Gore: loose, funny, and smart

* RudePundit:

"Last night, Gore was as you've heard, loose, funny, and smart. Goddamn, so fuckin' smart. Every time he opened his mouth to discuss some aspect of melting ice caps or fuel efficiency, you just wanted to weep, thinking, "Jesus Christ, he won. Motherfucker won. He should be our president right now, not that inarticulate, shit-tossing baboon hunched in the ditch next to Tony Blair right now." What Gore does better than anyone in the Democratic Party right now, from Hillary Clinton to Russ Feingold, is articulate liberal issues as moral callings. Not squishy, feel-good sentiments, but deep in the soul, religious, even, moral purposes. Like, you know, Christians are supposed to do.

Essentially, Gore's mission on global warming is rhetorically similar to George Bush's mission in Iraq: revolution now so that the future can be secure. The difference, of course, is that Gore isn't a liar, and he doesn't have to hype the evidence. Gore approaches his subject the way every politician ought to lead: he knows he's right, and he's so right that others are wrong. When Gore was asked about scientists who say that climatic change is just part of ongoing natural cycles, Gore didn't pander, didn't offer that idiotic "well, good people can have differences of opinion" bullshit the Bush administration uses to paper over their lies. No, Gore just said that the questioner was wrong. That the vast scientific consensus says global warming is real and happening. And to believe otherwise is to believe liars. He said scientists who say otherwise are industrial "prostitutes" and "camp followers" (he hesitated before saying that - you knew he wanted to say "whores" or "skanky, disease-ridden bitches")."

* according to the ForeignPolicy blog, Loser of the week #5:

"Condoleezza Rice: Number Two Robert Zoellick is the department's best diplomat. Losing him is a near-death blow."

* driftglass:

"No one is on the side of child molesters, but every red flag in the Universe should be firing off when that notorious Serial Constitution Molester, Abu Gonzales, tries to use that issue to further increase his junta’s massive power grab and daily assertions of myriad New and Exciting Imperial exceptions to the rule of law for this Administration.
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Terrorist and child molester are despicable creatures, but how much worse are those that cower behind such monsters? That use them as cover to snipe our basic, God-given rights as Americans into confetti?

In five short years, these criminals and have done far, far more long term damage to this nation than any bomber or pedophile ever did or could, and they have done it to the cheers of their swine hordes."

* part 2 of emptywheel's plame-gate piece is up - detailing the events of leak-week. so you can bone up and show-off to your friends. it's long comprehensive.