http://www.rnc.org/GoreFiles/goreflipflop_040500

April 4, 2000

AL GORES FLIP-FLOPPING CHARACTER

If you have a pattern of flip-flops such that it erodes a fundamental aspect of your character, then you have real trouble. - Mark Mellman, Democrat pollster and part-time adviser to the Gore 2000 campaign, The Wall Street Journal, 10/27/99

 

Tobacco
Flip

• In 1988, Gore told tobacco farmers: Throughout most of my life, I raised tobacco.  I want you to know that with my own hands, all of my life, I put it in the plant beds and transferred it.  Ive hoed it, Ive dug in it, Ive sprayed it, Ive chopped it, Ive shredded it, spiked it, put it in the barn and stripped it and sold it.  (Newsday, 2/26/88) (Gore made this statement almost four years after his sisters death from lung cancer, over six years before his anti-tobacco speech at the Democratic national convention.)
• For the period 1979 through 1990, Gore accepted $16,440 from tobacco political action committees.  (The Washington Post, 8/30/96)

Flop

• Tomorrow morning another 13-year-old girl will start smoking.  I love her, too.  Three thousand young people in America will start smoking tomorrow.  One thousand of them will die a death not unlike my sisters.  And that is why, until I draw my last breath, I will pour my heart and soul into the cause of protecting our children from the dangers of smoking.  (Albert Gore Jr., Democrat National Convention, 8/28/96)

 

Guns
Flip

• Between 1985 and 1990, Sen. Al Gore voted with the NRA 75% of the time.  (National Rifle Association, Key Vote Analyses, 1985-1992)
  Flop
• In this presidential race, there are some who believe the urgent matter related to guns is the need to extend new protections to the gun manufacturers.  I believe it is time to have new protections for our children and our families. . . .  Some want more concealed weapons, but they cant conceal the fact that they are doing the bidding of the NRA.  (Albert Gore Jr., The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 7/16/99)

 

Abortion
Flip

• It is my deep personal conviction that abortion is wrong.  I hope that some day we will see the current outrageously large number of abortions drop sharply. . . .  Let me assure you that I share your belief that innocent human life must be protected. . .  (Letter from Rep. Albert Gore Jr. to a Constituent, 7/18/84)
• As you know, I have strongly opposed federal funding of abortions.  In my opinion, it is wrong to spend federal funds for what is arguably the taking of a human life.  (Letter from Rep. Albert Gore Jr. to a Constituent, 7/18/84)
• Gore Voted to Extend Civil Rights Protection to Unborn Children.  Gore voted yes in 1984 to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1984 to state that unborn children are persons from the moment of conception.  The complete text of Siljanders (R-MI) one sentence House Amendment 942 read: An amendment to define person as including unborn children from the moment of conception.  (CQ Vote #242: Rejected 186-219: R 112-40; D 74-179, 6/26/84)

Flop

• And know this, I will always, always defend a womans right to choose.  Every time Congress has tried to play politics with that fundamental personal right -- imposing gag rules, and attaching anti-choice language to any bill they can think of -- we have stood up to them and stopped them.  (Albert Gore Jr., Remarks at Women For Gore event, 6/1/99)

 

Test Ban
Flip

• During the 1988 primary season, in a televised debate with Dick Gephardt, Jesse Jackson, Michael Dukakis, Paul Simon and Bruce Babbitt, Gore laid out his objections to a comprehensive test ban treaty, stressing the need for verification and continued testing to assure the reliability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal:

Q:  If youre elected president, will you suspend all U.S. nuclear weapons tests, upon taking office, and then proceed to conclude a formal test ban treaty?

GORE:  Well, just as President John Kennedy made our world safer by getting a treaty banning atmospheric explosions, I would seek a treaty with the Soviet Union banning underground explosions as well.  But before doing so, I would pin down the answers to two questions that are important to our national security:

First of all, can we firmly verify whether or not the Soviet Union is exploding low-yield tests on its territory?  The evidence now coming from the scientists indicates that there are ways to negotiate cooperative agreements with the Soviets to make that possible.  But we need the answer before the test ban rather than after.

Secondly, do we need continued tests in order to assure the reliability of our own nuclear devices?  Again the initial evidence indicates that it may very well be possible to insure reliability without continued tests.  But we have to have those answers first.  (C-SPAN, Remarks by Al Gore at the Democratic Presidential Forum sponsored by the Stop the Arms Race Political Action Committee Des Moines, Iowa, 9/27/87)

Flop

•  Ive worked on [the comprehensive test ban treaty] for 20 years because, unless we get this one right, nothing else matters.  (Gore 2000 web site, 10/14/99)    Gore declared the vote the single most reckless action that I have seen the Senate take. . . in my lifetime.  Gore called the Senates rejection breathtakingly irresponsible.  (The Washington Post, 10/16/99)  

 

Offshore Drilling
Flip

•  More than seven years ago, on October 5, 1992, vice presidential candidate Al Gore was in Florida on a beach promising that he and Bill Clinton would protect the states shoreline from offshore oil and gas drilling.  Gore attacked President Bush on the issue: He went to the Florida Keys and he stood in the ocean and he said that he would support a ban on offshore drilling off the coast of Florida.  Now he has broken that promise to Florida.  Well give you a real environmental presidency. . . Not a phony broken promise the way Bush did.  (St. Petersburg Times, 9/26/99)  Gore also charged:  Four years ago, George Bush mouthed the words environmental president.  Instead he put Dan Quayle in charge of gutting the environment laws, and he invited in the biggest polluters to help him do it. . . . This is beach cleanup day.  November 3rd is going to be White House clean-out day.  (Los Angeles Times, 9/20/92)
   

Flop

• Presently, Chevron is awaiting permission from the Clinton/Gore Administration to drill Floridas first producing offshore wells.  According to his staff, Vice President Gore cannot get involved in the pending decision that would allow Chevron to drill.  Elliot Diringer of the White House Council on Environmental Equality said that the decision lies with Commerce Secretary Daley and although Daley works for the Clinton/Gore Administration, it probably wouldnt be appropriate for Gore to even express an opinion about Chevron.  Diringer also stated, it wouldnt be appropriate for the White House to be weighing in.  The Secretary has to base his opinion on the record before him.  (St. Petersburg Times, 9/26/99)
•  Gore has had more than seven years to fulfill his promises for a real environmental presidency.  Brent Blackwelder, head of the Washington office of Friends of the Earth, had this to say about Gore:  There was a great expectation hed do something other politicians couldnt do.  But if you ask what has happened in seven years, you find a very disappointing, disenchanting record of promises that have been broken.  (Los Angeles Times, 10/21/99)   

                                                                                                         

China MFN
Flip

• We totally disagree with Bush and Quayle when they continue to grant most-favored-nation status to one of the worst Communist dictatorships remaining in the world, with a record of human rights violations as long as your arm, ignoring their unfair trade practices.  (Albert Gore Jr., The San Francisco Chronicle, 9/1/92)

Flop

• On May 26, 1994, President Clinton announced his decision to renewal [sic] Chinas MFN status for an additional year even though China had failed to achieve overall significant progress in human rights.  He argued that revoking Chinas MFN status would seriously disrupt U.S.-Chinese relations.  The President further announced that human rights conditions (other than freedom of emigration) would no longer be linked to Chinas continued MFN status, but instead would be addressed by other means.  However, the President ordered the imposition of sanctions on U.S. imports of Chinese munitions due to alleged violations of human rights in China.  (China-U.S. Trade Issues, CRS Issue Brief, 3/23/99)

Social Security
Flip

• Social Security Benefits Will Remain Untaxed. . . . I sincerely believe that any plan to tax Social Security benefits would place an unforgivable burden on our senior citizens who are currently trying to enjoy their retirement years in the face of ever-increasing prices. . . it is totally inconceivable. . . It is unfair. . .  (Albert Gore Jr. column, Carthage Courier, 2/21/80)

Flop

• In 1993, Gore cast the tie-breaking vote for the largest tax increase in history that included $25 billion in higher taxes on Social Security benefits.  (Bill Clinton & Al Gore, Putting People First, 1992; CQ Vote #247:  Adopted 51-50:  R 0-44; D 50-6, with Albert Gore Jr. casting a yea vote, 8/6/93; The Economic and Budget Outlook:  An Update, Congressional Budget Office, 9/93)

PAC Money
Flip

• I dont accept PAC contributions.  You can under the law, but I abide by a higher standard and if you entrust me with the presidency, I will make certain that our country gets sweeping, meaningful, tough campaign finance reform.  (Albert Gore Jr., Manchester, N.H. Democratic Debate, 1/26/00)

Flop

• Im a strong supporter of PAC participation in the political process. . . . I do need to raise large sums of money, and I have enjoyed getting involved with the PAC community.  (Albert Gore Jr., The Wall Street Journal, 2/15/84)

Elian Gonzalez
Flip

• Whats in the best interest of the child?  When that question comes up in other child-custody cases, its decided by the courts, and thats what I think should be done here. . . We should apply the due process that is normally followed.  (emphasis added)  (Albert Gore Jr., Time, 1/17/00)

Flop

• Vice President Al Gore wants Elian Gonzalezs [sic] case resolved in Florida family court, a position that puts him at odds with the administration he serves but in step with South Floridas politically potent Cuban exile community. . . . [T]he presumptive Democratic presidential nominee urged Congress to pass legislation granting permanent resident status not only to the 6-year-old boy but to his father, stepmother, stepbrother, grandmothers and grandfather - all now in Cuba - so that the case can be adjudicated properly. . . Let us be clear that the real fault in this case lies with the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. . . Elian should never have been forced to choose between freedom and his own father.  Now we must take action, here on our own shores, to make sure that Elians best interests are served.  (emphasis added)  (The Associated Press, 3/31/00)

-- cpr (buytexas@swbell.net), September 21, 2000

Answers

cpr -- it's good to see you back. I was worried when you suddenly disappeared.

-- helen (b@r.c), September 21, 2000.

the Conspiracy of CPR. See all those words? IN YOUR BLIND HATRED, YOU DON'T BOTHER TO EVEN CHECK WHERE SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE COME FROM AND WHAT THE SOURCE IS.

That looks like a QUOTE. But where from?

Why CPR gives it for the DUM-DUMS:

http://www.rnc.org/GoreFiles/makeal2_081000

which has a root:

http://www.rnc.org

And what is the rnc.org??

TRY THIS ........SEMI-LITERATE IDIOTS........... RNC--> REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE.

-- cpr (buytexas@swbell.net), September 22, 2000.