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Al Gore

2007-07-18T07:44:26Z

Righteousrandy:

{{President
|image=Al_Gore_2.jpg
|seq=45
|office=vice
|term_start=January 20, 1993
|term_end=January 20, 2001
|party=Democratic
|pres=Bill Clinton
|previous=Dan Quayle
|next=Dick Cheney
|birth_date=March 31, 1948
|birth_place=Washington, D.C.
|death_date=
|death_place=
|spouse=Tipper Gore
|spouse2=
|religion=Baptist
}}

'''Albert "Al" A. Gore, Jr.''' was the 45th [[Vice President]] of the [[United States]](1993-2001) succeeding [[Dan Quayle]] and succeeded by [[Dick Cheney]], following service in the [[House of Representatives]] and the [[Senate]], spanning 1977-85 and 1985-93, respectively.

In his early life, Al Gore attended [[Harvard University]] and (briefly) Vanderbilt University.
He also served in the [[United States Army]], and worked as a journalist.

He is married to activist [[Tipper Gore]].

In his Senate career, he proposed bills to fund the Internet and chaired panels on environmental issues.

In 1992 he wrote ''Earth in the Balance,'' a highly contested book that proposes a liberal-biased view of the environment, and in May 2007 another of his books is set to be published, ''[[Assault on Reason]]''. Gore has at times challenged the Biblical notion of a 'fallen' natural world by claiming that man is responsible for it's degraded nature. This has been challenged by scientist as well as theologians.

==Vice Presidency==
The [[Democratic Party]] selected him for Vice President on the 1992 ticket. The Democrats were victorious and he was sworn in on January 20, 1993.
==Campaign for the Presidency==
As is customary with Vice Presidents, he was nominated to the [[Democratic]] ticket for the 2000 Presidential election. Gore lost to [[George W. Bush]] in the [[Electoral College]] after a close vote, in which Gore received more popular votes than Bush, but fewer electoral votes. Gore contested the results in Florida. On December 13, 2000, after an extensive court battle ([[Bush v. Gore]]), Gore accepted Bush's election to the Presidency.<ref>[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=2000 2000 Presidential Election Results]</ref>.

[[Image:041109 al gore vsml 6a vsmall.jpg|left|thumb|150 px|Al Gore, [[2004]]]]
In the spring of 2000 Gore told the International Press Institute in Boston,

:"For all of my career, I have believed that America has a responsibility to lead in the world. ...we must also recognize that there is ...a set of threats that affect us all and that transcend political borders....we need a foreign policy that addresses the classic security threats -- and understands the new ones as well....We need to pursue a policy of "forward engagement" -- addressing problems early in their development before they become crises; addressing them as close to the source of the problem as possible" <ref>[http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itps/0900/ijpe/pj52gore.htm ''A New Security Agenda for the Global Age''], Al Gore, Speech to the International Press Institute, Boston MA, April 30, 2000. Retreived from U.S. Department of State, International Information Programs.</ref>

Gore contemplates a dark horse bid for the [[2008_Presidential_Election|2008 Democratic Presidential]] nomination, he appears to have been downgraded from an [[Alpha male]] to a [[Beta male]] by ''Newsweek'' magazine. <ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18881794/site/newsweek/page/0/ Betas Rule], By Jennie Yabroff, ''Newsweek'', June 4, 2007.</ref>

==Post politics==
Gore has started an investment firm to invest in environmentally sustainable technology and industries, a cable channel (Current TV), and is an adviser to [[Google]]. He also starred in a keynote presentation about the supposed climate crisis, "[[An Inconvenient Truth]]," which won an [[Oscar]]. Al Gore is also mentioned as a possible [[2008]] presidential candidate. His famous sentence: "I used to be the next president of United States of America."

== Criticism ==
[[Image:Al Gore October 2006.jpg|thumb|150 px|Al Gore at the XPrize Executive Summit, October 19, [[2006]]]]
Al Gore has recently received criticism for his alleged hypocrisy on environmental issues. When it was discovered that Gore's utility bill is 20 times higher than the average American's<ref>[http://stoptheaclu.com/archives/2007/02/26/al-gore-hypocrite/ Al Gore, Hypocrite]</ref> many of his detractors accused him of not living up to his own standards. Gore's defenders claim that the majority of that power came from 'green', or environmentally friendly, power sources such as solar and wind power. These power sources are much more expensive than traditional power sources such as coal and nuclear power. From The Tennessean:

<blockquote>
"Gore purchased 108 blocks of "green power" for each of the past three months, according to a summary of the bills.

That's a total of $432 a month Gore paid extra for solar or other renewable energy sources.

The green power Gore purchased in those three months is equivalent to recycling 2.48 million aluminum cans or 286,092 pounds of newspaper, according to comparison figures on NES' Web site."<ref>[http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070227/NEWS01/702270382]</ref>
</blockquote>

Also, some conservatives have pointed to Gore's use of a private jet while spreading the message about the dangers of [[global warming]].<ref>[http://www.gnn.tv/articles/2332/More_Inconvenient_Truths_About_Al_Gore More Inconvenient Truths About Al Gore]</ref>

Attention has also been called to Gore's profits from mining royalties. Specifically, the mining of zinc adjacent to his property he leased in Tennessee, which has released millions of pounds of potentially toxic substances into the environment.<ref>[http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770316074 Tennessee Mine Enriched Gore, Scarred Land]</ref> The mine has been closed since 2003. The new owner Strategic Resource Acquisition is planning to re-open the mine. From The Tennessean (3/12/07):

<blockquote>
'Last week, Gore sent a letter asking the company to work with Earthworks, a national [[Environmentalist|environmental group]], to make sure the operation doesn’t damage the environment.

“We would like for you to engage with us in a process to ensure that the mine becomes a global example of environmental best practices,” Gore wrote.'
</blockquote>

However, this was after he had already made $500,000 from the mining operations.

==References==

<references/>

{{USVicePresidents}}
[[Category:Vice Presidents of the United States|Gore, Al]]
[[category:liberal activists]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gore, Al}}

John Kerry

2007-07-18T07:37:25Z

Righteousrandy:

[[Image:John-kerry.jpg‎|right|thumb]]
'''John Forbes Kerry''' (b. December 11, 1943) has been the liberal, junior United States Senator from [[Massachusetts]] since 1984; he is considered one of the more [[liberal]] senators<ref>http://nationaljournal.c om/voteratings/sen/lib.htm</ref><ref>http://nationaljournal.com/voteratings/sen/cons.htm</ref>. In 2004, he ran an unsuccessful bid for the [[United States of America|United States]] [[President of the United States of America|presidency]] as the [[Democratic Party]]'s nominee, losing to [[Republican Party|Republican]] incumbent president [[George W. Bush]]. Kerry is currently the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

==Controversy over 2004 Election Financing==

In 2007 the [[Federal Election Commission]] finally issued a draft report <ref>[http://www.fec.gov/agenda/2007/mtgdoc07-37.pdf Agenda Document No. 07-37], Federal Election Commission, Washignton, D.C., May 21, 2007.</ref> stating Kerry spent spent $1.4 million more than federal rules allowed during his 2004 Presidential bid. In order to receive the public funds, Kerry, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, and his running mate, former North Carolina Sen. [[John Edwards]], agreed to spend $74.6 million or less on their general election campaign against President Bush. Kerry’s campaign may have to repay the overspending to the U.S. Treasury, since his unsuccessful general election campaign was funded by tax dollars. The draft audit also found the campaign’s media vendor improperly invested and earned interest on public funds. And auditors allege the campaign misreported its media buys and its outstanding debt. <ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0507/4244.html FEC draft: Kerry broke spending limits], Kenneth P. Vogel, May 30, 2007.</ref>

==Military Career ==

Kerry enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in February, 1966, and began active service that August as Ensign aboard the USS Gridley, a Guided Missile Frigate deployed in the Gulf of Tonkin. During his tour of duty, Kerry requested his second tour be in Vietnam, listing his preferred position as commandeering a Fast Patrol Craft (PCF) or "Swift Boat." His request was granted, and on November 17, 1968 he reported to Cam Ranh Bay for a month of training. During his service, he recieved the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a total of three Purple Hearts during combat operations inside Vietnam, and after his third injury was permitted to request reassignment as per Navy instruction 1300.39, Leaving Vietnam on April 2, 1969. Upon returning stateside, he served as personal aide to Rear Admiral Walter Schlech until March 1970 when his active duty obligation had ended. Kerry continued serving in the Naval Reserves until February 1972. The Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, a noble and honored military group, has raised significant questions regarding Mr. Kerry's military service and the truth of his claims about the purple heart. Important investigations by these swift men has uncovered a host of inconsistencies, which may have damaged his 2004 Presidential campaign. Kerry has repeatedly and unapologetically attacked these decorated veterans.

==Opposition to the Vietnam War==

Kerry belonged to Vietnam Veterans Against the War ([[VVAW]]), where he supported the anti-war movement.
[[Image:437px-The New Soldier.jpg|right|thumb|Kerry's book, ''The New Soldier'' with [[VVAW]] activists flying the American flag upside down.]]
Controversially referring to US servicemen in Vietnam as having been sent "''to die for the biggest mistake in history''," Kerry alleged that the military had "''created a monster''" in the form of violence-prone American soldiers, and recounted that soldiers had personally recollected stories of having "''personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads''," of Vietnamese citizens and rampaging across Vietnam "''[razing] villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan''". <ref>[http://www.richmond.edu/~ebolt/history398/JohnKerryTestimony.html John Kerry's Testimony before the Senate Foerein Relations Committee, April 22, 1971], Editorial Notes by Dr. Ernest Bolt, University of Richmond. </ref> That these acts were "''not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command''." <ref>Ibid.</ref>

On NBC's ''Meet The Press'' in 1971, Kerry was asked whether he had personally committed atrocities in Vietnam. He responded:

:"''There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 caliber machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare, all of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this is ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down. And I believe that the men who designed these, the men who designed the free fire zone, the men who ordered us, the men who signed off the air raid strike areas, I think these men, by the letter of the law, the same letter of the law that tried Lieutenant Calley, are war criminals.''"<ref>[http://hnn.us/articles/3552.html Vietnam 30 Years later: What John Kerry Said on Meet the Press], George Mason University, History News Network</ref>

During his 2004 campaign for President, several groups were formed, most notably the [[Swift Boat Veterans for Truth]]<ref>[http://www.swiftvets.com/index.php Swift Vets and POWs for Truth]</ref>, to counter the charges of "[[war crimes]]" Kerry repeatedly made against Vietnam veterans (see below) and to call Kerry's military record into question, accusing him of inflicting his own wounds,<ref>[http://www.learnedhand.com/kerryunfitepilogue.htm John Kerry - Unfit For Command]</ref> going to unusual lengths to obtain his Purple Hearts,<ref>[http://www.archive-news.net/Articles/FD040830.html ''Forging a Paper Hero: The Mystery of Kerry’s Medals] </ref> and attacking unarmed civilians. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth had been publically criticised, firstly because no member of the group actually served on the boats that Kerry commanded or witnessed the events described, and secondly for internal consistancy and contradiction. As an example, one member of the group was Kerry's commanding officer, George Elliott, who as late as 2003 expressed having "no regrets or second thoughts at all" about writing Kerry up for his Silver Star,<ref>[http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml ''John Kerry: A Candidate in the Making] </ref> only claim the exact opposite the following year.,<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp ''Snopes.com: Service Mettle] </ref>

An internal memorandum for Attorney General [[John Mithcell]] from a Nixon staffer released by the National Archives in July 2007 revealed the Nixon White House had considered recruiting John Kerry. The memorandum states in part,
{{Cquote|He was asked the direct question of how he voted in 1968. He said "if he had voted (which he did not), he would have voted for Nixon." <ref>[http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/documents/donated/042671_chotiner.pdf Memo from Chotiner to Mitchell], April 26, 1971.</ref> }}

==Iraq War==

Kerry voted to give President George W. Bush the authority to go to war with Iraq in 2002, although in his 2004 Presidential bid he campaigned as being opposed to the war, and now says, regarding his vote to give the President that authority, "There's nothing - nothing - in my life in public service I regret more, nothing even close. We should all be willing to say: I was wrong, I should not have voted for the Iraq War Resolution." <ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-kerry/mistakes-and-responsibili_b_31482.html</ref> Kerry's initial vote on the matter and subsequent revision on the topic caused many to label him a "flip-flopper" during his 2004 presidential bid.

==Books by John Kerry==

* John Kerry, [http://www.freekerrybook.org/documents/THENEWSOLDIERPHOTOS_000.PDF ''The New Soldier''], edited by David Thorne, Macmillan Pub Co (October 1971). ISBN-10: 002073610X

==References==
<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerry, John}}
[[Category:US Senators]]
[[Category:Political people]]

Bill O'Reilly

2007-07-18T07:27:42Z

Righteousrandy:

[[Image:Bll.png|thumb|right|Bill O' Reilly On The O' Reilly Report]]
'''Bill O'Reilly''' is a commentator and host of the show ''The O'Reilly Factor'' on the [[Fox News Channel]], which he calls the "No Spin Zone." O'Reilly often remarks that his personal political viewpoint is not captured by the modern [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party|Republican]] parties and would rather call himself a "traditionalist." In this vein, he has expressed support for some positions not traditionally associated with his political supporters including anthropogenic climate change and civil unions for both heterosexual and homosexual couples. The hosts who fill in for him, however, are all standard [[conservative]] Republicans, such as [[John Kasich]], [[Michelle Malkin]], and [[Laura Ingraham]]. ([[Tony Snow]] also had filled in a few times prior to becoming White House Press Secretary).

''The O'Reilly Factor'' is the highest-rated show on any cable news channel. 20 million people a week watch the show, and there are millions more who listen to him on radio stations. O'Reilly is known for his fair and balanced reporting and his impeccable integrity as a journalist. He is a published, detective novelist and has even written an influential book for youths. He used to be the host of the important journalism show, Inside Edition and has made a point of taking on biased media outlets and holding them accountable. <ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/60minutes/main645202.shtml Bill O'Reilly: "No Spin"] Transcript 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace aired Sept. 26, 2004. </ref>

==Trivia==

* O'Reilly and [[Stephen Colbert]] have a friendly rivalry, even appearing on each others' shows.

* O'Reilly is mentioned many times in and is featured on the cover of the New York Times best selling book: ''Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them'', by [[Al Franken]].

==References==
<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT: Oreilly, Bill}} 
[[Category:Broadcasters|Oreilly, Bill]]

Bill O'Reilly

2007-07-18T07:26:10Z

Righteousrandy:

[[Image:Bll.png|thumb|right|Bill O' Reilly On The O' Reilly Report]]
'''Bill O'Reilly''' is a commentator and host of the show ''The O'Reilly Factor'' on the [[Fox News Channel]], which he calls the "No Spin Zone." O'Reilly often remarks that his personal political viewpoint is not captured by the modern [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party|Republican]] parties and would rather call himself a "traditionalist." In this vein, he has expressed support for some positions not traditionally associated with his political supporters including anthropogenic climate change and civil unions for both heterosexual and homosexual couples. The hosts who fill in for him, however, are all standard [[conservative]] Republicans, such as [[John Kasich]], [[Michelle Malkin]], and [[Laura Ingraham]]. ([[Tony Snow]] also had filled in a few times prior to becoming White House Press Secretary).

''The O'Reilly Factor'' is the highest-rated show on any cable news channel. 20 million people a week watch the show, and there are millions more who listen to him on radio stations. O'Reilly is known for his fair and balanced reporting and his impeccable integrity as a journalist. He is a published, detective novelist and has even written an influential book for youths. He used to be the host of the journalism show, Inside Edition. <ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/60minutes/main645202.shtml Bill O'Reilly: "No Spin"] Transcript 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace aired Sept. 26, 2004. </ref>

==Trivia==

* O'Reilly and [[Stephen Colbert]] have a friendly rivalry, even appearing on each others' shows.

* O'Reilly is mentioned many times in and is featured on the cover of the New York Times best selling book: ''Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them'', by [[Al Franken]].

==References==
<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT: Oreilly, Bill}} 
[[Category:Broadcasters|Oreilly, Bill]]

Cable News Network

2007-07-18T07:21:00Z

Righteousrandy:

[[Image:LOGOCNN.png|right|thumb]]
'''CNN''' (officially the '''Cable News Network''') is the oldest 24 hour cable news channel in the [[United States]]. First started in 1980 by renowned activist and husband of Hanoi Jane Fonda, [[Ted Turner]], it is a division of the Turner Broadcasting System, which is owned by AOL Time Warner.

From its origin as a cable-only service, CNN now broadcasts worldwide by satellite, with programs presented from studios in several countries in addition to their headquarters in Atlanta. Some regions receive locally produced opt-outs (under the name "CNN International"), and there are also broadcasts in [[Spanish]], [[German]], [[Italian]], [[Croatian]], [[Turkish]] and [[Gaelic]].

== Allegations of Bias ==

It has been accused by media critics of having a liberal slant to their reporting.[http://newsbusters.org/taxonomy/term/13]

== See also ==

*[[Larry King]]
*[[Glenn Beck]]

==External Links==
:[http://www.cnn.com/ CNN official site]
[[category:broadcasting]]
[[Category:Television]]
[[Category:Media]]

Anderson Cooper

2007-07-17T18:16:32Z

Righteousrandy: New page: Anderson Hays Cooper was born on June 3, 1967 and is an American television personality. He is the main anchor of CNN's liberal news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is based out of...

Anderson Hays Cooper was born on June 3, 1967 and is an American television personality. He is the main anchor of CNN's liberal news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is based out of New York City. Cooper is the son of the writer Wyatt Emory Cooper and the designer and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt. He attended New Haven Connecticut's liberal university, Yale and graduated in 1989 in Political Science and International Relations. <br />
Though Cooper is popular, he is no stranger to controversy and accusations of media bias. For example, during the time of Hurricane Katrina, he consistently played-up the government's poor response, even appearing on Oprah to accuse the government of negligence while at the same time, giving John Edwards what one trustworthy media watchdog group called the "silk glove treatment."<br />
Cooper's first major interview occurred on April 22, 2007 when he interviewed the infamous rapper Cam'ron about the "Stop Snitching" campaign. During the interview, Cooper asked Cam'ron if he lived next door to a serial killer and knew for a fact that person was killing people if would he tell or 'snitch' to the police. Cam'ron said, "No, I wouldn't call and tell on them but I'd probably move."