Is Al Gore A Hypocrite?

Writer suggests the ex-VP hates oil but loves oil money

The purchase of Al Gore's Current TV by a television network tied to an oil-producing Gulf monarchy shows him to be a hypocrite. That's the take of FOX News analyst Bernard Goldberg, in chiding the former vice president and climate change evangelist over his lucrative business deal.

"The government of Qatar owns Al Jazeera (which claims to be independent from the government). Qatar makes about a bazillion dollars a week selling oil to the gas-guzzling world. So if you connect the dots you can easily see that money derived from oil bought Current TV - from the same Al Gore who has spent the past decade or so railing against oil, unless it's being pumped into the private jet which hauls his considerable rear end all over the place."

And Gore's hypocrisy goes deeper, according to Goldberg. "It also turns out that Gore - whose picture you see if you look up the word - 'liberal' in the dictionary - wanted to close the deal before December 31. Why? Because he reportedly is making about $100 million on the sale and ... (wait for it) ... wanted to avoid the higher tax rates on people like him that went into effect on January 1 of this year."

Over at Commentary, Jonathan S. Tobin argues Al Jazeera's long reach into American television markets will provide a prominent perch for anti-Israel voices. "It's not clear that the oil-rich magnates of Qatar will make their money back on this deal. Nor is it likely that Al Jazeera's news with an Islamist and anti-American and anti-Israel slant will transform the discussion of the Middle East. But it may provide a bully pulpit to voices that have heretofore been confined to the fever swamps of U.S. politics and become another beachhead into the U.S. for those seeking to heighten international isolation of the Jewish state."

Via BernardGoldberg.com and Commentary.

Are these criticisms of Al Gore fair?

[woodtick57]

Selling out? when did he ever walk his talk? Ever?

[SavageMazx]

You mean like living in a massive power sucking mansion and complaining about "carbon foot prints" lol

[PoliticalSpice]

No one on here has any right to complain about gGore, remember: he invented the internet.

[jessejaymes]

Why would this be a question? Of course he's a hypocrite. You don't rise to the level of National politics today without being a hypocrite (not unless you happen to be Ron Paul and look what happened for him. NOTHING). Americans are idiots. We vote party line and we vote looks and we vote money and we vote causes but what we don't vote is issues. We believe every lie just as long as it's told by "our side", we forgive every transgression just as long as it's "our side". The dumbing down of America marches on.

[stepped_in_it]

"The dumbing down of America marches on." More like marched on. As in past tense. My reason why I'm independent. I can pick on both side with equal zest!

[jessejaymes]

@stepped_in_it this is one dumb nation. I'm just an average guy with a dated education who came from white trash. But I'm smarter than at least half of America. That's downright scary. So, just taking a look at it from a common sense viewpoint who would gain the most from dumbing down America? Well, hmmm...the ultra rich certainly would. Dumber people are the easier it is to steal from them. Politicians would benefit from a stupid America. Makes it easier to steal money from our taxes to give to the Ultra rich. On this one I'm going with the ultra rich as responsible for the dumbing down of America. It's more in their self interest than anyone Else's.

[martydotcom]

What's your rant have to with Al Gore clearing a100 mil on a Piece Of S... cable Chanel which BTY Iscnow worth less than tham the Arabs paid as Time Warner just dropped the channel.
Jessie, do you have a problem with Gore's entrepreneurial risk taking by starting up an unneeded, unwanted, channel and then scamming the Arabs to over pay. That's pure unbridled capitalism

[jessejaymes]

@martydotcom I don't have a problem with him doing that. What I have a problem with is his hypocrisy. As I do with all Politicians. He's not this great liberal, the great hope to save the environment. He's what he is. One of the rich who will say anything and do anything to make money. The fact he was a Dem has nothing to do with it. They only use party lines for propaganda. They don't live their own BS. And Al Gore is no different.

[jessejaymes]

@martydotcom and what my point is Marty is that when it's a democrat in the news the GOP paints it as a capital crime. When it's the GOP in the news the Dems paint it as a capital crime. My whole point is that Americans are stupid people if they believe any Politician beyond what they personally know of them. Gore is no better or worse than the rest.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Politix: And Gore's hypocrisy goes deeper, according to Goldberg. "It also turns out that Gore - whose picture you see if you look up the word -'liberal' in the dictionary - wanted to close the deal before December 31. Why? Because he reportedly is making about $100 million on the sale and ...(wait for it)... wanted to avoid the higher tax rates on people like him that went into effect on January 1 of this year."

Liberals always want to hike up taxes for everyone else, yet they don't want to pay those taxes themselves. Very interesting. Very, very interesting.

[martydotcom]

Neo you calling anyone a hypocrite??? He's an outstanding example of the bedrock of American capitalism. He created and now has sold a piece of s..t to the Arabs for $100mil. Time Warner just announced they will pull the plug on the channel so the Arabs really got taken.
What's your problem with a man trying to maximize his profits on a deal , very interesting, I'd call it smart business. You prefer he act like a commie???? This is a sin by tea party doctrine? The IRS makes the rules, only a fool doesn't take advantage and close sooner rather than later. Very interesting ??? Yes interesting if you what to learn how entrepreneurial / capitalism works

[rkinsawjoe]

"according to Goldberg" ,right. Well I looked up liberal and guess what? No picture at all. Perhaps you and Bernie are ready to move up to books without pictures and only simple sentences. A rich man that makes business deals to his best advantage and avoids taxes? What a shocker.

[Waynestew]

@martydotcom Exactly my point. How can all the people who praise capitalism even be upset about this? They should all be bowing down in and giving him congratulations.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@martydotcom - To be honest I've never watch Current TV and have no interests or concerns about it one way or the other. I agree with most of what you said to be honest. Yes, it is capitalism. Nothing wrong with that. So, you see, we agree on a great many things here.

However, with all of that said in the first paragraph we still find ourselves at a point where the question is, why did I call Gore a hypocrite? Well, the answer is quite simple. Why does he and the rest of the left support increasing taxes, yet they themselves don't want to pay increased taxes? I'm not against Gore keeping more of his money that he earned through honest capitalistic ventures. In fact, I applaud it. I'm against the left trying to prevent anyone else from enjoying more of their money that they have earned. Cut the tax rate for everyone, not just the greedy pigs on the left. Geitner comes to mind.

[Thegrif]

Yeap, 100% correct. Just like all those actors that support Obama, you know where 90% of movies are filmed now? Canada. You know why? Much lower taxes.
Whats that boys name that played in that movie about the Titanic, Leonardo De Crapio, or something? Lmao
Well he is a huge green freak and a bigger Gore supporter, and Obama lover. Yet claiming to be a big enviromental freak, you know what he did for new years eve? He chartered a 747 jet so that he and his friends could spend all night flying to different time zones and watch the new year come in multiple times.
Well as long as he is screwing up the enviroment for something important.
Hypocrisy at its finest.
Thats how the Libreral mind works, I guess, do as I say, not as I do. Or maybe librerals feel better than the rest of us. I guess if they can get the rest of us to conform and give them everything we earned, then they can do whatever they would like.
You know people would pay money to see this on the big screen. Yea a comedy movie Directed by Obama, a movie about Americans, in America, starring Americans, made for Americans.
We may as well laugh at us, cause the rest of the world is.

[Drake_Burrwood]

If he was going to sell he should do it now.

[marine1]

Has there ever been any doubt about him or his kind?

[DARSB]

A liberal Democrat criticized by Fox News and Commentary? Shocking!

And meaningless. Bernie Goldberg wants to get on his high horse over where the Al Jazeera money comes from while conveniently ignoring the percentage of his own Fox salary that is derived from the Saudi investment in Fox.

[stepped_in_it]

HMMM, so Fox News is "railing" against oil like Gore?

[Bobolinsky]

So let me get this straight. We're not allowed to call Al Gore, a crusader against carbon-based fuels, a hypocrite for selling Current TV to Al-Jazeera, a network that is owned and funded by oil money a hypocrite because some of the investors in FOXNews are Arab?

[Tralee]

LOL - really you would even defend Al Gore? Wow, the man sold himself carbon credits on his own land for the tax break and his "Inconvenient Truth" book and film had so many mistakes in errors and outright lies in it that many schools in the US and the UK had to stop using it. Now you defend a progressive who tried as hard as he could to close the deal in 2012 to avoid those very taxes that progressives so dearly love? Sweetie, that's the epitome of a hypocrite. Rather than going off on the usual progressive rant about Fox News, how about you address the issue at hand? Or would that deny you your soap box? If so, rant on my man, no one is interested but it may save you from going postal.

[Tralee]

@Bobolinsky (Giggle) yep, I think you got that right, of course, the left could spin St. Patrick's Day so much that we would all be Wearin' O the Purple! They like nothing better than having it both, or even three, ways. No stance is stable enough for the progressives to defend it if the wind has changed direction. Blowin' in the wind takes on new meaning when one tries to understand the mind of a progressive.

[InjusticeSucks]

I bet not a word would have ever been uttered if it was Bush or some other uber Rich Repug.Republicans are a never ending source of Wa Wa Wa Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[marine1]

Should we ever be surprised at how phony a politician can be?

[martydotcom]

Eat your heart out Goldberg and Fox News et al
As they say in certain areas of Brooklyn.'Dis isn't personal, it's. business"
If he can sell what must be the lowest rated cable network, and pocket 100mil more power to him. Gore should raise his social finger to the IRS & to Goldberg as a salute and laugh his hypocritical ass all the way to the bank.

[Thunderchicken]

http://www.businessinsider.com/glenn-beck-tri...

[martydotcom]

@Thunderchicken Can guaranty to it went to the highest bidder who could writer out the check the fastest

[Thunderchicken]

@martydotcom

Did you read the article? It addresses the reason for the sale.

[Denizen_Kate]

@Thunderchicken - Thanks, that was interesting. Filed under Things That Make You Go "Hmmm".

[martydotcom]

@Denizen_Kate filed under wishful thinking as soo as we get financing lined up we'll formalize the offer says gleam peeing in a glass

[humptydumpty]

only a hypocrite could deny that algore is a hypocrite.

[bobrob]

Possibly a traitor, also. How did this guy rise to the pinnacle of power? Scary.

[Dan_Tien]

Don't you have to swear a Hypocritic Oath when you accept a public office?

[scotta]

Yes he is the poster boy for hypocrite and liberalism. He like the rest feel the laws are made for the unwashed masses not people like him. The global warming scame blew up in his face when it was proven to be a lie. He flys around in his privet jets and them preaches how bad that is. Now he sold his TV station to terriosts and had to close deal before Jan 1st. To beat the higher taxes. I remember at one time he stated that everybody could pay their fair share of taxes.AAnother statement that does not apply to him or people like him. Another ass clown.

[Bobolinsky]

His picture is also in the dictionary under hypocrite but give him credit. He stuck to his guns like a true liberal on one point. He rejected an even higher offer than Al-Jazeera offered because it was offered by Glenn Beck.

"Glenn Beck's Blaze Media approached the struggling cable news network last year, the Wall Street Journal reports, but was rebuffed because "the legacy of who the network goes to is important to us and we are sensitive to networks not aligned with our point of view.""
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/01/...

Not too much credit though since money probably isn't an issue for him. He's got a nice public-pension fund to milk.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/city_deal_...

[Souljah]

haha WOW... priceless

[Bobolinsky]

@Souljah-- I agree. Al Gore is in a league of his own. I think I'll petition to have his picture put into the dictionary next to "shameless" as well. He's earned it.

Here's some food for thought... no answer needed. Are you secretly glad that Gore didn't win in 2000?

[Bullitt]

@Bobolinsky I am not " secretly" glad. I am publicly rejoicing in the streets

[AnObserver]

Owl Gore should be tried for treason.

[TangMonkey]

I think it's pretty ridiculous to compare any wealthy person to an average person. He spends more on electricity because he has a bigger house. He flies around as a speaker.

It's also ridiculous to completely discredit global warming on the basis of Al Gore being a hypocrite.

In my opinion it'd be just plain stupid to hang on to something that's failing and will ultimately be worth less later on, and most businessmen will make big purchases or sales before the end of the tax year. I know plenty of Republicans that do this.

The 2011 Egyptian Revolution was only made possible because of social media.

"But it will be said, it is easier to find faults than to amend them." ~Thomas Jefferson, one of the biggest Republican hypocrites in history.

[FollowTheMoney]

Typical Politician.

[Tralee]

This was an easy one, we've known that Al was a hypocrite for years now. He even scurried trying to get the deal done in 2012 to avoid the very taxes that all progressives deem part of the top earners "fair share", betcha we don't see Al making a voluntary contribution to the Fed. to pay his "fair share". He even sold "carbon credits" to himself to avoid taxes, this man is out for #1, always has been.

[vws]

The only bigger political whore in the Clinton-Gore administration smoked(?) cigars. Who is really surprized that Gore does what's best for Gore?

[AlexMIA]

He's been taking peoples money to push his global warming agenda backed with false or misleading evidence while he fly's around the world on his private plane. What gave it away?

[XLP]

Progressive/Liberals/Democrats will be the only people shocked by this. The rest of us know all of this smoke and mirrors is just to jingle shiny keys in front of the various allocated groups of “progressive” children. Some of the kids like the “clean environmental” keys. That was his sales pitch. Bottom line all logical humans want to be successful. Al-Gore is no different. The difference is most of us rely on ourselves to do this. The problem is progressives rely on us as well.

[2b1ask1]

Of course he's a hypocrite.....He's a Dem-o-rat isn't he??