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Mixed Feelings For Pelosi, Nothing But Praise For Gore
From my stomping grounds, in the heart of Central Texas, the Netroots converge

Liberal bloggers showed some reservation as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi took a lot of heat for a fairly unpopular Congress, but Al Gore's surprise entrance drew awe, applause and respect.
Glad I didn't go into town today. Might have hurt my eardurms
Pelosi and the former vice president and advocate for climate change addressed the Netroots Nation convention at the Austin Convention Center Saturday.

Gore used the podium to advocate his new campaign, www.wecansolveit.org, to get the nation to generate 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources in 10 years.
I know, I know, but I refuse to do a direct connect to that website. You will just have to copy and paste
Should Sen. Barack Obama win the presidency, Gore said he would probably decline an invitation to take a seat in his cabinet, stating that his purpose was to make climate change a number one issue in the public and in policy.
The One Who Knows he is Messiah, stepping aside for the True Messiah
He criticized the administration's reluctance to deal directly with the issue of climate change, reviving the old antidote, "the hair of the dog that bit you," stating the Bush administration has attempted to resolve the nation's oil dependency "hangover" with the same old liquid medicine that created the problem.

Referring to the contentious political debate over drilling in one of Alaska's national protected areas, Gore argued that such a solution would only slightly improve the nation's dependence on foreign oil and only in the long-term.
So what's wrong with planning for the long-term? Isn't that what leadership does?
"Defenders of status quo are the ones who got us in this mess," Gore said. "Ridiculous to open a few more areas for drilling to produce oil in 10 years that will be sold to China. Makes about as much sense as responding to an attack from Afghanistan by invading some other country."
Betting he got a standing ovation on that line
Pelosi made it a point to address the war in Iraq, emphasizing her support for Obama's plan to work with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on a troop withdrawal and concentrate efforts in Afghanistan, where reports of violence have increased in frequency.

The speaker commented on her disappointment with the recent FISA bill passed in the House and Senate that gives immunity to companies involved in the administration's controversial eavesdropping program, overhauls some rules that would have obstructed the government's secret program and upholds the need for warrants and oversight.

"This is a day of taint for how you cooperated with the administration," Pelosi said in reference to the 17 senators, including Obama who voted in favor of the bill because of revisions he said removed his concerns.

Pelosi spent most of her time answering questions from the crowd on topics ranging from the potential for the impeachment of President Bush to a reported lack of essentials for troops in Iraq.
Reported lack of essentials for troops in Iraq? This thing still alive?
When asked what she thought she envisioned from an ideal democratic government,
And presenting the Democrats' Plan to Change America
Pelosi outlined the Democratic Party's platform, including climate change, universal health care, troop withdrawal from Iraq, improving education and technological innovation and building the nations' infrastructure.

A recent Rasmussen poll showed that only 9 percent of the public considers Congress' performance "excellent." Pelosi defined the public's spiraling regard for the effectiveness of Congress as a result of President Bush's control of the White House.

Pelosi said, "107 days until the election and things will be different."

The Director for New Media at the Center for Civic Action, Tracy Dingmann, said she found the keynote address to be more encouraging than inspiring, and said she believes the outcome of the presidential election will play a big role on policy and politics in Washington.

"You gotta have hope," she said. "It'll make a huge difference who the president is."
And just what differences will this hope bring? Words not to be spoken
Activist for Swing Semester Natasha Chart agrees, but said the problem goes much deeper with the democratic caucus.
What and Who in the *&^*% is Swing Semester?
"It's a very divided caucus," she said. "We have a lot of Democrats that are more afraid of the media, Republicans and George W., than the people that elected them."
Could there be a more dumb comment quoted?
On the other hand, Chart praised Gore who she said has stood his ground and effectively advocated for environmental responsibilty and climate change, and in a way that makes it easy to talk about.
All hail the Chief
Posted by: Sherry 2008-07-20
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=244691