Once Again, the Rules Don't Apply to Al Gore

Mister Gore, he of the massive carbon footprint and the private planes, once again believes himself to be above the rules. From the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works:

Gore first demanded to be granted an unprecedented 30 minute opening statement to the Senate EPW Committee for Wednesday’s (March 21) global warming hearing scheduled for 2:30 pm ET.

The GOP minority on the EPW committee agreed to the 30 minute opening statement.

But then Gore demanded a waiver of the EPW committee’s 48 hour rule that requires all witnesses before EPW to submit their testimony in advance. The GOP minority on the EPW committee then agreed to waive the 48 hour rule in favor of allowing Gore to submit his testimony 24 hours before the hearing.

But in a breaking news development on Capitol Hill -- the former Vice President has violated the new 24 hour deadline extension by failing to submit his testimony – even with the new time extension granted to Gore.

As of 8pm ET Tuesday evening, the testimony still has not been received by EPW, a clear violation of committee rules.

Apparently global warming (being of course a "moral issue" not a political one) exempts Gore from the rules and procedures of the United States Senate. If it was a Republican behaving this way, there would be a holy freaking uproar on the Senate floor. He would be accused of "corruption," "railroading," and "playing politics." But Gore gets a pass; this complete disregard for parliamentary procedures and the rules of the body Gore was once a member of are barely even being reported anywhere.

Mister Vice President, are you afraid to give your opponents an opportunity to read your statement before you make it? Or is it just that your data is shaky and you don't want your detractors to have any time to fact-check it?

This is exactly the kind of crap that kills a good cause. The more Gore makes himself the poster boy for the issue, the more Gore himself becomes the linchpin for the whole environmentalist movement. If he wants to get a message of conservation out there, he has got to be above reproach in his dissemination of the information. If Gore wants to change people's minds and not just fire up the people who already agree with him, he's got to find some new methods, because I really believe that what's he's been doing so far is turning off more people than it's turning on. There's a point at which your intentions and even your information become irrelevant if you are seen to be playing politics with it.

Pathetic.