Did you honestly think that the Right Wing $mear machine was going to let Al Gore stand up with the terrific team who created and direct the movie and receive an Oscar for "An Inconvenient Truth?"
Did you really believe they would stand by and watch a Democratic leader validated for his life's work?
No chance in hell. As we have said here before, They destroy our leaders. Note to Senator Obama: spare us the hope and bi-partisanship talk and help us fight back.
Here's what we know, what we think, what we're trying to find out and how you can help.
Last night, Al Gore got very favorable national press and worldwide television exposure.
This afternoon, a group calling itself "The Tennessee Center For Policy Research" sent out a press release denouncing Vice President Gore for the size of his household electrical bills.
Let's start right there. How did they get the utility bills? They also didn't have the courtesy to ask Vice President Gore about them (despite their hollow claim of being non-partisan.) And why would a "think tank" possibly care about what Al Gore spends on gas?
Actually, let's start with a more basic question. Who are these people? Well , a quick check of Alexa reveals their web site gets no traffic. Are they legitimate? Well, again, they claim to be non-partisan but only link to far-right and conservative groups so regardless of what their status is with the IRS, this is a conservative, strongly-leaning Republican organization.
We will be digging through IRS documents tonight because if you follow the money, you always find the answers. We will let you know who their donors are as soon as we can.
This group drops the pebble in the lake and now the machine really goes to work.
Front page of Drudge Report at 5:16 reports this press release from a group no one has ever heard of, who may or may not have stolen Al Gore's utility bills. Now, the lie has legs.
In the last twenty minutes, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has updated its website TWICE - both with radio interviews. The damage is being done as we watch.
But guess what? We're going to fight back. All of us.
Why? Well, first of all, Al Gore turning his lights on doesn't make him a hypocrite, it makes him a human.
Second, we've seen this game a few too many damn times. The trick is for them to create doubt and distraction. They need to create doubt all around the country about Al Gore. But there is no doubt.
Dave Johnson is a Senior Fellow with the Institute for the Renewal of the California Dream working on progressive messaging, and a Fellow at the Commonweal Institute, where he researches and writes about the activities of the conservative movement's network of foundations and think tanks and the extent of their influence on American society. Dave is on the Boards of Directors of Media Transparency and The People Choose, is an advisor to The Philanthropy Network and is a member of the Netroots Advisory Council of the Drum Major Institute. Dave is the lead blogger at Seeing the Forest. He is a featured contributor at Huffington Post and writes at many other sites including MyDD, AlterNet, Common Dreams, DailyKos and Speak Out California.
Mr. Johnson has over 20 years of technology industry experience and has previously held positions including CEO, and VP of Sales and Marketing. He specialized in grassroots "viral" marketing, direct mail, and Internet applications. His earlier career included technical positions in the technology industry, notably in video game design at companies including Atari and Imagic, and he was a pioneer in design and development of productivity and educational applications of personal computers. More recently Dave helped co-found Carbon Tracing, Inc., the company developing the desktop systems to validate carbon trading in the US.
obviously what they want is a Mr. Gore to read books by the fire in the log cabin...remote and with electricity...
Oh wait that was Lincoln, and the 19th century.
There are clearly balances which can be undertaken to maintain the standard living with feasible controls of emissions for global warming and climate change in the 21st century. And "labeling " the former Vice President
for being a man of his time, and a leading voice for the future is an unfair smear as the article suggested.Fortunately Mr. Gore has the character to move forward beyond the smears with policies, principles and practices which is a rising tide to the whole nation.
by
Eliot Gould (12 articles, 0 quicklinks, 21 diaries, 134 comments)
on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 12:10:51 PM
Here's the incorporation info from the TENNESSEE SECRETARY OF STATE - looks like it operates out of a small office or even apartment in Nashville and was incorporated in 2005.
Company Name: TENNESSEE CENTER FOR POLICY RESEARCH
Mailing Address:
1606 BURTON AVE; #A
NASHVILLE, TN 37215
Type: CORPORATION (NON-PROFIT)
Status: ACTIVE
Status Date: 4/6/2005
Filing Date: 4/5/2005
Duration: PERPETUAL
State or Country of Incorporation: TENNESSEE
Registered Agent:
JASON A. JOHNSON
Status: ACTIVE
Registered Office:
1606 BURTON AVE; #A
NASHVILLE, TN 37215
Additional Information: FISCAL YEAR ENDS IN DECEMBER.
Filing Number: 491181
Annual Report:
Date Due: 4/1/2007
by
Jackson Thoreau (30 articles, 0 quicklinks, 13 diaries, 24 comments)
on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 1:06:29 PM
Group lied to IRS, spent thousands on meals, travel
On its 2005 IRA return, which can seen at click here
the group failed to fill out its top officers as required. The IRS requires groups to list officers, directors and "key employees" such as the president and executive director.
The group also claimed on its signed tax statement to not have lobbied on a national, state or local issue to influence public opinion.
Yet, this 2005 article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press shows how that is not accurate, as it details the group lobbying the state to privatize or shut down public golf courses. [Golf courses are a key issue among elitist conservatives, you know.]
December 17, 2005 Saturday
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. b2
LENGTH: 602 words
HEADLINE: Group wants state out of golf business
BYLINE: Ian Berry, Staff Writer
BODY:
Tennessee this month assumed control of four state-owned golf courses, including one at Harrison Bay State Park. That brings the number of state courses to 12, which one group says is 12 too many.
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research, a group that promotes conservative economic policies, has singled out the state courses as its "monthly misuse" for December. The group said the courses are losing money and should be privatized or shut down.
"They honestly would be better as grazing land for deer," said Drew Johnson, the group's executive director......
The group's 2005 tax return claims $104,908 in revenues and $76,673 in expenses, including roughly $5,000 for meals, $6,000 for "marketing," $3,000 for travel, $3,000 for legal expenses - and only $18 for research materials and $24 for printing and publications.
So you have a supposed non-partisan "policy research" organization spending only $42 for publications and research materials as thousands are spent on food, travel and unspecified marketing and legal expenses. That doesn't sound like a legitimate non-partisan research institute to me.
by
Jackson Thoreau (30 articles, 0 quicklinks, 13 diaries, 24 comments)
on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 1:40:17 PM
If Gore lived in a hut, the right would still criticize him
As a former vice president who really won the white house in 2000, Gore can do a lot more for this important issue than most of us. And he needs the means to get around to reach millions. We can debate the merits of him flying in a jet or taking Amtrak, or whether he needs four homes, but the issues he makes us confront are what should be most important.
And right wingers are just playing this diversion game - swift boating has worked for them for a long time and we need to call them on it and turn the tables.
by
Jackson Thoreau (30 articles, 0 quicklinks, 13 diaries, 24 comments)
on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 4:00:32 PM
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