I tried to search if anyone's mentioned this and haven't been able to find anything. But as I was thumbing through my Union Tribune rag today, page 7 had a little blurb announcing that Gore was going to be in tonight's debate.
The eight announced Democratic presidential candidates and Al Gore, who is undeclared, will face off in a televised debate at 4 p.m. today.
The event, broadcast live from Saint Anselm College near Manchester, N.H., will be shown on CNN, a co-sponsor. Pre-debate coverage begins at 2 p.m., and CNN political reporter Wolf Blitzer will moderate.
It goes on to say that Gingrich and Thompson will participate in Tuesday's debate
Republicans are on tap Tuesday, also beginning at 4 p.m. on CNN. Also on stage will be Newt Gingrich and Fred Thompson, who are considering running.
After reading it, I had to take another sip of coffee and wipe the sleep from my eyes because it was the first time I heard that Gore would be in the debate.
I usually check in to DKos two or three times a day and I'm a political junkie, but it was the first time I've heard that Gore was participating.
I'm embarrassed that I only found out this morning, especially if a lot of others here have known about this for a while. I was really surprised.
Update:I just spoke with a local reporter for the UT. I asked her why the UT would report a story, that on the surface seems incredulous, as no other source is even mentioning an Al Gore appearance. She got a little testy with me and said I should really speak with her editor. She also said that the UT would not report the story if it wasn't true and that she didn't want to get in a debate with me. I told her I wasn't debating her, but that the first tenet of good journalism is to get the facts right before printing them. I pointed out that CNN wasn't even mentioning that Al Gore would participate nor that Gingrich and Thompson would be in Tuesday's debate. She again said that she felt the story was true if they reported it. When I started to ask what her name was, she got a little testy and referred me to her editor, asked for my phone number, and said that someone would be calling me back.
2nd and final Update:Here's the final word. CNN just called me and said that after talking with a source in the Gore camp, Gore will not be on stage tonight, nor will Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich on Tuesday. CNN does not know how the "rumor" got started. I asked her if they disavowed the UT story and she said yes.
Thaaaat's all folks.
If you think the diary should be deleted, then I will delete.