In column criticizing Gore's energy use, Krauthammer omitted Gore's purchase of green power
In a column appearing in the March 26 issue of Time magazine, syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer repeated allegations that former Vice President Al Gore's "Tennessee mansion consumes 20 times the electricity used by the average American home," but in explaining Gore's attempts to reduce his effect on global warming, Krauthammer wrote only that he "spends pocket change on carbon credits." In fact, as Media Matters for America noted, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, The Tennessean of Nashville, and CNN financial correspondent Ali Velshi all reported on February 27 that Gore has in recent months attempted to reduce his "carbon footprint" by purchasing blocks of "green power" -- derived from solar power and other renewable energy sources -- at considerable additional expense. According to the weblog Think Progress, a Gore spokesman said "Gore's family ... sign[ed] up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch." Additionally, Olbermann reported that, according to Green Power Switch, "some smaller homes consume energy in the same range of usage as does the one on the Gores' property."
From Krauthammer's column in the March 26 issue of Time:
A very few of the very rich have some awareness of the emptiness -- if not the medieval corruption -- of ransoming one's sins. Sergey Brin, zillionaire founder of Google, buys carbon credits to offset the ghastly amount of carbon dioxide emitted by Google's private Boeing 767 but confesses he's not sure if it really does anything.
Which puts him one step ahead of most other eco-preeners who actually pretend that it does--the Goracle himself, for example. His Tennessee mansion consumes 20 times the electricity used by the average American home. Last August alone it consumed twice as much power as the average home consumes in a year. Gore buys absolution, however. He spends pocket change on carbon credits, which then allow him to pollute conscience-free.
Another Flying Monkey talking point well deployed. This crap is already embedded in the Troglodyte conventional wisdom. I've noticed that callers to Pigboy Limbaugh's show regurgitate it on a regular basis. Mission accomplished.
Krauthammer should have included that in his article, but it still doesn't change the fact that neither Gore nor any of these celebrities preaching about pollution and not driving hummers should be riding around in private jets. That's like 50000000 hummers. Buy a damn first class ticket, snobby jerks.
Do you have any proof that the former Vice President does or does not own a Hummer ? Or do you still like lying?
ok that was poorly worded, sorry. gore and others have been preaching that we, the public, should NOT drive hummers or waste fuel. Yet THEY ride around in private jets in which ONE trip is probably equal to someone driving a hummer ten thousand times.
Do you have proof that Al Gore flies private jets everywhere? Or have you just been watching too much Hannity?
ever see him at the airport? I see Richard Simmons but no Gore
How much time do you spend at the airport looking for Gore? Or for that matter, looking for Richard Simmons?
Pete, the Kernel lives on an aircraft carrier. How do you think officers get to and from their ship without spending a lot of time at airports?I'm sure just going into town for groceries involves all sorts of check-ins and gate changes.
Care to explain what you and Richard Simmons were doing together at the airport/ I hope you weren't "Sweatin' to The Oldies".
careful, you could get slapped for that!
You better bring a ladder, klinger.
I've never seen YOU at the airport, Kernel. Does that mean you fly a private plane?
How's your energy consumption? Must take a lot to keep you in dog food.
Gore drives a Prius.
Doesn't matter what he flies, because he makes it go back to neutral with his "green" ways of purchasing carbon credits, and the other things that he does to remain carbon neutral.
Doesn't really matter what Gore drives, or flies, if you want to be pragmatic about it. The only way we'll ever see any real energy savings is if the public en masse stops wasting it. If Gore completely quit using energy tomorrow for the rest of the year, it wouldn't make a microscopic blip on the graph of the country's energy usage.
So, seems to me we need someone to get us organized to use less energy, and use "greener" less polluting sources of energy. Someone who has the power and infrastructure to organize us. Someone. Hmmmm. Whom might that be? Uh, our government?
Naw, only socialists would want that. Because Gore's a hypocrite, pollution's not so bad, the earth heals itself, global warming's a scam, and besides, it would result in the utter collapse of our industrial community.
Never mind.
Before I jump on the band wagon, I want more time to pass and feel the effects. I do not mean we should not work on cleaning up our pollution, but not at the price of becoming sheep. I CAN NOT EVEN TUNE MY CAR FOR PERFORMANCE IN THIS SMOG NAZI STATE OF CALIFORNIA. IT ISPATHETIC! I had to get a illegal smog this year, just to have a few hours of fun in my car ever week. I hate this Nazi state, I hate it. The liberals are ruining it.
It sounds like you mean we should work at cleaning up pollution, but only up to the point where you personally have to make a sacrifice.
Hey, with that platform, you could be the GOP nominee for president, EL!
Has everybody stopped getting those illegal smog cerifications--raise your hands.
I have just a few Carbon Credits left for sale. Gather 'round, pay me your money and you will be purged of your environmental sins, you heathens.
Lotsa talk here and no money. Just remember, me and Gaiea (sp) are on a first-name basis. You CAN get square w/Motha.
You knwo in Florida, there is no smog test. Before the california nazi liberals take ever last bit of my hobby away, HIT FLORIDA FIRST, with some smog laws. CARBON OFFSET?
Nazi Liberals?
I live in Georgia -- one of the reddest of red states. We have a $25 emissions test. I never heard the conservatives in the legislature called Nazi's over it. I think you are over-reacting a little as seems to pretty regularly be the case.
I find it pretty funny that you nonsensically rant against "Nazi Liberals" because it is somehow difficult for you to smog certify your Nazi (Felix Wankel) engine in your RX-7.
Why don't you just tell all of the stupid "Nazi Liberals" down at the DMV, who are apparently victimizing you that you are really one of their kind?
LOLOLOL.... I try to make a difference, without giving up my life. I am struggling as it is to make ends meet. Could I afford a Priaz? No...... Can I afford to smog my 18 year old car every year as California wants to do? No.....
Yeah, those smog tests will kill you financially. I think it costs about $20 here. So in order to keep driving my 23 year old car around, we had to go without heating the house this winter. Not to mention the meals we had to miss. I can understand your situation, and see why the economy in California is so depressed. I really feel for you, Eeville. But it's just that liberal compassion. I'll get over it.
There. I'm over it.
Re: California's economy...
Who's going to buy California's debt (bonds) next time they're issued? And there WILL need to be BEELY-ONS and BEELY-ONS of new bonds, and pretty darn soon. They're rated as junk bonds now.
I am a (almost) lifelong Californian who can see the handwriting on the wall. The economy in good ol' Cal won't be shiny forever. Taxes will have to increase logarithmically at some point.
I am a (almost) lifelong Californian - lemoc
You're dying?
The economy in good ol' Cal won't be shiny forever. Taxes will have to increase logarithmically at some point.- lemoc
The economy in California is make-believe. I'm hoping for the best, but I've seen too much of it built on "creative financing" for homes in my area that went from 150K to 1.5M in the last 10-15 years.
Young first time buyers may take a beating, while many "investment" and equity buyers will probably be protected.I'm seeing the effects of a slowdown in disposable income at my company, but I think the next 5 years are going to be very interesting, nationally, and in an amplified way, here in California.
BTW, Lemoc, I didn't mean to imply that I wished you were dying.
I know. You gotta have some fun.
HE JUST STARTED DORK! Do not make it sound like he has been conserving for the last three or four years. I swear this is going to be a liberals religion.
It would be interesting if someone in the media would report on how big Krauthammer's house is and what his monthly energy bill is.
That really wouldn't be relevant in a discussion about hypocrisy unless Krauthammer has been pushing energy conservation or green house gas reduction, etc.
Nader's platfrom was FAR more green than Gore's in 2000, in fact he ran as a Green! But that's not relevant. All that matters is someone slandered El Gore, a Democrat. Who in his 8 years as VP and long tenure as Senator really did very LITTLE to help the environment, besides making a few media events about it. In fact, Jeffrey St. Clair just wrote this article about Mr. Gore's real environmental track record. http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair03172007.html
Anybody who supported Nader and took votes from Gore is insane in my opinion. Do you really see NO difference in Bush and Gore? Ralph Nader hasn't built a viable party and just keeps running for president to satisfy his enormous ego. The Greens need to build a party base before they give one more vote to people like Bush. Get real.
Hmm, Bush attacked Iraq, Gore would have keep bombing them weekly and kept the sanctions on them, killing them slowly. Bush supports Israeli war crimes. Gore has consistently voted for Israel, was even a good friend of Netanyahu's. Bush refuses to give us health care, Gore never pushed the idea while Senator or VP.....where's the differences? Both have killed people, one by executive order, the other by votes in the Senate and accomplicity with the crimes of the Clinton admin and Israel. Where's the freakin' difference?!?!
Nader's not a killer of children, the best reason to vote for him. Bush and Gore are.
one "difference" would be in the judges appointed. all the things that nader worked for over the years can easily be declared "unconstitutional" by bush appointees. and please do not tell me they appoint the same kind of judges.
The judges aren't uphondling the Constitution now, and both sides put them in there. I'm sure I'd want Nader picking a Supreme Court judge nominee rather than a DLC Dem or Neo-con Repub. They'll always go for the fascist picks.
guess what. nader isn't and will not be president. and why should anyone take you seriously when you contend they all rule the same way.
They DO! You think the last thirty years of declining rights and the rise of corporate control is a partisan thing? I've watched BOTH parties selling us out to the highest bidder, BOTH parties engaged in war crimes, BOTH parties growing progressively more corrupt and incompetent. Yet you insist we must help them destroy the country. Blind party loyalty got us into this, it will NOT get us out. Some people would vote Democrat even if they ran a clone of Mussolini...all that matters is that D behind their name! Wow, what deep and introspective politically decision-making. Vote for anything that has a D behind it's name, even if it is corrupt to the core. All we need to remember right? Anything D is holy, anything else is to be rejected. The Cult of the Holy Democrat. How does this make Democrat loyalists any different to Repub loyalists? Neither are interested in issue politics, just which team wins the prize. Both teams bomb children. I guess that doesn't matter. All that matters is they got an R and the others got that D! Gotta vote D! Go team!
I don't vote for people who bomb children. Why do you?
Funny, when I came to California, I bought a $500 clunker (1974 Pontiac) and then went to Pick-Ur-Part to haul out the smog stuff that some jerk had taken off. Total cost for parts, $20. Needed to change the sparks. Passed the smog. I then put 1/3 the pollution in the air, and I was legal. A year later, I bought a new Escort. Okay, not thrilling, but I then put out 1/20 of the hydrocarbons I had, and passing the smog test cost, what, $20, and that was it. Gee, those Green Nazis are terrible. Plus, with more cars in this basin than people, it's nice being able to breathe.
The first year I was here, there were lots of garages to sell you phony smog certification. But now it's all online, and it's a lot harder. And with 30 years of cleaner car designs, it's no big deal to pass smog. I do wonder what's going to happen when all those Hummer engines start getting old.
Be cool , Swift. Evilib's '89 Coal powered tank takes a lot of tweaking to get past smog every year.
I have an '88 Toyota pickup that I use to haul trash and do the construction side work I still do on the occasional weekend. I've put one new engine and a few new heads on it since '96 when I bought it, and it passes smog.That costs about $50 every two years, but registration is 50 bucks, and insurance is about a dollar a day.I can not part with this thing, and love driving it into the more fashionable neighborhoods in my county.
Plus it knocks shopping carts clear across the parking lot.If I knew how to post pics on the internet, I'd put some braggers up.
Red, if Gore was our president we wouldn't even be in Iraq. And we would be a lot further along on the road to energy independence. A LEADER has to first get elected. Ralph Nader can not get elected. But he can take votes away from far less dangerous candidates and let scaliwags and criminals like Bush win. No sale.
You don't know Gore. He's just a media product to you. The real Gore is an AIPAC-loving, arab-killing zionist who spent 8 years as the VP to a man who bombed Iraq weekly for every single one of those years. We'd be in Iraq under Gore...our planes would still be bombing them once a week and their children would still be dying from our seige-sanctions. AIPAC would be pushing him to invade or to attack Iran right now. And he'd be talking all tough and moving carriers into the Gulf and asking the generals how we could Tomahawk Tehran. That's the real Al Gore. The Zionist. The Friend of Netanyahu. Gore has helped kill a million Iraqis by complicity in a regime that denied access to health care to civilians, a war crime. He has aided and abetted the crimes agaisnt humanity perpetuated by Israel. He is a war criminal.
Go ahead, vote for Democrat war criminals. Here's a towel, you can wipe the blood of your hands.
Redking, have you been paying your taxes for the past three years? Because if you have, you're partly responsible for the deaths of all the Iraqis that have been killed in this war. Given your insistence on total moral purity, I naturally assume you went to jail rather than let even one dollar of your money go towards this illegal, unjust war.
Nader is no Gandhi, he's not even close. He did, once, long ago, expose serious problems within the system, but now he is merely a self-absorbed crank, victim of his own humorless fanaticism. He has never actually led, only criticized those who do. Like the president he opposes, he has a Manichean view of the world--he has no interest in views that differ even an iota from his own. Nor once has he put his own life and safety at risk for what he believes in (being tailed by GM's private detectives does not count).
A president must be able to deal with people of diametrically opposed viewpoints and persuasions and bring them to work together towards a common goal. Nader can speak only to those who think exactly as he does. He's no leader, no more so than the Decider-in-Chief.
Well its a little funny you bring Nader up Red. Like I said in previous posts I'm a Political Science major (and have to be, because if I change my major again, my parents and my husband have agreed to hire a hit man to take me out. (although still not as bad as my sister, my # of changes 3, her # of changes 8).
So in class we had a discussion about candidates and parties. One guy mentioned how Nader would be, "the best president in 10 years" and how Nader is better than any Dem or Rep, etc. etc.
Pretty much as a class we laughed until our sides hurt. Even the prof was fighting not to start laughing.
Problems with Nader for Prez
1. No party base, no major donors, no organized effort, no history
2. Maybe only 10% of US population have even really heard about Nader or heard more than just the name.
3. Same as #2, except replace Nader with "His party's platform"
4. The lot of Nader supporters are not "true believers" (so to say). Like heterosexual girls, who try the whole "Lesbian" thing while in college, but are really straight. These Nader fans graduate from college and join the dems or repubs.
5. (this one is more personal) A large number of Nader fans are, well less than mainstream. And what middle aged house wife wants to stand in a crowd surrounded by people named "Moonleaf Greycloud" or people who believe showering is part of the military industrial complexes' evil plan to enslave the average citizen. (yes I went to a Nader rally)
Those are just some of the many reasons Nader will never be president. There are more, but I should get back to work. But mainly, just remember....
"There is no viable third party in the US"
(Side note: I wish there was, but right now there is not.)