Mostly on the wiretapping of American citizens without warrant from FISA.
Al Gore
David Remnick quotes a Al Gore campaign aide: “One thing about Gore personally is that he is an introvert. Politics was a horrible career choice for him. He should have been a college professor or a scientist or an engineer. He would have been happier. He finds dealing with other people draining. And so he has trouble keeping up his relations with people. The classical difference between an introvert and an extrovert is that if you send an introvert into a reception or an event with a hundred other people he will emerge with less energy than he had going in; an extrovert will come out of that event energized, with more energy than he had going in. Gore needs a rest after an event; Clinton would leave invigorated, because dealing with people came naturally to him.”
Among other great quotes in this essay by Photodude is this one:
It’s the first thought I have when I hear someone who is still decrying how Bush “stole” Florida to win the election, as the Democrats had the power to make Florida totally irrelevant. Gore lost his home state. Gore lost his boss’ home state. Gore lost every state in the South, when winning just one would have made him the undisputed President.
Gore lost. Period.
It's a really great post. He discusses much of interest in it: the American South as a political landscape, the future of the Democratic Party, primary politics, and Dean's comment about white guys in pickup trucks with Confederate flags. In the comments, Bruce thinks it's 1984 all over again and Tim is worried that Sept. 11 and the "war on terror" will be "focus-grouped" to death by the Democrats.
Ann Coulter: “[Al] Gore advisers cooed that 'Gray [Davis] would certainly be one of those names that would have to be in the mix.' Both were said to be 'cautious, moderate 'New Democrats.'' Both were veterans, after a fashion, of Vietnam, which would make a Gore-Davis presidential ticket the only compelling argument yet in favor of friendly fire.”
That crosses the line. Even for Coulter.
Gore kills on SNL by Virginia Heffernan
When I turned on SNL last night, I was all "Holy shit, AL GORE IS HOSTING!" Since I don't get those channels, I missed him doing his one-liners on Letterman and whatnot, but for the first half of SNL, yeah, he killed. Him sitting in a hot-tub and wrap around arms drinking wine while 'courting' a Vice-Presidential candidate was hilarious. But the above-linked article is on-point about the Trent Lott bit. I was laughing my ass off when I saw his impression of Lott. Not so much for the routine (which was funny), but for the pure cajones it took to do it.
Gore also made a mock Hardball appearance in which he, throwing caution to the wind, impersonated Trent Lott, well-wigged and with hints of a pinched, Deep South accent. "Chris," he said to Hammond's Chris Matthews. "When I said our country wouldn't have all these problems if Strom Thurmond had been elected president, it had nothing to do with segregation. I simply meant that things would've been better because he would've kept white people and black people separate."
And this line too (from this newsgroup post):
Gore (as Lott): "Chris, Chris! It has come to my attention that some of comments about Strom Thurmond a minute ago may have been construed as racially insensitive. Let me apologize. I meant no respect -- no disrespect to any white people. I myself am a white man and some if not all my friends are white. Let me make this clear, as as I'm in office, we will leave no white person behind."
I read that McCain killed when he was on too, but I missed it. Damn. read more →
Why invade Iraq? Wise Rummy explains by Maureen Dowd
A satirical jab at the plans to invade Iraq. I'm surprised the Post printed this. Oh well.
"'Why is President Gore running against me again?'"
"President Gore" is a nice touch.
