> This GoreCast is a free service of www.AlGoreDemocrats.com > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > Gore blisters Bush on war, 'moral cesspool' at Iraqi prison > ----------------------------------------------------------- > >From KGW.com > (link:http://www.kgw.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D830LES00.html) > > By DAVID AMMONS > Associated Press > > Former Vice President Al Gore stepped up his slashing attack on President > Bush on Friday night, accusing the administration of ruining the economy, > destroying the nation's standing with its allies and waging a war in Iraq > based on lies and deception. > > Continuing the verbal pounding he began in New York last week, the > Democrats' 2000 presidential nominee told the Washington state Democratic > Convention that the Bush White House bears some culpability for the abuse > of Iraqi prisoners. > > "Those policies came out of the White House and no matter the wrongdoing > of individual troops, they were ordered to wade into a moral cesspool and > given ambiguous, conflicting instructions and then praised for doing > things they shouldn't have been doing," Gore said. "I believe the abuse of > those prisoners came directly from the abuse of the truth in the run-up to > the war." > > If the United States re-elects Bush, then American citizens share the > blame, Gore added. > > Gore's 50-minute speech frequently brought the audience to its feet, > whooping and shouting. > > Gore said he initially supported Bush's decision to invade Afghanistan, > but now realizes that the administration was already secretly agitating to > find some way to launch a war in Iraq. > > "They decided to take advantage of 9-11 and exploit the fears and exploit > the anger and redirect it away from the people who attacked us" and attack > Iraq, he said. > > Bush has "looted" the economy and turned projected multitrillion-dollar > surpluses into deep deficits, Gore said. > > "In the last three and a half years, this administration has tragically > and recklessly squandered our legacy, while the special interest people > were advising him behind closed doors," Gore declared. > > The Bush administration's "single objective is to help the wealthy and > powerful," he said, adding that the president likes to act tough but > "whenever he is in the presence of a wealthy contributor, he is a moral > coward." > > Gore, who carried Washington's 11 electoral votes three times as > presidential or vice presidential candidate, was a top draw for Friday > night's banquet honoring Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. > > The $65-a-plate dinner sold out on Monday, with 1,150 tickets sold. Some > donors were paying up to $250 a person, so the event was expected to raise > about $150,000 for the state party. > > Anger over the Bush presidency has energized the Democratic faithful to > unusual heights, state Democratic Chairman Paul Berendt said earlier > Friday as about 1,600 delegates arrived for a two-day convention. > > That could be the catalyst for a Democratic sweep in the fall, he told The > Associated Press. > > "We've seen a surge ever since the caucuses on Feb. 7, with this > tremendous outpouring of people who want to make change in the White > House," he said. "People desperately want to see a new president." > > Even the convention theme is a slap at the president: "Winning Back Our > Future." > > Last week, Gore electrified the party - and became the butt of Republican > barbs - when he told a New York City audience that President Bush has made > the threat of terrorism worse with his "arrogance, willfulness and > bungling." > > He called then for the resignations of top administration officials and an > end to what he called "twisted values and atrocious policies." > > Yier Shi, spokesman for the Republican National Committee, told the AP > Friday that "Al Gore and the Democrats' angry and pessimistic rhetoric > will not resonate with Washington state voters. > > "Gore's 'blame America first' agenda is indicative of what we've heard > from John Kerry's campaign and his surrogates. Al Gore seems to forget > that he was vice president when Osama Bin Laden declared war on the United > State five separate times and when terrorists killed Americans." > > The main convention on Saturday will include speeches from the party's > major candidates and adoption of a liberal-leaning platform. > > With the party's longtime leader, Gov. Gary Locke, retiring after 22 years > in public life, King County Executive Ron Sims and Attorney General > Christine Gregoire are battling for the Democratic nomination in > September. > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > GNN is not affiliated with the offices of the Honorable Al Gore. This > project is a grass roots effort by a volunteer organization that is in no > way affiliated with, funded or endorsed by Al Gore or the Democratic > party. > _______________________________________________ > GNN mailing list > GNN@algoredemocrats.com > http://www.algoredemocrats.com/mailman/listinfo/gnn >
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