Al Gore Jr. Jr. Arrested!!

Let the wailing and the gnashing of teeth begin!!

Al Gore Jr., son of he who many of have hoped will run for President, was arrested in California this AM.  He was stopped in  his hybrid car (thank God for that), and a small amount of marijuana was found in the vehicle, along with vicodin, valium, xantax,  adderal, and soma (a drug my sister refers to as "soma coma" for its effect on me in times of muscle spasm).  Looks like the boy is in a little pain.  No prescriptions for the medications were found (d'oh!).

Follow me over the fold for the Gore-y details (sometimes I just crack myself up....sorry.)

An account of the incident can be found here.  You gotta love the title, "Al Gore Jr caught high in hybrid", and the same report is also listed at Google as "Al Gore Jr goes a little too green".  Those wacky news guys, always with the jokes....

He identified himself immediately, but was given no special treatment, according to the various reports I've read and heard this morning. He is still in jail at this time and bail has been set for $20,000.

This isn't the first time that Junior Junior has been in such trouble.  In 2000 he was arrested for reckless driving when he was stopped speeding, then again in 2002, for suspicion of drunk driving, and then once more in 2003 for marijuana possession when he was stopped for driving without his headlights on.  He got off with rehab that time.  

This sounds to me like a troubled young man with a taste for pot, the occasional painkiller, and fast (but energy efficient) cars.  You have to wonder what role his nearly dying after being hit by a car has to play in this chain of events.  It's not an excuse, but it could definitely be a factor.

I don't know what this will do to the (slim?) chances that many of us (yes, me too) had for Al Junior the elder running for president, but I have to think it isn't going to push him toward a run for the White House.  Of course, many political figures who become president have had someone close to them who is...shall we say 'troubled'?  I'm mean, Jimmy Carter had Billy, Bill Clinton had Roger.  And then there's our esteemed Fearless Leader, Commander Codpiece.....does it count when the drunken, raving, coked-up, lunatic jackass is the one that actually gets elected?

Read up, kiddies, and weep......

UPDATE: Al Gore is on The Today Show right now discussing this issue, as well as his important work.  He has stated that they have been aware that the young man has a problem, they have been getting him treatment, he is relieved that no one was hurt, and that they are treating this as a private family matter. As it should be.  He's also stated, again, that he has no intentions at this time to run for president.  He is being the classy, dignified Al Gore many of us have come to love and hope will run for president.  Those republican thugs who are trying to outdo each other with how many terrorists they'll torture should be paying attention.  This is how it's done, fools......

UPDATE 2: NeuvoLiberal offers the following statement made by Al Gore (with link provided)....

  Al Gore says son seeks treatment after drug arrest

   LOS ANGELES (AFP) - US former vice president-turned-climate campaigner Al Gore said Thursday his son was getting treatment after being arrested on drug charges when police stopped him speeding in his low-emissions car.

   "We're glad that he's safe and that he's getting treatment and we're going to leave it as a family matter," Gore said in an interview on NBC news.

•  Tips, flames, a soft tissue, perhaps?

  I'm crying in my tea as I type....

  by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 03:53:15 AM PDT

  •  Could you please post Gore's statement on this

    in your diary?

    Al Gore says son seeks treatment after drug arrest

    LOS ANGELES (AFP) - US former vice president-turned-climate campaigner Al Gore said Thursday his son was getting treatment after being arrested on drug charges when police stopped him speeding in his low-emissions car.

    "We're glad that he's safe and that he's getting treatment and we're going to leave it as a family matter," Gore said in an interview on NBC news.

    Let the guy get some treatment, and let the legal process take its course. Al Gore III is an adult, and hence beyond parental support for helping him get better, his conduct is his business. As far I am concerned, the matter as a news item rests there.

    But, if you prod me, this arrest was probably premedidated and timed to put a dent in Gore's Live Earth | message, and to discourage him from running in 2008. If I were Al Gore, this would generate the exact opposite of the intended effect.

    by NeuvoLiberal on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 07:29:44 AM PDT

    •  I will put in another Update forthwith.

      Thanks for the heads-up on the statement.  It's much appreciated, as is your comment.

      by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:48:57 AM PDT

      •  thanks!

        by NeuvoLiberal on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 09:35:54 AM PDT

•  Gore still wins the presidency

  I don't think smoking marijuana compares in comparison to Scooter libby

  by davefromqueens on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:03:17 AM PDT

•  The news this Am said he had scripts

  for those pills. This shouldn't hurt his chances for 08. Its not Big Al. It does sound like the kid had a physical problem. Did it hurt bush when his daughters were bar hopping and starting tiffs?

  by Owllwoman on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:03:45 AM PDT

  •  Really?

    Everything I heard said he didn't have perscriptions.

    by Sinister Rae on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:06:35 AM PDT

    •  CNN this morning talked about

      him having scripts and then went on to say why was he carrying those prescription bottles around with him. They further said that most people don't carry their scripts with them. I say, If you are young and don't know where you might be spending the night, you might.

      by Owllwoman on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:27:25 AM PDT

      •  That's right,

        and if you have those pills on you WITHOUT the script bottles and you get pulled over, you're in trouble until you show you actually have scripts for these meds.

        In the last two times they've spoken about this story on CNN this morning, I didn't hear any mention of his having scripts for these meds. If it's so, why are they leaving that information off the story? humph! let me guess...

        by Pandoras Box on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:44:15 AM PDT

      •  I'm sorry, but I'm still confused.

        It might be because you're using "scripts" where I would use "meds" and because I got absolutely no sleep last night. :)

        I know that he had medication on him, but that he didn't have prescriptions for those meds.  CNN is now saying that the meds were prescribed to him?

        by Sinister Rae on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:48:52 AM PDT

        •  It means that they were not in bottles

          labeled with his name on them.  They were loose pills.  He either bought them off of someone, took them as a gift from someone, or consolidated his legal stash in an illegal container...

          by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:52:34 AM PDT

          •  Right

            I'm trying to figure out if Owllwoman means that they were legally prescribed meds in an illegal container, but that he couldn't produce prescriptions at the time of arrest.  

            by Sinister Rae on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:54:50 AM PDT

            •  I didn't see anything that truly clarified that

              issue, but that's alot of downers to be prescribed legally, even if there were just one of each pill.  I'm thinking that the boy has a residual habit that was fostered long ago when he was injured so badly.  And let's face it, some people just have a taste for certain things.  It's very sad, but it's not going to stop the wingnuts from having a field day with this...

              by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:57:54 AM PDT

              •  Unless you have medical expertise

                and are familiar with this specific case, be careful about making judgments about what is and is not "a lot" in terms of variety or dosage. Pain patients have been convicted because jurors (incorrectly) compared the dosages to their own dosages, and incorrectly concluded that it was "too much" (jurors don't have that expertise, and often have no expert testimony in the area to go on). The fact is, dosages and types of drugs vary wildly from physician to physician and even more so from case to case. When you say some fixed amount of pills is "a lot", you may be damaging the reputation and putting a nail in the coffin of a perfectly legitimate doctor or patient. Dosages vary a lot more than labels on OTC drugs imply. For instance, it is not uncommon for pain med dosages to vary by a factor of ten times or more depending on many patient factors.

                by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:43:48 AM PDT

                •  All I'm comparing this to is

                  the various biker types, stupid teenagers, and pill hounds I've known over the years who've been busted for minor amounts of legal substances that they couldn't prove were theirs.  Once you've known a clean-cut looking guy in a nice car with no outward signs of having anything wrong with him get arrested for four or five pills in an unmarked pill bottle, it kind of leads you to the conclusion that medical expertise isn't what will not get you busted.  How many cops do you know with 'medical expertise' of that sort?  How many drug-sniffing dogs?  They don't call all your doctors and pharmacies to see what you've been taking, they just arrest you.

                  by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:50:04 AM PDT

                  •  yes, I agree

                    that what will get you arrested and what is actually legal or illegal are two different things.

                    by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:00:41 AM PDT

          •  I didn't know you could have a legal

            drug in an illegal container. Either you have a script or not -- I think that is what matters (all the more reason to be sure and keep some actual physical evidence that you actually have a script -- don't depend on medical records -- ask Richard Paey!). They can't make it illegal to take the pill out of the bottle, or people couldn't use those little plastic pill cases. Or, have I missed the enactment of a new drug war law (it wouldn't surprise me)?

            by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:32:55 AM PDT

            •  Sure you can have legal drugs in an illegal

              container.  Say, a baggie, or a pill bottle with someone else's name on it, or hidden inside some other type of container like an antacid bottle or something.  The little pill containers with the days of the week indicate that these are probably your legal medication, and they may question you about it, but they're not likely to bust you for it.  However, if you're driving 100 miles an hour, you have pot in your car, and you have a baggie full of miscellaneous downers, they're gonna charge you, whether it's in your bloodstream or not.....

              by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:38:25 AM PDT

              •  Yes, I agree,

                but I still hold that the container is not relevant to the actual legality of the possession. What ultimately matters is if you have a legal prescription or not. What will cause you to get arrested -- well -- that is and always has been unrelated to what is legal and illegal!

                by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:46:51 AM PDT

                •  I appreciate your point,

                  but out in the real world, that's not how it works.  Rush Limbaugh had legal prescriptions for the pills he took.  He just happened to have way more prescriptions than someone should have.

                  Lots of people get busted every day for just such things as a few pills that aren't in their 'legal' containers.  It may not be fair, it may not be right, but it's the way it is.

                  by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:53:10 AM PDT

                  •  I didn't realize I was

                    talking about the "fake" world (as opposed to the "real" one -- where have I heard this before?). It sounds like you may know me! Yes lot's of people get arrested -- we have no control over why and when we are arrested. My point is that it matters whether or not Al III's possession (if he knew it was there) was legal or illegal, and ultimately whether he will be convicted. Arrests and convictions are different things and have different consequences -- both in the "real" world and the "fake" one -- although I realize the conservative opinion is that they are equivalent (at least for the poor). Regardless of popular Republican logic to the contrary, the untidy detail of whether or not Al III has just been arrested or whether it will result in a conviction matters in such a high profile case.

                    by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:10:04 AM PDT

                    •  I agree with you, but I also have

                      lived through the last 6 1/2 years in an alternate reality, as have you, contrived by republicans for republicans, and in their world, nothing matters but the spin you put on it.  You and I are having a discussion about what constitutes a legal container, but all the wingnuts will be spouting is "Son of Al Gore caught with illegal drugs" and then it will escalate from there.  You and I can go back and forth on this all day, but meanwhile the wingnuts will be doing what they do best - spinning and lying.

                      I think we may be arguing semantics here.  Let's go shout down the opposition instead....

                      by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:27:51 AM PDT

                      •  Point taken...n/t

                        by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:30:27 AM PDT

            •  Actually,

              in Florida, those little pill containers aren't illegal.  It's just illegal to have your prescription medicine in them.  

              In Florida, you may NOT have prescription medicines stored outside the original prescription container.  So, you can still buy the little daily/weekly pill reminder containers, but it's illegal to use them in the manner for which they were invented.

              Ain't that a kick?

              by Heiuan on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:11:14 AM PDT

              •  Ahhhhhh, our clever legal system....

                I'm sure that this provided someone with hours of entertainment when they thought up that handy little law.....

                by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:55:38 AM PDT

              •  Thanks for the info.

                I didn't know that, but as I said earlier, it is no surprise that some creepwadd politicians got a few votes out of drafting that one (which probably passed without so much as a whimper from the public that it will be used against). That means it is probably part of the larger Whahrrr, so there are probably laws like that on the books in many states that nobody even knows about yet.

                Before long they will put locks on the bottles and you will have to go to the police station to take your meds (oops, I shouldn't give them any ideas). Maybe they could require that all pain meds be dispensed by the dose in the presence of a pharmacist (OOps, I really shouldn't give them any ideas on that, because they could charge a fee for it and make cheap pain meds profitable for industry again -- they would jump at that chance).

                The interesting thing to watch is going to be what happens when the baby boomers get just a little older and their joints and other organs start to succumb to the chronic pain of aging. Never before have pain meds been controlled this tightly, and believe me, the next few decades are going to be tough for anybody in pain. Those who used to work into their later years by taking pain meds will no longer have that option. The baby boomers are really going to pay for what they have allowed to occur here. They are going to die slow, painful deaths, and they are going to suffer much more than their parents did. They just don't know enough about it to realize what they have done. They never really knew why grandma seemed so peaceful and happy, even though her bones were crumbling. Now they are going to find out!

                by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:24:25 PM PDT

•  Saw this news story last night

  and my heart and hopes sank when I read it.

  by Pandoras Box on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:03:59 AM PDT

  •  Why? What the hell does this have to do with

    Gore's public work? Nothing.

    His son is an adult. He decides what he wants to do not Gore.
    Only the stupid American media would even treat this as if it was news. It's a private matter and irrelevant.

    by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:38:25 AM PDT

    •  You're right, and that's why it was the first

      thing out of Meredith Viera's mouth this morning when Al Gore was on the today show.  This is going to dog him if he and we do not put a stop to it.  So, we can stand on our principles and refuse to talk about this, or we can go out there and shout down the Rush Limbaugh's and the Glenn Beck's and whatever else rightwing hitman is sent out to trumpet the news that Al Gore is soft on crime, particularly those awful drug crimes.

      by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:36:37 AM PDT

    •  Oh, I agree with you.

      But the stupid American media are already all over it - although, interestingly enough, when I checked msnbc.com, there were no front page mention of the story.

      by Pandoras Box on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:39:18 AM PDT

  •  no, don't let that happen.

    First, it's being reported that the pills were legally prescribed but he was  carrying them in an unmarked container so they looked illegal.

    Second, never forget Rush Limbaugh's taste for pills, which never hurt his career.  Anyone brings up the young Gore, remind them of that, and of what the Bush kids have been busted for more than once.  

    Third, the kid was nearly killed by a car when he was a child and spent much time in hospital nearly dead.  No doubt that has had something to do with this; major traumatic injuries of that sort often have lifelong effects, among them chronic pain that has to be medicated for the rest of one's life.  

    And fourth, none of this reflects on Al Gore the elected President who may yet run again to finish what he would have started.  

    As for getting busted with a baggie of pot in California, that's a friggin' joke.  The attitude in California toward pot is like the attitude toward beer during prohibition, as well it should be.  He will not be sentenced to prison for that one unless he gets a truly obscenely vindictive judge with political motives.  

    BTW, pot is also a damn good pain reliever, so it's possible he was smoking it for that reason but never bothered to get a medical card for it.  

    by G2geek on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:30:52 AM PDT

•  Then too, maybe not so much quiet snickering

  There is very little parents can do to alter or influence the behavior of a 24 year old adult who lives half a continent away.  Jr. Jr. is responsible for his own actions.  Still, there will be quiet snickering at what is at the least, a painful situation for the Gore family.

  by JFinNe on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:05:25 AM PDT

•  Sounds like someone

  who was perscribed pain meds and they "got away" from him.  As for the marijuana, I'm sure he didn't inhale!  Ok I don't give a rats ass what Al Jr, Jr, did.  I want Big Al to run, and my heart goes out to him and his family.  Its tough when your kid does someting stupid, especially when he is under public scrutiny.

  by dangangry on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:10:22 AM PDT

  •  Pain meds

    are for pain.  Usually they are UNDERPRESCRIBED, and people in chronic pain must go through hell in order to get enough of them to live a "normal" or functional life, due to the anti-drug Gestapo.

    If he has a history of severe injury and any legally prescribed pain meds, the chances are not that some "habit" has "gotten away from him", but that he NEEDS MEDS.  Driving recklessly while under the influence is obviously another story, but one that often occurs simply because 1) people in chronic pain need lots of meds, 2) pain meds affect reaction time and judgment, and 3) YOU CANNOT LIVE AN ORDINARY LIFE in the U.S. without driving.  A lot. So if you live with chronic pain, chances are high that at some time you will be driving when you shouldn't.

    The preceding public service announcement brought to you courtesy of having worked for a decade with the world-famous opioid researchers of the Medical College of Virginia.  The opinions expressed here would, of course, never be expressed by those researchers in public because their funding could be cut off, but are widely shared in the pain-control and research communities.

    Being a born-and-bred Goldwater Republican and archeo-pagan, I of course firmly believe that the government has no business dictating how much pain medication any individual needs or can access.  Funny how the only parts of government the current GOP crew wants to drown in Norquist's bathtub are the USEFUL ones that help real people.

    by cynndara on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 09:02:44 AM PDT

    •  Amen to that, my dear,

      amen to that.....

      by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 09:12:37 AM PDT

    •  Thanks!!! n/t

      by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:26:58 PM PDT

•  AGIII nt

  by breezeview on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:22:33 AM PDT

•  It's ok Al We're Still Here For You!

  I think it paints Al and his family as human as the rest of us. We all have some family member (close or distant) that does something stupid. I know the Gores are in pain over their child no matter how old he is.

  by ricochet on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:23:57 AM PDT

•  I'm sorry for his son and for Al as well..

  ..since this will be on Fox News 24/7 with those great Fox News headlines we all love so much.  And I bet Wolf Blitzer does the same with this.  

  by quantumspin on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:29:04 AM PDT

•  please change hed: It is Al Gore III

  not jr. jr.

  tx

  by skywriter on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:34:22 AM PDT

  •  meh.

    Headlines in all the papers I read (the same Reuters story in each one) says Al Gore, Jr.  That is much more confusing than Jr., Jr.  And it's a little snark, a bit of levity to lighten the glum mood of a young man who is obviously troubled, whose behavior will not be fodder for all the wingnuts.  I'm not changing it.

    by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:54:43 AM PDT

    •  who will "NOW" be fodder for all the wingnuts,

      not "NOT"....typing too fast...

      by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:12:33 AM PDT

      •  not "Not" ...

        whose there?

        by Friend of the court on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:23:16 AM PDT

        •  LMAOROTF!!!!

          You kill me FOTC, you just slay me.  I wish my brain worked as fast as nonnie's, I'd have the reply for you by now....

          :-)

          by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:29:33 AM PDT

          •  oh, shit.....

            i'm supposed to have a clever reply?

            by nonnie9999 on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 02:03:02 PM PDT

  •  leave title as is please

    jr jr is much clearer than the III. i knew right away from title that this was not our next president but his son. with a III in the title, well, not keeping track of numbers in that family, it could be my candidate or someone else in family, it would have been more ambiguous and maybe cause me a little grief for a second until i read diary.

    by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 09:17:25 AM PDT

    •  Thanks for the support, PD...

      I thought the title was snarky AND informative, so it's good to have your blessing....

      ;-)

      by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 09:19:45 AM PDT

•  If it was just marijuana

  ...I would have laughed and wished more power to him, but it sounds like he really needs some treatment.  The use of adderal alone can cause many side effects, as well as lead to bouts of mania.  

  I bet this young man is dealing with load of garbage right now.  He needs treatment, asap.  It is unfortunate when personal pain and biological chemistry leads them to addiction.  Even worse, he has become a political liability for his father, that is spearheading the most important issue the world faces today.  

  My prayers are with the young lad.    

  by flipflopper on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:41:20 AM PDT

  •  Common

    My niece (in her 20's) takes adderal to focus and the downers to rest.  It is very common in this generation who were brought up that a pill cures everything.  We need a discussion in this country about this as well as drugging the elderly.  The pills are considered "medicine".

    by chigh on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 12:34:06 PM PDT

    •  Unfortunately, the

      problem with pain meds is not overprescribing, but underprescribing. You will find out about it when you suffer a painful medical condition (unless you are in the top 5% of wealth and pay huge amounts for your health care).

      by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 04:29:01 PM PDT

•  CNN

  just reporting drugs were not prescribed to him, but he is not charged with DUI as no drugs were present in tests.  So, he was basically arrested for speeding?

  by JFinNe on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:04:51 AM PDT

  •  Well

    pulled over speeding, but the drugs are still illegal, even if it's not a DUI.

    by Sinister Rae on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:06:23 AM PDT

    •  True

      The minute I posted, realized I left out possession.  However, the police smelled "strong odor of marijuana" in the car and that prompted the search.  If Jr. hadn't smoked it (no drugs in tests reported.) then why was there such a strong odor in the car?  

      Maybe the post below The Hunting of Al Gore has begun has a strong odor of truth in it.

      by JFinNe on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:10:34 AM PDT

      •  Hey, you don't have to smoke it for it to smell.

        Some of the best marijuana has a pungent smell so potent that it cannot be contained in any ordinary container.  Not that I'd know anything about that....
        ;-)

        by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:14:36 AM PDT

      •  asdf

        If Jr. hadn't smoked it (no drugs in tests reported.) then why was there such a strong odor in the car?  

        That's weird, because at least one report said upon arrest he admitted to smoking recently.

        Bah.

        I'm doing it again, and I said I'd stop yesterday.  The speculation makes me feel skeevy, especially when we don't really know much.  

        by Sinister Rae on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:15:15 AM PDT

•  The hunting of Al Gore has begun

  They fear his success of the Live Earth concerts and his run for the presidency.  Remember, with the Bush Crime Family, everyone is fair game for intimidation and threats, even spouses and children.  

  by Foundmyvoice on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:06:35 AM PDT

  •  Ah nonsense. This guy is an asshole. It's

    that simple. He is 24, he had run ins in the past he learned nothing. He did it again, only that this time it's even worse because of the presc drugs.

    What a moron!

    But hell, he is not Gore and we shouldn't even talk about him.

    by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:42:19 AM PDT

•  And after all the trouble the record industry

  went through to label records for young Al.

  by jhecht on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:16:35 AM PDT

  •  What the hell does that have to do with this?

    Did Tipper ever claim that the labels will emliminate drugs or reckless driving from the face of the Earth or what?

    Those labels were promoted because of sex and violence in those stupid lyrics not speed driving or even pot smoking. Did Gore III rape or kill someone or what?

    And for that matter this guy was quite normal until after he went to Harvard. Which means  he lost his mind as a adult not while Tipper could still influence him.

    by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:46:29 AM PDT

•  This is the perfect opportunity

  to revive the real history of Commander Codpiece. If the average American sees no problem with w being allowed to assume his birthright position as CEO of America Inc., regardless of his past, then what would be wrong with Junior Junior's father being uneffected by past legal troubles of someone else (not even his own behavior). It seems that if they try to use this as smear, they have some answering up to do in the area of w's youthful escapades. But then I guess Junior Junior would have to renounce beer and undergo a second birth. That brings up another issue -- why did they all vote for w because they wanted to have beer with him after he quit drinking and found th' lord?

  by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:24:40 AM PDT

  •  Excellent point, and one we should be

    driving home during the next hours and days while this is a free for all in the press....

    by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:29:46 AM PDT

•  Upside, he is now as famous as the Bush girl.

  Downside, he has a little problem.  Rush, what was the number for that clinic in Florida?

  by Habanero on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:31:13 AM PDT

  •  I may have to listen to Rush this afternoon

    (although I'll be holding a bucket to vomit in) just to see what kind of hypocritical spin he puts on this.  I love the way that the wingnuts can accuse the left of being a bunch of druggies out of one side of their mouth while popping a few pills in the other side....

    by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:34:48 AM PDT

    •  He's scum

      Frankly, I'd love it if his fat head was used as a football.

      by TLS66 on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 09:33:47 AM PDT

•  If you think it's a private family matter

  why on earth do you even talk about it here?

  It's nobody's business but theirs.

  Now let's deal with really important stuff. This nonsense was diaried three times already.

  by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:34:35 AM PDT

  •  Oddly, I haven't been up all night to see

    that there were three other diaries.  They don't appear to be on the recent list, and I haven't combed through everything that's rolled off the list.  

    And its being a private family matter doesn't mean that those of us who  hope that Al will run don't need to be kept abreast of things.  But if you'd rather get back to the 200th diary on the Libby thing, feel free.  I won't stop you from leaving this diary to go elsewhere....

    by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:41:55 AM PDT

    •  But why this "thing"? This has absolutely

      nothing to do with whether he will run or not.

      Not the least because it's not even new. Gore III had the same problem back in 2003 then before that in 2001. And it was not even mentioned here. So why is this suddenly so important?

      It's not an attack on you, really. I just don't undersand why in the fucking world are people even interested in this stuff. Gore III is an adult private citizen and he has nothing to do with why we support - or oppose - Gore himself.

      by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:57:19 AM PDT

      •  Of course it has an effect

        Maybe Gore can contain the effect and run, anyway. It may even be that "ignoring the issue" and "not talking about it" are the best strategies. But even "not talking about it" is a strategy.

        by sclminc on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:52:14 AM PDT

        •  Yes, I think that it would be the wisest course

          for Gore to take the highroad.  But that means that we have to have his back.  We have to be willing to go out there and shout down the hypocrites and the liars, we have to pick up their shit and sling it right back in their faces.

          by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:58:37 AM PDT

          •  To me, that seems too confrontational

            People who say that Gore's son got into trouble and wonder what that means about Gore's parenting aren't lying, and they're not necessarily asking an unreasonable question.

            I'm a swing voter when it comes to Gore running in the Democratic party. I think it's fine for the Gore people to decide not to talk about this. I'd be offended if Obama or Clinton or anyone on their staff's tried to milk this, but I'd also be offended if, say, Air America did a show about this, and then the Gore people acted as if the Air America people were evil traitors.

            If Albert Gore III supports the idea of his father running for president and believes that his father was, generally, a good father, the most effective thing might be for him to come out and say something like, "Look, I was an idiot and I'll take my lumps, but my father is a great father, and whatever mistakes I make, they're my mistakes, not his. It would be great if people could focus on the future of the country and not my personal ups and downs." Especially if Albert Gore III is, generally, an intelligent, nice, attractive guy, then the son himself might be the best response to the RightMarch.com/Viguerie/Bush Rovie hate machine.

            Disclaimer: I just have no time to watch TV, and it's possible that Albert Gore III has already done this, or something like this, and it either backfired or had no effect. If so, sorry.

            by sclminc on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 07:54:59 AM PDT

            •  No need for the disclaimer. But, as has been

              noted below, whether you want Gore to run or not, his very important, very urgent message about the damage we are doing to this earth is being trampled by the coverage of his son's problems.  Al should be allowed to keep above the fray and let those that will carry water for him in this instance do so.  The republicans will be unmerciful.  We have to bring the same energy to bear in defense of someone speaking plainly on what may be the most important issue of our time, whether we want to make him president or not.

              by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:45:59 AM PDT

            •  It is an unreasonable question.

              Parenting? He is 24 for goodness sake.

              When he will be 50 you will still talk about his parents?

              When you are 24 you are an adult fully responsible for your actions. Gore III didn't do this because of how his parents treated him but because HE wanted to do it. It's that simple. No need for psychobabble.

              Were you making your own decisions when you were 24?
              I sure did. And my parents didn't have any control over me. I didn't let them to tell me what was right and wrong anymore. I knew it myself.

              Gore III was never involved in politics. His daughters were but his son was not interested in it. Leave him alone. What he does is his business and only his.

              by elender on Fri Jul 06, 2007 at 04:15:02 AM PDT

        •  What kind of effect does this have?

          Did Jeb Bush's daughter have any effect on Jeb Bush's political standing? No.

          Did the Bush twins have any effect on Bush's political standing? No.

          And they shouldn't have.

          Gore III is not Al Gore Jr. He is adult he deals with his own business.

          by elender on Fri Jul 06, 2007 at 04:10:44 AM PDT

  •  Becasue we are going to have to

    defend our leaders, and we need to talk about it. Al III did nothing that w didn't do, and we need to make sure that fact is forefront in every discussion of this matter.

    by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:54:19 AM PDT

    •  Defend against what?

      It's not that Gore was arrested or something.
      The only people who would use this against him are the wingers who would use EVERYTHING and ANYTHING against him no matter what and wouldn't support him anyway.

      Gore III is not his father. What part of that is so difficult to understand?
      Why does it matter what Gore III does or doesn't do?

      by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 05:59:46 AM PDT

      •  You are underestimating the power of the

        wingnuts with the microphones.  This shit plays big in places that hold alot of voters that could swing either way come election day.  Look at what happened in Ohio in 2004, just because the right was evil enough to use gay marriage as a tool to frighten people.  We'll be hearing about the war on drugs, you can bet on it, and how lax the Democrats are on such things. It's all crap, it's all stupid, but it also works.

        Just sayin'....

        by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:05:52 AM PDT

        •  You know, if anyone who is not a wingnut

          can be turned against Gore because of this I would tell him  go fuck yourself. I wouldn't like to have the votes of complete idiots or complete hypocrites.

          But I don't think this would influence the majority one way or the other.

          The MSM is the powerhouse of US politics. Not the right wing echo chamber. Fortunately they cannot sway enough people. That's why Clinton could win in 1992 and in 1996. He was attacked by the wingnuts but the MSM treated him pretty well.

          If the wingnuts lose the indies they lose the election too. See 2006.
          Similarly, if the MSM wants to destroy someone they can do it by swaying the indies. That's what they did with Gore in 2000 but over things that supposedly he did and said not someone else. It wouldn't have worked if they had tried to use something against him which another person committed.

          Look at what happened in Ohio in 2004, just because the right was evil enough to use gay marriage as a tool to frighten people.  

          The gay marriage stuff didn't energize enough indies. They would have voted for Bush anyway because as stupid as it is  most indies never kick a president's ass during a war.

          Without the whole terra thing and the Iraq war thing Bush would have lost. Gay marriage or not.

          BTW Gore was always very tough  on the drug issue. Which is, among other things, why the left hated him.
          Gore will never say that it's OK to use drugs. Even pot. No matter what his son does. So let them bring up the war on drugs if they want. Gore has a track record there.

          by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:32:22 AM PDT

          •  I don't necessarily disagree with you,

            I just think it's shortsighted not to be prepared for it if it happens.  What we're talking about here is not whether Gore can win, we're talking about whether Gore will run.  Will he want to subject his troubled son to the onslaught of public scrutiny?  Because if he runs it will happen, whether it's a private family matter or not.  Don't underestimate the right.  They know how to cheat to win.  We must always be prepared for that.

            by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:40:05 AM PDT

            •  the question

              of whether he would win or run is relevant, because it shows just how incredibly reasonable it would be to assume that there is sufficient motive to plant drugs on him. Compare the cost of what it would take to slip some pills into AGIII's car with the political impact this is about to have. Oh, I know, I know. That's what they all say.

              by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:52:19 AM PDT

              •  hmmm..addendum

                cops searched because they "smelled pot" but no pot in blood?

                Since AGIII had felony drugs on him, he decided to drive recklessly and see if he could get stopped?

                Have I told you about the real estate in Florida...

                by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:57:44 AM PDT

                •  LMAO!!

                  I have some lovely 'bottom land' along the Gulf Coast I might be able to interest you in.....

                  :-)

                  by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 07:00:22 AM PDT

                  •  I'm all

                    sweaty already!

                    by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 07:59:04 AM PDT

            •  You mean the MSM using this against Gore?

              They won't.

              They didn't in 2001 and 2003, either. They know that most people wouldn't buy it.

              Will he want to subject his troubled son to the onslaught of public scrutiny?

              He answered that in a interview yesterday. He said that this was not the reason why he is not running. That settles it.

              For goodness sake, his family was under the microscope for 30 years. Do you think suddenly that would have a different inpact on Gore's decisions?

              Because if he runs it will happen, whether it's a private family matter or not.

              It will happen in the wingnut circles. But for the rest of the media this will be quickly become a non-issue. Just like Jeb's daughter or the Bush twins.

              by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 10:27:09 PM PDT

      •  I guess just because

        they will use any smear tactic they can, and they love errant children to use as props for the "failed morals" of their parents. You are preaching to the choir, except that I go a little further and think perhaps the drugs should be legal to begin with, and that perhaps Al III is not such a bad kid.

        by phaktor on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:46:34 AM PDT

        •  I agree with you on all points.

          And I particularly think it is the height of stupidity that marijuana is illegal.  Why not make aspirin illegal, too?  Or water?

          I was about to go into a rant about the pharmaceutical industry and the idiocy of the American public, but I'm going to try to hold myself back.  You are right, we are right, but we have to keep shouting it if we're ever going to make a majority of people believe it.

          I doubt that the kid is any more troubled than alot of young men his age, and the fact that his every mistake becomes broadcast all over the world only makes his life more difficult.  I feel for this kid, whether he's truly troubled or not.  It can't be easy being Al Gore's son, or the son of any prominent person in this society.

          by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:54:02 AM PDT

    •  Yes, and not only W,

      there are many on the right (Rush, et al) who have a voice that millions listen to, and they will be ripping Al Gore a new one over this, despite the fact that they have done the same or worse.  'Do as I say, not as I do.'  We will have to point up the hypocrisy at every opportunity, we have to sling it back in their face, and point out the kind of man Al Gore is as opposed to the kind of sleazebags they are.  We've got loud voices, and we'll have to use them....

      by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:02:06 AM PDT

      •  But it is his son who has drug issues

        not Al Gore. If they want to attack Gore III, fine.
        It's not that he is a public figure.

        But Gore? He did nothing wrong. And most people are able to tell the difference between themselves and their adult children.

        by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:35:16 AM PDT

•  AG3 was born the same

  day and same year as my younger son.  At that age they are living their own life and there is not much you can do to control them.  He is either going to straighten out or he is not.
  And just because he was caught with pills doesn't mean he is an addict. There is a lot of jumping to conclusions here.

  I just sat and listened to that loud mouth John Ridley on MSNBC talking about how Gore better not go to the concert and he had better go spend time with his kid etc..."how can you save the world if you can't save your own child blah blah blah".  What a gigantic ass.  Anyone who know anything about grown children with drug problems knows that you do not give up your life to sit around holding their hand.  That is NOT what they need.  Live goes on and if Albert if in treatment his father probably can't be there anyway.

  by TeresaInPa on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:36:06 AM PDT

  •  And you are affirming my point about what will

    be said by the MSM, the wingnuts, etc.  You know and I know that a 24 year old is a grown man who is not going to be controlled by his parents.  You and I know that having pills in an 'illegal' container doesn't mean he's an addict.  You and I know that Al Gore is a good man who loves his son and will do all he can to help him, whatever his problems.

    It is foolish to not acknowledge that the kind of crap that will be said will not have an affect.  Tell me, what is the percent of Americans that still believe that Iraq was responsible, in part or in whole, for 9/11?  You and I may know alot of things, but there are a hell of alot of Americans that apparently don't....

    by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:44:54 AM PDT

    •  yup

      and we don't have the media, but I agree that we need to do what the right does and throw their crap right back in their face.

      by TeresaInPa on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:50:31 AM PDT

  •  Well, it's not that Gore III was caught emitting

    a bunch of CO2. What the hell does global warming have to do with speed driving and presc drugs?

    Ridley is an asshole. He should deal with his own shit and leave other people's families alone.

    by elender on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 10:29:46 PM PDT

•  Private matter

  The VP says that this will be treated as a private family matter.Hate radio will talk about it but we may need to stop defending him.Dont respond to them.This just feeds the fire.Al and Tipper will look after him.

  by kayfromsouth on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 06:59:46 AM PDT

  •  This was the Kerry approach to swiftboating.

    I have a vague memory of how that turned out.....

    by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 07:01:23 AM PDT

    •  Bad analogy

      Just give it some thought.Is this what we want to be talking about?

      by kayfromsouth on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 07:09:19 AM PDT

      •  Absolutely not.

        But do we want the MSM and the right pounding and pounding on this without giving a proper response?  I'm not sure if my analogy is bad or not, but I do know that if you don't point out the hypocrisy of this and smack them down with authority, there will damage done.  And if we want Gore to run, which I most certainly do, then I want him to be able to remain above the fray, and I'll carry water for him, if that's what needs to happen.  The left likes to ignore those insinuations and insults that seem so stupid and beneath contempt that surely no one would believe them.  My experience is that it is almost always a mistake not to respond.  We need to do so with a sharp-edged sword.  I keep my tongue sharpened for just such occasions.....

        by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 07:20:37 AM PDT

        •  You are right

          Gore was my senator for years and I would do almost anything to get him reelected to presidency.I have been listening to him this AM and this story is obviously stepping on his message about global warming.All I am saying is that we do not need to feed the fire.When I said bad analogy I was pointing out that Al 3 does have a drug problem by report.Kerry was a hero who allowed himself to be trashed.We are on the same side here GG.Gore/Obama 08.

          by kayfromsouth on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 07:46:46 AM PDT

          •  Of course we're on the same side,

            and we'll just have to make sure that we have his back, and that his message gets out without getting lost in a fog of bullshit about his son.  Even if I wasn't hoping he'd run, I'd still want to try to protect him as much as possible, because his message is so very important.

            by Got a Grip on Thu Jul 05, 2007 at 08:40:13 AM PDT

        •  The MSM didn't have any response. They were

          stupid to treat this as if it was news. Actually it has no useful information in it whatsoever.
          But other than reporting it they did nothing. And they won't because they know most people don't care about this.

          by elender on Fri Jul 06, 2007 at 04:18:11 AM PDT