Al Gore Myths Debunked (Continued)
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The Farm Boy
During the 2000 campaign, Vice President Gore often said the following: "My father taught me how to clear land with a doubleheaded axe . . . how to plough a steep hillside with a team of mules." Soon after Gore uttered the above sentence, Jim Nicholson, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, faxed the celebrity press corps that Gore was lying because he was really brought up in the posh Fairfax Hotel in Washington. In fact, as even critical biographers confirm, Gore's father did make him spend long tough summers doing backbreaking chores on the family farm.
The Florida School
Al Gore's story in the first debate of the overcrowded Florida classroom was entirely true at the time the Gore was given the letter by the student's father, and continued to be true for several days afterward. Gore never claimed that the student was condemned to stand in the classroom for the entire year. Embarrassed by the national attention, the Principal issued a false denial that the GOP put to immediate use, without bothering to check the facts -- ironically, the exact failure of responsibility that they attributed to Gore.
Social Security Hike
An email circulating around on the internet claimed the following:
Which party increased the tax on Social Security? The Democratic Party with Al Gore casting the deciding vote.
Since the statement does not mention any specific bill that Al Gore cast the deciding vote, it led to an exhaustive search. As a Vice President, he could have exercised his constitutional powers to break a tie vote in the Senate.
Found was part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, the Vice President did cast a vote in the Senate to break a tie. This Act was a huge bill that covered everything from agricultural commodities, licensing of radio spectrum, luxury automobile taxes, fuels, banking, medicare, etc., etc. The bill passed in the House by a vote of 218-216 and in the Senate by 51-50.
H. R. 2264 Latest Major Action: 8/10/1993 Became Public Law No: 103-66. This is section 13215:
SEC. 13215. SOCIAL SECURITY AND TIER 1 RAILROAD RETIREMENT BENEFITS.
(a) ADDITIONAL INCLUSION FOR CERTAIN TAXPAYERS-
(1) IN GENERAL- Subsection (a) of section 86 (relating to social security and tier 1 railroad retirement benefits) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
(2) ADDITIONAL AMOUNT- In the case of a taxpayer with respect to whom the amount determined under subsection
(b) (1)(A) exceeds the adjusted base amount, the amount included in gross income under this section shall be equal to the lesser of--
(A) the sum of--
(i) 85 percent of such excess, plus
(ii) the lesser of the amount determined under paragraph (1) or an amount equal to one-half of the difference between the adjusted base amount and the base amount of the taxpayer, or
(B) 85 percent of the social security benefits received during the taxable year.'
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS- Subsection (a) of section 86 is amended--
(A) by striking `Gross' and inserting:
(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), gross', and
(B) by redesignating paragraphs
(1) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively.
(b) ADJUSTED BASE AMOUNT- Section 86(c) (defining base amount) is amended to read as follows:
(c) BASE AMOUNT AND ADJUSTED BASE AMOUNT- For purposes of this section--
(1) BASE AMOUNT- The term `base amount' means `(A) except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, $25,000,
(B) $32,000 in the case of a joint return, and
(C) zero in the case of a taxpayer who--
(i) is married as of the close of the taxable year (within the meaning of section 7703) but does not file a joint return for such year, and
(ii) does not live apart from his spouse at all times during the taxable year.
(2) ADJUSTED BASE AMOUNT- The term `adjusted base amount' means--
(A) except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, $34,000,
(B) $44,000 in the case of a joint return, and
(C) zero in the case of a taxpayer described in paragraph (1)(C).'
(c) TRANSFERS TO THE HOSPITAL INSURANCE TRUST FUND-
(1) IN GENERAL- Paragraph (1) of section 121(e) of the Social Security Amendments of 1983 (Public Law 92-21) is amended by--
(A) striking `There' and inserting:
(A) There
(B) inserting `(i)' immediately following `amounts equivalent to'; and
(C) striking the period and inserting the following: `, less (ii) the amounts equivalent to the aggregate increase in tax liabilities under chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which is attributable to the amendments to section 86 of such Code made by section 13215 of the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993.
(B) There are hereby appropriated to the hospital insurance trust fund amounts equal to the increase in tax liabilities described in subparagraph (A)(ii). Such appropriated amounts shall be transferred from the general fund of the Treasury on the basis of estimates of such tax liabilities made by the Secretary of the Treasury. Transfers shall be made pursuant to a schedule made by the Secretary of the Treasury that takes into account estimated timing of collection of such liabilities.'
(2) DEFINITION- Paragraph (3) of section 121(e) of such Act is amended by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph
(C) , and by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph:
(B) HOSPITAL INSURANCE TRUST FUND- The term `hospital insurance trust fund' means the fund established pursuant to section 1817 of the Social Security Act.'.
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT- Paragraph (2) of section 121(e) of such Act is amended in the first sentence by striking `paragraph (1)' and inserting `paragraph (1)(A)'.
(4) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS- Paragraph (1)(A) of section 121(e) of such Act, as redesignated and amended by paragraph (1), is amended by striking `1954' and inserting `1986'.
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1993.
The Bible In The Balance
An email contained a quote said to be from Al Gore's Book "Earth in Balance." The quote said Christians refuse to accept the earth as our "sacred mother" and are a dangerous threat to the survival of humanity. Gore is also quoted as saying that Christians are a "blight to the environment" and that believing in Bible prophecy is unforgivable."
The truth is, this is a hoax. Al Gore's book is actually titled "Earth In the Balance" and TruthOrFiction.com has not found the statement on page 342 or anywhere else.
On the face of it, it's an absurd quote and despite Mr. Gore's commitment to environmentalism, it is doubtful that he would have said it. Both Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, are long-time members of Protestant churches and regard themselves as Christians. Even if Gore believed that Christians were the "blight of the environment", none of his advisors would let him make such an outlandish statement publicly, especially while running for the presidency nor is he that incompetent.
At this writing, TruthOrFiction.com has traced this back to a religious website, which apparently published the quote without checking Al Gore's book.
Here is an example of the email that was circulating:
THE NOTORIOUS QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Refusing to accept the earth as our sacred mother, these
Christians have become a dangerous threat to the survival
of humanity. They are the blight on the environment and
to believe in Bible prophecy is unforgivable."
-- Vice President Al Gore
EARTH IN BALANCE, p.342
NAFTA Approval
Al Gore would only approve of NAFTA if it truly brought economic prosperity to the world without sacrificing American jobs. The fact that during the Clinton-Gore years we actually added 23 million new jobs, is only proof it can work if instituted properly.
If you remember, NAFTA came in at a time when a global economy was just taking hold. The original idea of NAFTA was that it would incorporate the Koyto Treaty and force corps to pay decent wages in foreign countries and had environmental provisions that were geared to be increased as time went by because most third world countries (where corps could hire slave labor) had no environmental laws at all. Now corps are free to hire at .15 to .25 cents per hour and work sweatshops with no environmental restrictions at all and Bush wants to dump the Koyoto Treaty altogether. Can't have any restrictions on his war chest monies! This is why the Rio Grande River is so polluted that it actually catches fire from time to time, brain cancer is epidemic in new births, Texas residents are screaming about air pollution, and nothing is being done by Bush & crew about it.
John 3:16
There was another email circulating that claimed Vice President Al Gore announced during a speech that his favorite Bible verse is John 16:3. The truth behind this rumor is also false.
Here is the original article that circulated:
In an important speech given this week, Al Gore attempted to portray how important his faith is in his life. He of course was trying to apply what he's learned from his mentor Clinton. Here's what happened.
In his typically stiff, condescending, and insincere manner, he said his favorite Bible verse is John 16:3. Of course, the speech writer meant 3:16, but wasn't even familiar enough with this often quoted & of course often taken for granted Scripture to catch the error. Neither was Gore, and how incredibly appropriate it is.
"And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me." John 16:3
This tidbit began circulating on the Internet in June 1999. The irony is easy to see: a leading candidate for President of the USA seeks to reassure the voting public of his devoutness and commitment to religion by citing his "favorite" biblical passage, John 3:16, one that expresses the central tenet of Christianity: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" but instead accidentally transposes the chapter and verse numbers and references a very different passage, John 16:3: "And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me." Not nearly as familiar with the Bible as he professes to be, Gore fails to recognize his blunder.
How embarrassing. Or, more accurately, how embarrassing this would be if it were true.
It's obvious from the phrasing that this anecdote originated with someone who is no fan of Vice-President Gore. It's also obvious from the evidence that the whole passage is fabricated. No details about when, where, or to whom Gore was speaking are provided (other than "this week"), nor did any of the standard media outlets pick up and report this alleged gaffe. (Some versions of this rumor claim that "the media ignored the story." Yeah, right. We all know that the media are busy covering important stories and can't be bothered reporting on the foibles of politicians.) The intent is to mock Al Gore by likening him to President Clinton (his "mentor") and casting him as the insincere hypocrite who invokes religion when it suits his purposes but fails to live up to its standards. Thus a fictitious slip-up is created to cast Gore as unfamiliar with the scripture he professes to admire, leading him to inadvertently cite a biblical passage that offers a warning about those who have failed to heed and accept the word of God and of God's son. It's a deft put-down, but it's also nothing but a hoax. Vice-President Gore may have his own flaws, but this bit of fiction isn't evidence of them.
Of course, this quote's lack of pedigree hasn't stopped it from being repeated by those at the other end of the political spectrum from Al Gore. Paul Harvey mentioned it in his noontime broadcast on 6 July 1999, and it was included on a Rush Limbaugh fan site. (The site mentioned that the quote wasn't "confirmed" but more than made up for that minor concession by including it on a page full of Dan Quayle malaprops erroneously attributed to Al Gore.)
So where did this quote come from? According to syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, it is a real quote not from the mouth of Al Gore, but from George W. Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush.
Bush said it in my presence at a religious broadcasters convention about 1990, and I wrote about it in my book, Blinded by Might: Can the Religious Right Save America. But somehow it got twisted around and stuck on the Internet and put in Al Gore's mouth. He's got a lot of stuff that he has to defend, but that's not one of them.
The Battle For Florida
There is a common myth that has been spread by many loyal, bitter democrats about the 2000 election that says Al Gore did not fight hard enough for the state of Florida. However, that is not the truth. It had been 36 days, people in the streets were complaining, the party leaders were urging Gore to go with that final SC decision whatever it may be. People were screaming at him at all hours outside the VP's mansion "Get out of Cheney's house" (does he even stay there now or at some other undisclosed location?) and he was being labeled and called a loser by the media, average citizens and others. It didn't seem statesmanlike to him to continue to push on. There were deadlines to contend with. There was basically nothing more he could do after the 5-4 Supreme Court ruling. He did more than any other man in history to stand and fight for our future which is why if we are to ever have him lead us, we will have to earn him by drafting him and offering him the nomination. He certainly shouldn't have to lift another finger to make this happen. It is owed him and it's up to us. We now have to offer him the 4 years he was elected by us to serve in 2000. He probably decided the race was too close anyway and if he fought further and was successful he wouldn't have a mandate or the support of half of the voters! Gore is nothing like Bush or any other politician for that matter. He wants to be President only if the people want it to be so. Americans obviously weren't paying attention in 2000 as half didn't vote and half of those who did chose George W. Bush. We could seriously argue that these individuals were apathetic and/or clueless but there are no excuses for this blatant lack of responsibility in a democracy. If we don't view our right and need to vote as an obligation the country will continue to falter. If it were me I would think "that's fine, you want Bush? You got Bush!" 
More Info Here
Terrorism And Bin Laden
On September 23, 2002, former Vice President Al Gore gave a speech critical of the administration’s foreign policy at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. During that speech, Mr. Gore made what seemed an entirely obvious point that the war against Al Qaeda was not finished. Mr. Gore went on to suggest that we should complete the war against Al Qaeda. This is what Mr. Gore, in part, said:
To begin with, I believe we should focus our efforts first and foremost against those who attacked us on September 11th and have thus far gotten away with it. The vast majority of those who sponsored, planned and implemented the cold blooded murder of more than 3,000 Americans are still at large, still neither located nor apprehended, much less punished and neutralized.
I don't think that we should allow anything to diminish our focus on avenging the 3,000 Americans who were murdered and dismantling the network of terrorists who we know to be responsible for it. The fact that we don't know where they are should not cause us to focus instead on some other enemy whose location may be easier to identify.
Some of us actually believed Mr. Gore and thought that Al Qaeda remained capable of terrorist attacks. That is, until we heard from Michael Kelly.
The Washington Post’s pundit, Michael Kelly, set us straight. He informed us that Mr. Gore's contention that Al Qaeda was still at large was a contemptible, vile lie. Mr. Kelly assured us that the destruction of Al Qaeda was complete. Here is part of what he wrote:
In truth, the men who "implemented" the "cold-blooded murder of more than 3,000 Americans" are not at large. They are dead; they died in the act of murder, last Sept. 11.
In truth, the "vast majority" of the men who "sponsored" and "planned" the crime are dead also, or in prison, or on the run.
It is a good thing that Mr. Kelly cleared that up. Some of us needlessly worried that Al Qaeda retained the ability to commit terrorist acts in a number of places around the world. Those of us critical of Mr. Kelly’s column should apologize. It is now clear that Al Qaeda is dead, in prison, or on the run.
American personnel in Kuwait have nothing to fear from Al Qaeda. Oil tankers may now traverse the oceans without giving Al Qaeda a second thought. Tourists may go to clubs in Bali and not fear those dead or imprisoned or on the run terrorists.
Also, here is an email that circulated about Osama Bin Laden and Al Gore:
You know, it's funny. I remember very vividly the Oliver North hearings, but did not recall the name of Osama bin Laden as the terrorist that North was threatened by. Has this slimeball been around that long?. It's pretty evident, in hindsight that we should have listened to OLLIE! I was at a UNC lecture the other day where they played a video of Oliver North during the Iran-Contra deals during the Reagan administration. I was naive back then but was surprised by this particular clip. There was Olie in front of God and Country getting the third degree. But what he said stunned me. He was being drilled by some senator I didn't recognize who asked him; 'Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?' Oliver replied, 'Yes I did sir.' The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, 'Isn't this just a little excessive?' 'No sir,' continued Oliver. 'No. And why not?' 'Because the life of my family and I were threatened.' 'Threatened? By who.' 'By a terrorist, sir.' 'Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?' 'His name is Osama bin Laden.' At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn't. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. 'Why are you so afraid of this man?' 'Because sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of.' 'And what do you recommend we do about him?' 'If it were me I would recommend an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth.' The senator disagreed with this approach and that was all they showed of the clip. By the way, that senator was Al Gore
The problem with the above article is that the senator questioning North and expressing his disagreement was NOT Al Gore. Gore was not a member of the United States Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition and therefore did not take part in the questioning of any witnesses before the Committee. Nice try.
World Net Daily's Vendetta
As we all know, World Net Daily is a extreme right wing propaganda news site who has it in for Al Gore. The so called news site has for years made up lies on Vice President Gore and defamed him in every way. Instead of debunking everyone of their outrageous claims, we have decided to give a brief background on this fifth column of so called news:
Joseph Farah is the founder, editor and operates WorldNet Daily. Farah is currently venting his spleen on former Vice President Al Gore. (Here) Farah is re-publishing lies and right-wing propaganda directed against the Vice President during the 2000 presidential campaign. These lies and the propaganda have long since been proven false and the work of political hoodlums.
It is possible to weigh the value, reliability, and bias of any source. The perspective of sites like "Worldnet Daily" is not a secret. "Worldnet Daily" is geared toward a libertarian, fundamentalist Christian audience. Its founder and editor, Joseph Farah, is an Arab-American who is a columnist for the Jerusalem Post and was formerly the editor of a Richard Mellon Scaife-owned newspaper, the Sacramento Union (now closed). He collaborated with Rush Limbaugh on the book, "See, I Told You So."
The Washington Post had him online earlier this year to talk about his book, "Taking America Back: A Radical Plan to Revive Freedom Morality and Justice." They described his views as follows:
"Joseph Farah describes the United States as a moral wasteland and calls on Americans to embrace God. His proposal for change includes abolishing the income tax and the IRS, withdrawing from all international treaties and institutions, repealing all gun laws and ending federal funding for schools, the arts, conservation, housing and agriculture while simultaneously expanding the role of the church in national life, including actively censoring the entertainment industry and having a direct role in education and family life."
If you put your trust in sources like "Worldnet Daily" and don't read any further, you're not only going to be poorly informed, you're going to be far outside the mainstream of this country.
