Headline News' Stouffer called "free market" group that attacked Gore an "environmental group"
On the February 27 edition of CNN Headline News' Robin & Company, anchor Lisa Stouffer reported on the criticism being leveled at former Vice President Al Gore by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR), for what TCPR claims is Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" -- that, in 2006, his home used more than 20 times the electricity of the average household. Stouffer baselessly asserted that TCPR is "[a]n environmental group," despite the fact that, on its website, the center does not call itself an environmental group, but rather states that it provides "timely free market policy solutions" and "promotes personal freedom and limited government." Additionally, while Stouffer noted that a Gore spokeswoman said that "the Gores are renovating their house now to install solar panels," the weblog Think Progress also reported that Gore's office has said that the Gores have "sign[ed] up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch" and have "had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint."
In contrast with Stouffer's characterization of TCPR as an "environmental group," TCPR states in its frequently asked questions section on its website that it "focuses its research on economic policy" and has a "framework of individual liberty, property rights, free markets and limited government." TCPR also lists four "Policy Areas": education, healthcare, tax and budget, and "[o]ther," which it defines as "research that reflects the Founding Fathers' vision of a free society grounded in property rights and individual liberty based in personal responsibility."
Still, onscreen graphics during Stouffer's report called TCPR an "environmental group":
By contrast, ABC News senior national correspondent Jake Tapper identified TCPR as "an obscure conservative think tank." On February 21, the Nashville City Paper called TCPR "the Nashville-based free market think tank." The town of Farragut, Tennessee, which received an award from TCPR, referred to TCPR as "Tennessee's free market public policy think tank."
From the February 27 edition of CNN Headline News' Robin & Company:
STOUFFER: Welcome back, everybody. An environmental group is calling former vice president Al Gore a hypocrite. The Tennessee Center for Policy Research says Gore's Nashville-area mansion uses more than 20 times the national average in kilowatt-hours. A Gore spokeswoman told CNN the Gores are renovating their house to install solar panels so they can use less power. Gore's film on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, won the best documentary Oscar, Sunday night.
[...]
STOUFFER: Former Vice President Al Gore is accused of not practicing what he preaches. Next, why some say his message about global warming apparently doesn't apply to him.
[...]
STOUFFER: An environmental group is calling former Vice President Al Gore a hypocrite. The Tennessee Center for Policy Research says that the energy used in Gore's Nashville-area mansion is more than 20 times the national average in kilowatt-hours. Well, a Gore spokeswoman told CNN the Gores are renovating their house now to install solar panels so they can use less power. Gore's film on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, won the best documentary Oscar, Sunday night.
Why would the environmental champion of the world and global warming "expert" live in, for more than two minutes, or much less build, a huge, sprawling energy inefficient residence in the first place? And now he is installing solar panels and signed up for this and that.......
Hands caught in the cookie jar, Al?
I'd still vote for him again.
Hands caught in the cookie jar, Al? ...by Tommy
Hey Tommy maybe we should refer to this as Al's An Inconvenient Truth Part 2
;-)
Very funny........good one. But I think Al's been in a lot of cookie jars, literally.........oops, my bad.
how about the point here, or do you just want to continue your endless babbling? didn't fox promote a falsehood here?
What falsehood? Are any of the TPRC's stats inaccurate?
you have to start doing some reading. the falsehood is that fox called them an environmental group.
How are Gore's living quarters energy inefficient? He gets the majority of his energy from green energy companies, and offsets the rest with carbon-neutralization purchases.
Where's that hypocrisy again?
An environmental group?! I heard the guy on the Ed Schulz show today and he was clearly full of it. This tired mock outrage at hypocricy is so well, hypocritical. They'll talk about anything but the issue. This free marketeer said that the minimum wage only affected 17 year old kids, which had nothing to do with Gore but showed how out of touch he was. "He should walk the walk if he's going to tell us what appliances to buy, blah blah blah." Who cares if Gore is a hypocrite? It makes no difference if he is as green as the grass, practices what he preaches or doesn't. His suggestions are still valid and prudent. His documentary is still rooted in science and the information is no less valid. A Republik moaning about hypocricy in others! What a joke.
And who's the mo-ron at CNN that called the free marketeer money worshippers environmentalist? Fire them immediately.
Bing,
Would you give the same "hypocritical" pass to rightwingers who say they are opposed to abortion, yet are not in favor of funding every leftwing social proposal that comes down the pike because it may cut off welfare checks for families? Because I have heard that alot around here?
they are separate issues. So in this case probably not. Does that make me a hypocrite? Who cares? I made my reasons very clear for my apathy at the hypocrite charge. I don't believe I'd call the cpns you describe as being hypocritical nec. I'd say they were being callous jerks.
Selective hypocrisy. Cool, at least you're honest.
OK, Bing...
Gore's movie is ROOTED in science. The exaggerations don't matter, as long as it has scientismic roots.
Well, you have to admit...if nothing else, the Flying Monkey liars are very efficient.
Okay, here's a proposition. If the Troglodytes insist that this makes Gore a hypocrite, will they admit that Republican politicians who preach "protecting the sanctity of marriage" when they're on their 3rd divorce are hypocrites, as well?
<> Any takers?Nerzog, I would absolutely say that those who believe that extending equality to gays will undermine marriage are undoubtedly being hypocrits if they fail to recognize the real threats against marriage are heterosexuals - and are on their 3rd divorce.
Then I salute your consistency.
- the Gores have "sign[ed] up for 100 percent green power - mmfa
Just another hack politician buying his way out of a jamb and avoiding the hard personal choices.
Owning a huge estate...that gobbles energy like the little japanese guy devouring hotdogs at the world championship...and claiming to be a champion of conservation is a real steaming pile of horseturds.
Al Gore preaching about saving the planet is no different than Jimmy Swaggert preaching to his congregation about leading the virtuous life...while cavorting with two dollar whores.
He can buy all the green stamps he wants...he's still a fraud.
he can buy all the green stamps [offsets] he wants. he can install all the solar panels he wants, my mind is made up.
I smell a Gore/solar panel conspiracy. Can't you see it? Dirty $#@&*$#* money-grubbing solar panel Capitalists. They're comin' in through the back door, and they'll have us by the throat before you know it. Watch out for BIG SOLAR!!! Check under your beds before you go to sleep!
"Just another hack politician buying his way out of a jamb and avoiding the hard personal choices."
I wonder what would happen if everyone became a 'hack' and 'bought their way of a jamb' by paying more for every kilowatt, like Al does, so that all of the money goes toward renewable resources? I know one thing, the coal industry wouldn't like it.
I would be impressed with Gore if he took his own advice and significantly reduced his copious energy consumption...spending disposable income on green stamps to offset his huge energy appetite is not impressive.
All the talk about his "plans" to install solar panels, etc...is just that...talk. I'll be impressed when Gore reduces the hellacious consumption of 220,000 KWH in his personal life.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/02/28/olbermann-on-gores-energy-use-setting-the-record-straight/
I like the part about Dick Cheney's electric bill (i.e. your tax dollars).
Does he run an office out of his home? The average office consumes 100 times more power per square foot then you average home. Keith Olbermann was say that the TCPR did not actually release his KWH numbers only back calculated base on the lowest available rate for power in his area. So they could make is power usages look larger.
He and his wife both run offices out of their home. They also have a security detail. He is, after all, a former VP.
let's not forget that gore and his wife work out of their home along with their staff. add in a security detail and the age of the home and construction techniques used at that time. gore at least is taking action unlike, i am sure, the vast majority of turd lobbers covering this story.
bottom line is the right wing cannot refute the laws of science so they use lies and misinformation.
ps. i wasn't aware that utility bills were public records or did someone violate the privacy laws/rights of a us citizen?
I can't speak for all cities and counties, but where I live, utility usage is public record.
Every year, a weekly newspaper has an annual "Hydro Hogs" list of the city's biggest residential water users.
Hypocrite? Has ANYONE (left or right) posting here ever even listened to Al Gore speak or read his writings? Al Gore has been a major proponent of carbon credits to offset CO2 emissions since the concept first arose. How is it hypocritical that he's chosen to use the technique he regularly promotes to offset the emissions from his family's energy use?
This is just proof that Gore is a political moderate, choosing market forces to offset CO2 emissions.
P.S. Has anyone bothered to look at the average energy use for a 100 year old, 10,000 square foot estate in Tenessee? I'll bet you that Gore's is far more efficient than most, and this is before he installs solar...
TCPR claimed to have obtained the Gore family's home electric consumption from Nashville Electric. The spokeswoman for Nashville Electric flatly stated that they received no such request and did NOT provide any information to TCPR. That would make TCPR, what's the word.....LIARS?
Oh, no kidding. Rightwing think tanks that lie. Who woulda thunk it?