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Fifth Column
Gore Blabbers about the Dixie Chicks and Free Speech
2003-04-01
The Dixie Chicks controversy continues with the trio getting some support from former Vice President Al Gore. Gore spoke to a college audience last week on the subject of fewer companies owning more media outlets, and what he sees as the increasing lack of tolerance for opposing views. According to the Tennessean, Gore used recent attacks on the Dixie Chicks that followed anti-war comments by Natalie Maines as an example. Gore told the audience, "They were made to feel un-American and risked economic retaliation because of what was said."
(Awww -- tomebody huwt dey widdie feewings, and dey is wisking economic weetaliation, bo-hoo-hoo.)
"Our democracy has taken a hit," Gore said. "Our best protection is free and open debate."
Well, hopefully our democracy didn't inhale, Al. So let's see ... the best way to have protected free and open debate was for the people who disagreed with the Chicksy Blix to keep quiet about it, eh?
Record sales have fallen for the Chicks and radio stations across the country banned the trio's music after Maines told a London concert crowd that she was "ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas." Maines later released an apology.
Posted by:John Phares

#19  "Yes, trash Gore, but it is only the transference of Republican guilt in the face of incredible failure."

You just look silly in that Dr. Freud beard, Al...
Posted by: mojo   2003-04-01 23:14:54  

#18  tu3031 -- it worked out better for everyone. Gore gets to be sanctimonious, which is what he enjoys most, and we didn't have to tolerate him for four long years.
Good lord, I sound like a Republican! ;)
Posted by: Former Russian Major   2003-04-01 22:54:31  

#17  Nobody's happier Al Gore lost the election then Al Gore. Do you really think he could handle all this shit?
Posted by: tu3031   2003-04-01 22:32:29  

#16  Hey, Wetzel, you ever hear of Bob Brinker? He's a finance guy. January 2000 newsletter GET 100% OUT OF THE MARKET. I did not listen. Market high was March 6, 2000, if I remember correctly.

W wasn't even the nominee yet. So, stuff it on the economy. Smart rich money got out in 1999.
We swam w/the sharks and got eaten alive.

And one other question, in what general election was a voter allowed to vote for 2 candidates for pres? Remember seniors are the most reliable voters and they've been voting over 50 years. One would think after 50 years, they would finally understand the process.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-04-01 22:21:10  

#15  Doug DeBono -- good point regarding the American Embassy takeover. I stand corrected.
Posted by: Former Russian Major   2003-04-01 22:10:24  

#14  Al Gore, Al Gore.... was he involved in this country at some arcane level...oh wait he was the guy who potrayed Cooter on the Dukes of Hazard Right.....I found a rutabega in my garden last spring that strongly reflected Al Gores political savvy, turned out it was Al hisself all along..now he just rotting in the mulch, thats about par with lecturing on the college level is it not?
Posted by: Wills   2003-04-01 21:47:39  

#13  Funny, Al didn't think there was anything wrong with his wife forcing record companies to put labels on CDs declaring "obscene language" within.

Our best protection is free and open debate, but apparently not the ability to choose whether or not we find lyrics to be obscene.

Effing hypocrite.
Posted by: Meryl Yourish   2003-04-01 21:13:11  

#12  I would suggest this war against the west started on November 4, 1979 when "Student Radicals" overran the american embassy in Tehran. While it is not PC to say this, we are in war of civilization between radical Islam and western civilization.
Posted by: Doug De Bono   2003-04-01 21:10:44  

#11  Wetzel, I am ashamed to admit this, but....I VOTED FOR GORE, OK? And, I'M STILL GLAD HE LOST! Refer back to the Constitution. You may not like the results, but it's over now. Please let it rest.

Maybe I missed something, but I think that the terrorist attacks really started off under CLINTON. Remember the first bombing of the WTC? And the attacks on our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania? GWB wasn't the president then. Clinton was "asleep at his post".

It was only a matter of time before the accounting tricks that were prevalent in the '90's came crashing down. It wouldn't matter if Gore or Bush was president; Clinton just got out in time.

So, let me get this straight.....liberal to liberal. You are against this war? So....that means you are on the side of those who rape, torture, and kill? Nice. Real nice.

I could care less why Bush got us into this war. I've learned enough about life to realize that there is no way to truly discern another's motives.

If it keeps Saddam from throwing people into industrial plastic shredders, it will be worth it. If it gives Arabs a shot at democracy (and yes, I think that Arabs want to live in freedom), that will be something wonderful.

Posted by: Former Russian Major   2003-04-01 20:54:04  

#10  Notice Wetzel is a euphemism for Weasel? Neither did I
Posted by: Frank G   2003-04-01 20:44:30  

#9  Wetzel, you mean the Al Gore and his party hacks who's first act in the Florida issue was to strip every servicemember of their fundamental right to vote by getting their absentee ballots thrown out? Hope you enjoy your little Michael "Hindenburg" Moore lovefest. BTW, a Miami paper paid for a recount after the official decision, 8 out of 9 methods of counted showed Bush won and the ninth didn't include the military absentee ballots trashed by the Al Gore team.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-04-01 20:25:15  

#8  (Repeated with clarifying modifications)
If the Supreme Court had done their job and allowed the votes to be counted, America would now be enjoying peace and prosperity. It's going to take a hundred years for America to recover from Bush's disastrous leadership. His administration negligently allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur. Bush was asleep at his post. The Bush administration has wrecked the economy, and now Bush has led us into this disastrous military adventure, a disaster the scale of which will be dawning on us for the next two or three generations, despite our preordained 'victory'. Yes, trash Gore, but it is only the transference of Republican guilt in the face of incredible failure.

Defending the record is impossible.
Posted by: Wetzel   2003-04-01 20:18:19  

#7  The 9/11 attacks wrecked the economy and led us into a disasterous military adventure, and they accomplished this while sleeping at their post? Zowie!
Posted by: John Phares   2003-04-01 20:11:37  

#6  If the Supreme Court had done their job and allowed the votes to be counted, we would now be enjoying peace and prosperity. It's going to take a hundred years for America to recover from Bush's disastrous leadership. His administration negligently allowed the 9/11 attacks to occur, asleep at their post. They have wrecked the economy, and they have now led us into this disastrous military adventure, a disaster the scale of which will be dawning on us for the next two or three generations, despite our preordained 'victory'.

Yes, trash Gore, but it is only the transference of Republican guilt in the face of incredible failure.
Posted by: Wetzel   2003-04-01 19:45:16  

#5  Thank God he lost the election!!
I don't recall any government agency saying I couldn't buy one of their CD's. I think I would have noticed that, considering I WORK for one!
Economics, Al.....it's a boycott.....not censorship.
Posted by: Former Russian Major   2003-04-01 19:43:28  

#4  Al and others confuse the right to free speech with a supposed right to be free from criticism (and consequences) for your speech. I would be delighted if he were the nominee in '04 so he can show his outrage at our misplaced patriotism... yeah, riiiggghhhtt - too good to happen
Posted by: Frank G   2003-04-01 19:41:40  

#3  Al Bore hasn't learned that he's irrelevant yet. I think the 2004 elections will bring the message home to him very sharply.

If not, we can always ask a couple of Marine vets from this operation to make the point in person. The dummycheat party's response to the war effort has seriously divided the party: one side sees the handwriting on the wall, and has been supportive. The other side are blind to all but their own personal opinion, and are fast disappearing from the radar screen.

Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-04-01 19:27:36  

#2  "What, we're no longer free to vote with our pocketbooks?"

There's an idea that will never be a plank in the Donk platform!
Posted by: John Phares   2003-04-01 18:55:26  

#1  What, we're no longer free to vote with our pocketbooks?
Posted by: Dishman   2003-04-01 18:39:12  

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