No rest for the wicked

Some ugly Al Gore-bashing in the New York Times today here. Leave it to the good ol' SCLM to find itself temporarily blinded to every aspect of a debate to indulge in a little snark at Gore's expense. Citing those everpresent "Some Democrats" Bumiller floats the idea that Gore's endorsement of Howard Dean was nothing more than a pathetically opporunistic stab at getting back in the game and trying to win in 2008. She also hints that Gore's endorsement took Dean 'on a confusing journey from Mr. Outside to Mr. Inside' that was the beginning of the end. Since she insinuates in the first graf that Gore's endorsement was the 'political kiss of death' for Dean, its pretty safe to read this 'journey' as being slowly destroyed and made a laughing stock by Gore's very presence. No mention of the fact that in polls Gore still does the best of any named Democrat against George Bush. No mention of the fact that the CW now is largely that Dean never became 'establishment' enough, as borne out by voters in Iowa, NH, Feb 3rd, etc. Finally, by the end, Bumiller has found some professor in Tennessee to level the charge that the people of Tennessee hate Gore because he was not chivalrous to Joe Lieberman in endorsing Dean. Indeed, I'm sure that very well may be the sentiment among all 4,000 Tennesseeans who knew who Howard Dean was in November. Truly, the media's disdain for Al Gore knows no bounds. I sort of understood why it existed during and after the 2000 campaign, as wrong as it was, but why it continues today is just baffling.

Just for the record, Gore has made a series of speeches in New York over the past six months, including the two sponsored by Moveon and one at the New School's 'FEAR' conference the other day. They have, I'm told, been very evenhanded and eloquent indictments of why the Bush administration's policies are wrong for the country. The sort of speeches that other Democrats wish they were making but never actually do, lest they become completely marginalized. At the time, Gore's endorsement of Dean dovetailed perfectly with the sort of voice he was developing in the party. There was no evidence of opportunism, of playing politics, or of inflating his own ego. They were simply courageous actions of the sort befitting a man with his status in the party.