Al's prestige and power. They feel the Buzz too! Al never broke his stride. And the buzz -- the word -- the impression -- what I hear my neighbors, friends and family saying....
Al was just PRESIDENTIAL.
regards,
sunonwater
P.S. The checked shirt went very nice with the jacket, Al -- this look is much better than the black on black shirt and jacket you've been sporting!
P.P.S. Hi Nelson -- want to go out and get names on petitions with me one day?
Ya Know
SOW,
OMG, your post is so funny and soooooooooooooooooo DC and I am right with you. After too many years in the process to post here finding myself just wanting to be around a leader like Gore is refreshing. Of course I would be interested in getting some names. I will bring this up on Tuesday at the meet up. Please come if possible.
H2S
Nelson
_______________________________________________
Nelson Jacobsen
Washington DC