Al Gore wants Obama to defend climate change action

Former vice president Al Gore will be hitting President Barack Obama on climate change in an upcoming article in Rolling Stone magazine.

First of all, Gore comes out an recognizes what Obama has done to reverse previous environmentally-destructive policies.  Definitely the president has done quite a lot for green causes even though he has disappointed many on issues like coal and nuclear energy.

In fairness to Obama though, he has always supported "clean" coal along with nuclear energy if the storage problem could be solved.  On these issues though the president seems to have capitulated in terms of specifics.  For example, while there still is no long-term nuclear waste storage plan, the president is supporting loan guarantees for the building of new nuclear power plants.

One of the problems may be the tremendous pressure the president is facing due to the tough economy.  Obama suffered a tough loss in Congress after the 2010 elections with Democrats losing control of the House and losing some important seats in the Senate.

On the subject of climate change, it seems as though the issue has been pushed to the sidelines.  In this sense, Gore is right in that Obama no longer seems to publicly recognize climate change as an urgent issue.  On the other hand though, Republicans have been denying the science altogether.

What can be done to get climate change back on President Obama's agenda with the UN's climate summit coming up in Durban, South Africa in late November?

Barack endorses Al Gore's Plan

Barack Obama responded today to Al Gore's speech at Constitution Hall in Washington DC, where Gore called for a zero-carbon America by 2018.

For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat. I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels, and those are the investments I will make as President. It’s a strategy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced, and one that will leave our children a world that is cleaner and safer.

Gore's vision is not far-fetched technically; politics is the main hurdle particularly the resistance that would be encountered from the oil and other polluting energy industries. It could take ten years, the time between now and 2018, just to get legislation passed that would begin such a process. Unless, of course, the equation changes in Washington with more like-minded legislators coming into office.

The former vice president mentioned that the price of silicon, used to make solar energy cells, is coming down fast and no one doubts that with increased demand that prices will plummet further. The same thing happened in the computer industry.

"To those who say the challenge is not politically viable: I suggest they go before the American people and try to defend the status quo. Then bear witness to the people's appetite for change," Gore said. "Some of our greatest accomplishments as a nation have resulted from commitments to reach a goal that fell well beyond the next election: the Marshall Plan, Social Security, the interstate highway system."

Video: Al Gore Endorses Barack Obama at Joe Louis Arena

Here's the video of former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore endorsing Sen. Barack Obama.



An excerpt from Al Gore's endorsement:

Many people have waited for some sign that our country is awakening once again. How will we know when a massive wave of reform and recovery and regeneration is about to take hold and renew our nation? What would it look like if such a change were beginning to build? I think we might recognize it as a sign of such change if we saw millions of young people getting involved for the first time in the political process. I think we might just recognize it if we saw that new generation casting aside obsolete and hurtful distinctions and reaching out to one another across the ancient divisions that have frustrated action in the past. I think we would know this change was coming if a new generation rejected the special interest politics of the past and the big money that fueled it, and instead used the internet to get small donations and unite Americans in a common effort to realize our common destiny.

Plan for a Clean Energy Future

“Well, I don't believe that climate change is just an issue that's convenient to bring up during a campaign. I believe it's one of the greatest moral challenges of our generation. That's why I've fought successfully in the Senate to increase our investment in renewable fuels. That's why I reached across the aisle to come up with a plan to raise our fuel standards… And I didn't just give a speech about it in front of some environmental audience in California. I went to Detroit, I stood in front of a group of automakers, and I told them that when I am president, there will be no more excuses — we will help them retool their factories, but they will have to make cars that use less oil.”

— Barack Obama, Speech in Des Moines, IA, October 14, 2007

Photos from Detroit

Al Gore's endorsement should help position Barack Obama as the "green" choice. Here is a Flickr slide show from tonight's endorsement by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Detroit before a crowd of 20,000. Michigan is another one of the battleground states.

Al Gore to Endorse Barack Obama

Good to have Al onboard!

Message from Al Gore: "My Endorsement"; Watch the Live Stream Tonight at 8:30 pm EDT

by Sam Graham-Felsen, Monday, June 16, 2008 at 11:54 AM

Former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize laureat Al Gore just sent out this email...

Dear Friend,

A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama. From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States.

Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America.

This moment and this election are too important to let pass without taking action.

That's why I am asking you to join me in showing your support by making a contribution to this campaign today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/gore

Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action.

With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems.

If you've already contributed to this campaign, I ask that you consider making another contribution right now. If you haven't, please take the next step and own a piece of this campaign today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/gore

On the issues that matter most, Barack Obama is clearly the right choice to lead our nation.

We have a lot of work to do in the next few months to elect Barack Obama president, and it begins by making a contribution to this campaign today.

Thank you for joining me,

Al Gore

LIVE TONIGHT -- 8:30 p.m. EDT: Watch streaming video of Al Gore and Barack Obama at a rally in Detroit, Michigan:

http://www.BarackObama.com

Obama News for Friday

According to NBC/NJ's Erin McPike, who is following the candidate around in New Hampshire, Obama said: "I talk to Al Gore about every three weeks," in a remark to global warming Santa activists last night.

Wonder if he is courting a Gore endorsement?


University of Iowa newspaper endorses Obama

The Daily Iowan, campus newspaper of the University of Iowa, announced its endorsement of Barack Obama today:

"From the start, Obama was viewed as charismatic but lacking in substance. Now, fewer than two weeks from our state caucuses, this is no longer the case," the paper wrote in its final edition before caucus night Jan. 3. "Obama's commanding oratorical abilities should not distract voters from his policy proposals, objectives that outline a return of 'united' to the United States. We believe his judgment and ideas are the best fit, not just for a party but for a people."

Obama: Role for Gore offered

Barack Obama said there could be a key slot in his administration for Al Gore when asked if he would ask him to run as his vice president.

Obama though joked, "I will also be honest with you: having won the Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar, being vice president again would probably be a step down for him."

Fielding another question about whether he would expect "swift boat" like attacks should he become the nominee, Obama replied:

"I have no doubt there will be some of that — trying to make me into this foreign, odd, clearly black person and to scare people,. When people try to Swift Boat you, you have to respond forcefully, you have to respond immediately and you have to respond truthfully. ... We are prepared for whatever they will throw at us."

The Gore Factor

What would happened if Al Gore entered the presidential race?

Firstly, I think it would be very difficult for Gore to win. He doesn't have any left-over campaign cash or infrastructure so he would basically be starting from scratch. Well, he would at least have the Draft Gore movement to work with, but he would be way behind the other candidates.

The mechanics of this primary with "Super Duper Tuesday" make money a huge factor and we're already nearing the end of the second quarter.

Many important officials have already endorsed candidates and a lot of good staff people are working now for one campaign or another.

Also, a lot of the establishment people that Gore would ordinarily count on are Clinton backers. They supported him last time, but most are now committed to Hillary.

His involvement could cause hard feelings among old friends and that might hurt his effectiveness as a champion of environmentalism should he lose the primary or general election.

If Gore should ultimately win, he would be strongly distracted by the issue of the Iraq War, which the majority of polls show is the most pressing concern of the American public. However, Gore has said that he considers global warming as the number one threat to America and the entire world. So, it could certainly be argued that he is better served to work for his cause from where he is right now.