Edited by Bob Alexander, MIvolstodraftgore2008.blogspot.com, October 16, 2007
Al Gore released his three videos on Monday, October, 15. We are very thankful for the narrative provided by Farrell Seiler, State Coordinator, Draft Gore New Hampshire. The URLs for the Current.com statements and the related article were added by Bob Alexander, Co-Chair of Michigan Draft Gore. Farrell Seiler’s comments and Gore’s statements are on the Draft Gore New Hampshire, web site: Draft Gore NH
Please visit Al Gore’s new communications web site that emphasizes personally created videos at Current.com. You can access all three videos at: http://current.com/people/algore. The title for each video is followed by its URL.
After viewing the videos add your comments for each one. In a bit more than 24 hours already 7,767 have viewed the Health Care view and added 119 responses; Get Our Troops Home, 5,194 views and 102 responses; and Constitutional Rights, 4,569 views and 88 responses.
Also, here's an analysis: the three videos indicate that Gore is now running for President at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2051041&mesg_id=2051041
Get Our Troops Home
current.com statement by AL Gore
http://current.com/items/84986481_get_the_troops_home
Everybody’s talking about the war in Iraq, and most everybody agrees now that it was a big mistake to invade Iraq cause they didn’t have anything to do with attacking us on 911.
But the question of how we get out of Iraq and under what circumstances is significantly more difficult.
My own view is that we ought to withdraw as quickly as possible, while keeping an eye on the obligation we have not to make an already terrible situation even worse in the manner of our leaving.
But the longer we stay the more we appear to be a magnent for the kind of violence that is feeding the civil war that has emerged inside Iraq.
So I do think out that our primary goal should be to get our troops home as quickly as possible.
Health Care is a Right
curretn.com statement by Al Gore http://current.com/items/84987281_health_care_is_a_right#addResponse
I strongly support universal, single payer, government provided or government funded, health care. Doesn’t mean that the government runs it. It can have competition among the different providers.
But I just think that we have long since reached the stage that it is immoral to put people in a situation where they cannot get the medical care they need because their incomes are not high enough.
I think it ought to be a matter of right.
Our current system just doesn’t work. It is way too expensive. The quality of health care is excellent for those who have enough money to buy the very best.
But lower income and low middle income Americans are not getting good health care, and so many now cannot afford private health insurance that they are going without insurance, milllions and millions of people.
And I think that to eliminate the incredibly ridiculous cost of all this unnecessary paperwork, different standards from different insurance companies, it is time to have universal health insurance.
On Constitutional Rights
Current.com statement by Al Gore
http://current.com/items/84986911_americans_deserve_more_protection
I think that we as Americans deserve more protection against the government being able to eavesdrop on our telephone conversations, on our email conversations and private conversations.________________________
And the Constitution has a requirement that the government get a warrant before it invades the private communications of people.
And because of so much fear, especially since 911 and since the invasion of Iraq, the Congress has failed to exercise its responsibility to make sure that the executive branch is living up to what it is supposed to do under the Constitution.
And I think that we need stricter laws to require that the government follow the requirements of the Constitution.
Response to Gore’s Health Care statement by Bob Alexander, Michigan
• Thank you Al Gore for speaking out on these serious political issues. I hope these are your first steps to putting your name on the South Carolina and Georgia primary ballots, due Nov 1!
Your views on national health care for all are great!
Suggestion: please speak of reforming and expanding Medicare for all. Even moderate Republicans agree with that approach. A majority of Americans love a reformed and expanded Medicare.
For the same $2.1 trillion we pay in the US for our broken for-profit health system with no coverage to 46.6 million, Medicare coverage can expand health care, mental health, substance abuse prevention, long term care, dental and vision services to all.
Expanded Medicare could pay for all the services because our for-profit system wastes about 40% of the $2.1 trillion for expenses that provide no medical care. The following are estimates that demonstrate the advantages of Expanding Medicare to cover all. Expanded Medicare would not waste these expenses:
~$50 billion/year on TV, radio and magazine ads.
~ $300 billion for the 1,000 or more health insurance companies.
~ $200 billion for the excessively high salaries, expense accounts, and other
unneeded administrative costs.
~ $150 billion in the recent Pharmacy Part D for unneeded participation incentives
to pharmacy companies and HMOs through no-bid contracts.
~ $100 billion for the unnecessary incentives for HMOs and other health agencies
that were setup by Congress Republicans in the 1970s and 80s.
To prove the effectiveness of Expanded Medicare to All, and the savings for our auto companies so they can survive, Congress should enact a four year pilot program that would provide Medicare coverage to all auto workers and retirees. The success of this pilot programs would cause all corporations, small businesses and all families and individuals to want to participatehttp://current.com/people/algore
