Listen to this Speech.

[Jesse_Ewiak]

http://www.cspan.org/homepage.asp

Go to Video/Audio. Recent Speeches. Al Gore speech two or three links down.

Yes, it's an hour long. Yes, it's by Al 'Invented the Internet' Gore. Yes, I'm sure some one this board will dismiss it out of hand.

But, this isn't a DNC meeting. It's a meeting of The American Constitution Society and The Liberty Coalition. He was intro'd by Bob Barr, a guy who pushed for Clinton's Impeachment.

I'm not saying those on the board that support Bush are suddendly going to be asking for Bush's impeachment, but listen to the speech. It's not a soundbite - but we all hate soundbites, right?

[Raiders Army]

Yes, it's an hour long. Yes, it's by Al 'Invented the Internet' Gore. Yes, I'm sure some one this board will dismiss it out of hand.
I doubt many people will listen to Al Bore for an hour. He is possibly one of the most boring public speakers I have ever heard.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I doubt many people will listen to Al Bore for an hour.

Tipper couldn't listen to Owl for an hour.

[stevew]

At least I know which topic I'll click on when i have periodic bouts of insomnia. Unless, of course, its the bearded goat Al, which likes to yell a ton. Fuck Al Gore, he's a silver spoon born bread motherfucker, I appreciate his service to the country in Vietnam, and thats about it.

[Toddzilla]

From http://www.crooksandliars.com:

Al Gore delivered an exceptional and potent speech today attacking George Bush’s lawless NSA eavesdropping and describing why this scandal is truly a profound crisis for our country. The speech was reasoned yet still exceptionally impassioned and principled. It clearly highlighted the serious dangers posed by Bush’s law-breaking without being the slightest bit strident or hysterical.

Gore's speech -- which was introduced by long time conservative Bob Barr and sponsored by the libertarian Liberty Foundation -- really can be a galvanizing event for both Democrats and as well as other Bush opponents on the NSA scandal.
[...]
At present, we still have much to learn about the NSA's domestic surveillance. What we do know about this pervasive wiretapping virtually compels the conclusion that the President of the United States has been breaking the law repeatedly and persistently.
Can it be true that any president really has such powers under our Constitution? If the answer is "yes" then under the theory by which these acts are committed, are there any acts that can on their face be prohibited? If the President has the inherent authority to eavesdrop, imprison citizens on his own declaration, kidnap and torture, then what can't he do?
That George Bush broke the law is crystal clear and easy to explain. Gore just did so with perfect clarity. That Bush has vowed to continue breaking the law based on his belief that the Constitution gives him the power of law-breaking is something which most Americans will instinctively and viscerally reject – provided that this is explained to them clearly and unapologetically.
There was a previous President who claimed the right to break the law and the last image everyone remembers of him was waiving good-bye as he flew away from the White House in disgrace. These are not esoteric or abstract issues. There is no reason for Democrats to be afraid of standing up to George Bush on this issue. Bush got caught breaking the law and our country can’t tolerate that. It is that simple, and that was what Gore just expressed so powerfully.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

I didn't know the DNC had changed their web address, but this new one is perfect ;)

[jeff061]

Fuck Al Gore, he's a silver spoon born bread motherfucker.
Isn't that a prerequistite for running for President? Not a Gore fan, but Bush and Kerry make him look palatable.

[Toddzilla]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

I didn't know the DNC had changed their web address, but this new one is perfect ;)

It's funny you say that, since the guy who runs this site as well as the contributors yell and scream that the DNC site should be more like this one.

[Young Drachma]

I'm not a liberal, but..the speech was good. And considering the organization that sponsored it, it's not partisan. But a speech that you'd never seen from a guy like him before.

[Ryan S]

but we all hate soundbites, right?
That does not mean we enjoy hour long political speeches.....

[Glengoyne]

At present, we still have much to learn about the NSA's domestic surveillance. Hey I agree wholeheartedly with Al Gore. It has been since early in his 2000 campaign since that has happened.

Too bad he followed it up with

What we do know about this pervasive wiretapping virtually compels the conclusion that the President of the United States has been breaking the law repeatedly and persistently.
In other words...
We don't know all of the facts, but that won't stop us from drawing a conclusion.

[Warhammer]

My whole thing with the NSA stuff though, is that we have already set a precedent with this stuff going back to Reagan. The argument that Bush is using as the pretense for this was used by Clinton.

Do I agree with it? Actually, I do. However, he's screwed either way. If another bomb goes off, he gets blamed for not doing everything he could do. If one doesn't go off, he's infringing on the liberties of foreign nationals.

[st.cronin]

If another bomb goes off, he gets blamed for not doing everything he could do. If one doesn't go off, he's infringing on the liberties of foreign nationals.

Well, I think most people are arguing that he's infringing on the liberties of Americans, not foreign nationals. But you do make a good point. Until there is an actual example of somebody's rights being affected by this, it's a balance of theoretical (but valuable) rights, versus actual criminal violence whose victims are American citizens. I think the theoretical loses that fight.

It's possible to make a case against the NSA wiretapping, but to do so I think you have to demonstrate how the wiretapping could affect an American's liberties, privacy, or something similiar. I don't think that argument has been made.