After reading Al Gore's The Assault on Reason and reading various reviews on this book, I realize that a significant element of the book has not been examined by those who have reviewed the book.
Specifically, if Al Gore runs for President and wins, his hands will be tied. This book is testament that he will roll back Executive power. There's no wriggle room. No half measures, i.e. keep some of the new powers and ditch some of the new powers.
Al Gore has painted himself into a corner on Executive power.
And that's a good thing.
The big 3 Democratic Presidential candidates have made noises scolding Bush for various transgressions. However, not one has made a case for a roll back of his Executive Power grab. Go read their campaign websites Issue Pages. It's true. If you want a quick and dirty search, try Geneva... as in "Geneva Convention". You won't find any reference to it nor how they will restore this treaty in America, not to mention any of the Constitutional usurpations which have occurred under Bush.
As MICHIKO KAKUTANI says in her New York Times book review on Gore's indictment of the Bush administration's Executive Power grab:
Similar charges have been made by a growing number of historians, political analysts and even former administration insiders, and President Bush’s plummeting approval ratings have further emboldened his critics. But Mr. Gore writes not just as a former vice president and the man who won the popular vote in the 2000 election, but also as a possible future candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 race for the White House, and the vehemence of his language and his arguments make statements about the Bush administration by already announced candidates like Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton seem polite and mild-mannered in contrast.
In Assault on Reason Al Gore has systematically taken apart the Bush/Cheney power grab. He has voiced a call for a clear retreat back to the Constitutional norms as defined by the founders and various important Supreme Court cases.
Al Gore is serious about Executive Power roll back.
For me, this is the #1 reason why Al Gore must run, and the #1 reason to support Al once he declares.
The damage done to the US Military, US standing in the world, US treasury, and our national psyche has been severe. But the descent down the slippery slope cannot be arrested unless we first repair the damage to our Constitutional system of Laws.
Only Al Gore has shown the resolve to be the architect of this reform.
We need Gore to run.
I think he will.
We need Gore to win.
I think he will.
We need Gore to correct the injustices he identifies in Assault on Reason.
I think he will.
REFERENCES:
Campaign Websites
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/...
http://www.barackobama.com/...
http://johnedwards.com/...
Book Reviews
SusanG of DailyKos: http://www.dailykos.com/...
NonPartisan of MLW & ProgHistorians: http://www.myleftwing.com/...
New York Times Book Review: http://www.nytimes.com/...
Cross-posted on:
My Left Wing