Kerry says Gore "elected" just not "inaugurated"

[NewYorkerfromMass]

Damn. Just got this email this AM as I am on the John Kerry email list. It's an organizational letter for "An Inconvenient Truth" House Parties This Saturday, but right off the bat the letter starts:

Dear ___

I admire Al Gore for his outspoken activism in the fight against global warming.

In the last year, his "An Inconvenient Truth" has brought the science of global climate change to millions of Americans in a dramatic and persuasive way. Al was an early leader and a visionary on climate change -- and if he had not just been elected but been inaugurated as president, America today would be the world's leading advocate, not the world's leading opponent, of preventing climate change...

How do you like them apples Governor Bush?
I guess John Kerry has also noted this date in history- Al Gore's concession to the fraudulent.

Edited to cite original quote from Kerry's June 2006 Faneuil Hall Speech:

...In the last month Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" has brought the science to millions of Americans in a dramatic and persuasive way. Al was an early leader and a visionary on climate change -- and if he had not just been elected but been inaugurated as President, America today would be the world's leading advocate, not the world's leading opponent of climate change...

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/speeches/speech.html?id=9

[Counciltucky]

1. Damn...

Now I wish I hadn't deleted that e-mail when I got it.

[StoryTeller]

4. Counciltucky, huh?

As soon as I saw your user name, I was SURE you had to be from Council Bluffs. :) I live in Omaha. That nickname cracks me up.

:hi:

[MH1]

2. Kerry has said that before.

Sorry I can't provide a link, but I am very certain of it.

[TayTay]

5. It was at the einvironmental speech in June at Faneuil Hall

I remember it because it got a big reaction from the crowd. Great point!

The speech is available at the johnkerry.com site.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. Yes. This line came right from that speech

O.K. Still good to hear it!

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/speeches/speech.html?id=9

[tridim]

3. I can only think of one bad thing had Gore been inaugurated..

Holy Joe would be the top contender for the 08 Presidential race. I guess that's too hypothetical to even ponder.

[The Count]

7. Soon he'll reveal this about himself - just give him 4 years or so...

It's a good thing he didn't cry in no teacups....

[blm]

8. Internet myths are not a good source for joke material.

The teacups story did NOT happen the way the internet gossip spread.

But, I am guessing that most people don't care about truth and accuracy when they can take a shot at the best government corruption investigator this nation has had over the last 35 years. Cool how the coverup crowd (D's and R's) keep attacking him for the most absurd inanities and getting their presswhores to breathlessly report their spin against him, isn't it?

Who WILL tell the people the truth?

[The Count]

10. I'd be very happy if Kerry told people the truth about the 2004 election!

Seems more his area of expertise than the 2000 election, besides, that one is common knowledge by now.

[blm]

11. the vote theft, yes - it was the teacups crying that was myth.

As usual, the remark was spun.

[The Count]

17. Anyway, until the theft is brought to light, he and edwards should STFU.

(on running, that is)

[CTyankee]

25. What's the teacups story? Care to share? n/t

[beachmom]

9. Gotta love the tag team Dems!

According to all the gossip they're all jockeying for position and the netroots are all fighting. Meanwhile, looks like there's just mutual admiration going around.

[blm]

12. I'm surprised the media hasn't picked up these remarks any time they've been made

in the past. Kerry has made remarks about Gore just like this for almost a year. It will only get referred to by media when they can find a way to spin it againt either one of them first.

[Olney Blue]

13. Kerry is right about Gore- glad he said it.

[IndianaGreen]

14. So why didn't he support the Black Caucus challenge of Florida Electors?

Not one Democratic Senator endorsed the challenge of the 2000 Florida Electors by the Black Caucus when the ballots were counted in Congress.

So many missed opportunities to stop Bush and the war!

[zulchzulu]

15. Gore told the Senators to not support the Black Caucus...

Even Wellstone didn't stand up.

[wiley]

18. A tragic error on Gore's part

and a blemish of shame on each and every Senator who did not stand up, including Wellstone. The bitter irony of those who pleaded with Gore to just relinquish his claim to the Presidency to not avert attention from National Security. Turd eating chickenhawk Republican butt lickers stole the office and built upon the fears and stupidity of Joe American. The Horror! The Horror!

[Firespirit]

23. What's more,

when the challenge to Ohio's electors was being planned, Kerry sent out an e-mail supportive of election reform. He was not in the country at the time -- he was in Iraq, I believe -- but he addressed the issue rather than telling Barbara Boxer to STFU about it.

[AtomicKitten]

24. that was reasonable under the circumstances

Gore had to decide between accepting the judicial coup d'etat issued by the highest court in the land or advocating anarchy. He was being a good citizen in asking for the former, and it was heartbreaking. Many can criticize that in a cavalier manner, but he was being a leader and IMO cannot be faulted for doing what he felt was best for America.

[Firespirit]

27. I know you weren't talking to me, but

I don't have a problem with what Gore did. He fought as well as he could, as long as he could. The Senate was divided 50-50 when the electors were certified, and Gore would have been the deciding vote if every Democrat had voted in favor of a challenge. I think that the House of Representatives also would have had to accept the challenge, and assuming that Hell froze over and an R-controlled House did that, Gore would likely have had to appoint himself president.

I think that the point of the post was to defend the Senators who didn't challenge, though, rather than to attack Gore.

[Bridget Burke]

34. I agree that Gore did the right thing....

But none of us realized, back then, just how bad things would get.

[karynnj]

16. Also the fact that Gore WON FL was established

by a newspaper consortium that recounted the the votes. The results were put out in September 2001 - and were essentially lost in the noise of 911.

I remember my youngest getting excited when she heard it on the radio - she thought they would seat Gore as President. There actually is no provision in the constitution to do that.

So, in Jan 2001, Gore and the Senators knew it was likely but it was not certain and you can't appeal the supreme court.

[Spearman87]

22. Anyone happen to have a good link on the recount

favoring Gore? I have an uncle who took great pleasure in sending me links that said the opposite--that the Miami Herald and another paper had done a recount using the recount rules as requested by Gore and Gore lost. How did it work anyway? Did it depend on whether the recount was statewide or just a few selected counties?

[karynnj]

28. What I said and what your uncle said are both true

Gore only asked for the 3 counties - Broward was one but I've forgotten the others - they are all in the south-eastern (heavilly Jewish, elderly) part of the state. If just this were done, Gore would have lost. If the ENTIRE state were done and you looked at over votes (some people checked Gore and wrote in GORE) and followed the guidelines on chads etc, Gore won. The report was put out in the week of September 11th - I think many papers covered it. (I read it in the NYT)

- Note this just looked at votes legally cast and did not depend on estimates of the voter suppression that did occur - which is likely why Kerry, Carter etc are comfortable saying Gore won. I think Gore himself prefers to let others say it rather than claim it himself.

[Spearman87]

36. Thanks * (NM)

dfdfd

[Joe Chi Minh]

19. Well, they can't accuse him of tin-hat stuff, because the Supremes

acted as "The Decider", without reference to the election result, before assigning the role to George.

It's good to know there's an unbroken succession of Deciders - a dynasty - going all the way the back to 2000.

[Laelth]

20. Hmm ...

If I remember correctly, John Kerry was a Senator in 2000, yet when the Congressional Black Caucus from the House challenged the Florida vote, not a single Senator would sign on ... neither Gore nor Kerry. I'm not very fond of the fact that John Kerry is now saying that Gore was elected when, in fact, Kerry could have done something about the fact that Bush, instead, was inaugurated.

I still have tremendous respect for John Kerry. He's done a lot more than I have to make the world a better place. Nevertheless, I remain bitter about 2000, and I think it's unwise for Kerry, rhetorically, to remind us that he could have done something to prevent Bush from becoming President.

-Laelth

[NewYorkerfromMass]

21. Hmm...

Gore asked his fellow Senators to accept the USSC verdict and not contest.

[Laelth]

30. asked, sure. forced? compelled? no.

n/t

-Laelth

[karynnj]

26. In Jan 2000, the issue was that no recount had been done for the whole state

In fact, Gore asked only for 3 counties. The case that Gore won Florida rests on the recount done by the consortium of newspapers - that was done by September, 2001 - but not by January, 2001.

In January 2001, we knew that there were discrepancies. We knew there ws voter suppression (harrassing Haitians and the felon list are 2 examples from memory). We knew that the ballot and voting process in the Democratic stronghold of Palm Beach and surrounding areas was a disaster. But, the Supreme Court knew all this - likely in more detail than we did. You can't appeal the Supreme Court.

After weeks of challanges - there wasn't the need to make a stand just to let people know there was a problem that led to voter disenfanchaisment - it was known. In 2004, it wasn't and that - not any idea that a challange could succeed was the reason for the challange.

Imagine what would have happened in 2000. Even if the electors were challanged, the right to select them is given to the state legislators - who were Republican dominated in Fl.

[Laelth]

29. It's true that a decision of the Supreme Court can't be appealed.

But the Senate does not have to accept Florida's slate of electors. The Senate could have chosen to reject those electors. Gore chose to accept them and, presumably, he talked all the other Democratic Senators into accepting them also, but he didn't force them to accept those electors. They chose to do it.

If I were John Kerry, I wouldn't remind people of this colossal blunder.

-Laelth

[karynnj]

32. It was NOT a blunder for any Senator

My point was that Gore conceded because there was no avenue to continue fighting. Nothing would have been accomplished had a Senator joined the Black caucus in objecting. It would have been like 2004. There would have been some speeches and the vote likely would have gone to Bush. If you are going to question any Senator - what about Lieberman? This action would have been doomed - so it would only be to make a point. Why would you ask Kerry to commit political suicide for a doomed goal?

It would have gone to Bush because at least some Democratic Senators would have accepted the argument that at best the Fl election was too close to call. The SC prevented any further re-count. The Republicans were arguing that the Constitution assigns the responsiblity to the state legislators to confirm the electors.

I assume that the Democratic Senators KNEW that the vote to not confirm would lose and in the spirit of Gore's very gracious consession speech didn't want to split the country - no one could have forseen what Bush did.

[Laelth]

33. I was living in Texas for the entirety of Bush's governorship.

Some of us foresaw glimpses of what would happen. I do not claim to appreciate the actual magnitude.

-Laelth

[karynnj]

35. My sympathies

you have had to endure him longer than us.

[JNelson6563]

31. Now if certain DUers could admit same

I marvel that whenever there's a thread about Gore one or two DUers always hop on to propagate the reich-wing lie that Gore lost.

It's truly sickening.

Julie

[Vidar]

37. Good to hear him say it.