The Speech of our Lifetimes

If you have not seen Al Gore's Speech given at Constitution Hall on January 6th, please check it out. In my two decades of life on this planet, I have never seen a more passionate and enlightening speech in person, or on tape. The first reaction from everyone who I have shown this to is chills, and then "Is this guy running again?"

He touched on a litany of Bush administration wrongdoings, and general failures of democracy existent in all three branches of government:
wire tapping, war in Iraq, no wmd, foreknowledge of 911, fitzgerald, abramoff, congress asleep at the wheel, whistleblowers, rule of war regarding wiretaps and creation of FISA,constitutional background and intention of framers, intention of the current administration re executive powers, alito and broadening exec power, torture, the geneva convention, acknowledged the use of terror to control citizens, no connection between osama and saddam, campaign reform, decay of checks and balances, presidential signing statements, medicare prescription drug fuck up, he even suggested television not the best source of current events...

Gore skillfully wove together what the left blogosphere has been crazed about since Bush took office, he clearly explained the culture of political and social corruption which we live under every day.

The speech was supposed to be introduced by some words by Bob Barr(R-GA), giving the talks a bi-partisan air. Unfortunately, the remote satellite feed was not working and Bob could not talk, but this emphasizes the idea that this is not a partisan political fight. In fact, many true conservatives see the dangers that lie ahead for the good of the entire country. Much of the elite class can now see that they are aboard the sinking ship that is our country.

Gore did miss a few important facts. The uber important issue of election fraud was seemingly ignored, although he danced around the subject. The next day he did mention the overturn of Florida's votes by the Supreme Court, but that was more in context of Bush stacking the SCOTUS in his favor, which is equally important as election fraud. The Crisis papers came out with an article describing the The Gulliberal Problem. Does Al Gore accept that the 00', 02', and 04' elections have been stolen, and that future elections will follow the same path unless directly and forcefully confronted by the people and those in power?

He talked of campaign reform, representatives spending their time making 30 second ads instead of debating issues vital to our democracy or taking part in oversight committees. The legislature that exists now is foreign to the body that existed pre-Reagan. The senate and congress are almost considered inferior to the executive branch, according to Bush's legal team, the executive branch is more powerful than the other two. These are the powers of a dictator, a king, but not a president.

The oratory skills of Al Gore appear to have improved ten fold. Anyone who sees this speech will be in awe of the dichotomy between Gore and Bush. The Supreme court really screwed us over, giving us a shrub who thinks he is king, yet speaks like a common houseplant. Gore is our rightful president, he speaks for me and my ideals.

His speech was unique because it was not an attempt to win over the populace in a bid for office. There was no self-absorpment or promises, neither was there confusion or spin. It was an attempt to clearly inform the citizenry that our precious system of democracy, which generations before us fought for tooth and nail, is precariously perched and teetering on the edge of the deep crevice of tyranny and fascism. Now is the last chance to keep our way of life alive, and so he ended with hope.

He ended with a five step plan which must be implemented immediately. First, Republican as well as Democratic members of Congress should support the bipartisan call of the Liberty Coalition for the appointment of a special counsel to pursue the criminal issues raised by warrantless wiretapping of Americans by the President.

Second, new whistleblower protections should immediately be established for members of the Executive Branch who report evidence of wrongdoing -- especially where it involves the abuse of Executive Branch authority in the sensitive areas of national security.

Third, both Houses of Congress should hold comprehensive-and not just superficial-hearings into these serious allegations of criminal behavior on the part of the President. And, they should follow the evidence wherever it leads.

Fourth, the extensive new powers requested by the Executive Branch in its proposal to extend and enlarge the Patriot Act should, under no circumstances be granted, unless and until there are adequate and enforceable safeguards to protect the Constitution and the rights of the American people against the kinds of abuses that have so recently been revealed.

Fifth, any telecommunications company that has provided the government with access to private information concerning the communications of Americans without a proper warrant should immediately cease and desist their complicity in this apparently illegal invasion of the privacy of American citizens.

The speech ended: "I mentioned that along with cause for concern, there is reason for hope. As I stand here today, I am filled with optimism that America is on the eve of a golden age in which the vitality of our democracy will be re-established and will flourish more vibrantly than ever. Indeed I can feel it in this hall.

As Dr. King once said, 'Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us.'"