Gore: Obama has 'failed'
(CNN) - Former vice president and environmental advocate Al Gore sharply criticized President Obama's "failed" approach to global warming Wednesday, forcing the White House to defend its record on climate change.
Gore was supportive of Obama's action in the first six months of his administration, but the former Democratic presidential nominee said the administration has not made the case for action among the American people.
"President Obama has thus far failed to use the bully pulpit to make the case for bold action on climate change," Gore wrote in a "Rolling Stone" article published online. "After successfully passing his green stimulus package, he did nothing to defend it when Congress decimated its funding."
"Without presidential leadership that focuses intensely on making the public aware of the reality we face, nothing will change," Gore added.
But in a written response to Gore’s essay Wednesday White House official Clark Stevens outlined a number of policies the administration implemented in the last two years, including investments in clean energy through the Recovery Act that set “aggressive new joint fuel economy and emissions standards for cars and trucks,” reducing greenhouse gas emissions by "960 metric tons."
“The President has been clear since day one that climate change poses a threat domestically and globally, and under his leadership we have taken the most aggressive steps in our country’s history to tackle this challenge,” Stevens said.
Since losing the 2000 presidential election, Gore has championed global warming and advocated for a transition to clean energy. He won the Nobel Prize for his environmental efforts in 2007.
Obama, he said, has not defended the science of global warming or provided a "presidential venue" to bring the data before the public.
Although he acknowledged the political difficulty in taking a stand on the issue, Gore said the president has facts to back up his opinions.
"Assuming that the Republicans come to their sense and avoid nominating a clown, his re-election is likely to involve a hard-fought battle with high stakes for the country," Gore wrote. "But in this case, the president has reality on his side."
Updated 4:44 p.m.
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Sad but true – Obama hasn't done enough for the enivorment ( and a few oter issues, like jobs).
I like this sound off . . . People are finally waking up from a long sleep. Obama in 2012!
Jeebus, Gore, what do you expect from the President? Health insurance reform, banking overhaul, Osama, all while the GOP tries to thwart every thing he suggests. President Obama does have 8 yrs of mismanagement to undo.
Really these types of people make you resort to argumentum ad hominum.
It is beyond baffling how folks that are supposed to be on the same team, apparently intelligent people, fail to see that what this President needs is support and unity at the very least within his own team.
We play into the hands of those that wish us harm over and over again by exposing our soft underside, giving the Rethugs plenty of opportunities to stomp us into oblivion.
Thank God for our President Obama who has had to forge ahead practically single-handedly because those that he should've been able to count on were either busy coming up missing, hiding under the bed, or sleeping with the enemy.
Obama 2012. Period.
It is hilarious to me how liberals always sing the praises of one of their on UNTIL they say something negative about President Obama. I got news for all of you. President Obama is a man. He has flaws and fails just like the rest of us. As a president, he has failed miserably. Take a good look around you at your country. No other proof is needed. Can't blame Bush anymore. President Obama is 2 1/2 years into his presidency. He owns this economy now. He promised to make it better and he has made it worse. How can you justify that?
"Assuming that the Republicans come to their sense and avoid nominating a clown"...that is a big assumption!
Bunch of Nonsense
I guess The president should give me funds to run my business to consider him a success, Mr GORE, you are part of the bunch of Nonsense in this country.
And you Biden, what have you done to help this Presdent?
Probably not much seeing how you were totally unable to speak up and help yourself when they were STEALING the election from you. So what can we expect from someone who cannot even stand up for themselves and their own causes and BE HEARD?
Bug-eyed twerp.
Our President has had massive crises on his hands that he's had to simultaneously and effectively addressed. And he's done it with intelligence, dignity, in a timely and effective manner AND without your help.
Pardon me the should've read " And you Gore...".
What these group want the president to do stand on white house step with a palm leaf and cool the entire planet Earth? I think not from eon the earth had hot and cool period there nothing anybody can do to change it. Bless.
Generally I like Al Gore, but this is a bit much. While Global Climate Change is very important, there have been some more immediate crises that the President has had to focus on. I think the only thing worse than a whiny ignorant right wing tea bagger complaining about the President being a socialist fascist are ultra left wing hippie wannabes (won't call them liberal as liberal means open minded – and they are not) complaining that the President has not created enough rainbows or declared the unicorn an endangered species. Shut up and let the man do his job already. Agree with Xwnglady's response – how utterly ridiculous have everyone's expectations been of President Obama.
Spare us the whining and cheap shots, Al. We asked you to run in 2008 and you said no. You could have easily won.
Gore is only partially correct. Obama failed to deliver what was promised only because the realities of a poor economy and politics dictated the pace of envilronmental reforms and development. The party of NO (GOP/Tea Party) is still in denial of global warming and blocked attempts to improve the environment.
Ok Gore.....................but America and the World have bigger problems and there is still only 24hours in a day. Get over your agenda, pull your head outta-of-da-clouds and join the rest of civilized World and take that dayummmmmmmm head pieace outta yo ear YO. WHAT!
Obama has not failed just a little tight on cash !
XWing lady: Enjoyed reading your post. Totally with you.
Hot and cool for eons....but hotter since industrialization. crap in your yard and see if you don't eventually change your enviornment. google "plague" Global Warming is not a hoax...it's a fact that can hurt business...especially big energy...and being so, it is also a pollitical battleground. The world is flat and the center of the universe. zombies exist among us. missles took down the towers....it's amazing what some of the strongest nay-sayers concerning mans effect on the enviornment actually DO believe.
I liked Al until he ran for president and then became a NUT.
I'm surprised by all the kooks posting on this story. Are you so in the cooler for Obama that you can't see any of the major policy mistakes that he and his administration have made? Yes, he's was elected into a tough spot, but his energy, economic and world policies have made the problem much worse. Quit worshipping the man and open your eyes. He's worse than Bush.
At least Obama and the Democrats will admit there is global warming. The GOPer (Grumpy Old People) like Sen Imholf, Demint, and other GOPers act like its a joke. With lack of leadership, global warming issues will fail.
Can you just imagine how much more this forward thinking President would've accomplished if he had'nt had to deal with a moribund economy and a bunch of traitorous anti-American Republicans?
I believe that our America would've been further along on the path to restoring it's former splendor and re-establishing itself as not only a leader amongst the industrialized nations but also a country once again worthy of emulation and respect.
President Obama is the ONLY one I see working towards making that a reality for us.
He's got my vote in 2012.
SLP...What makes you think the economy is worse than 2008? it is wayyyyy healthier. the stock market was at9k...growth was a minus 6% and unemployment was surging as we were losing 750,000 jobs a month. Pretty much an equation to all red admins in the last 70 years....inherit a surplus and blow it.
Gore answered his own question. Every bill Obama sets forth is shut down by the GOP. Just about everything he does or tries to get done is critisized by the Repubs. He's not bringing the troops home quickly enough, his buget proposals wont work, his foreign policy stinks, he joined the UN allied forces in Libya, but that's also wrong . His health care program wont work, he's too soft on entitlement programs, he's being sued over doing exactly what other presidents have done. I don't know how he can remain positive amongst all that negativity! On top of all that, if Gore hasn't noticed, we are in the middle of a financial crisis that is also a tug-of-war with the GOP! Everyone thinks their issue is the most important, but Gore is just going to have to take a # right now, 'til all the other madness calms down!
Obama needs more GUTS.
@S.B.Stein,
I live in Olahoma and I can tell you that our Senators, Coburn and Inhoff are as right wing as they get.
Coburn can actually be semi-sane, but Inhoff is as stupid and arrogant as they come. He is the one who actually said the Weather Channel was behind the "Global Warming Scare"
How can you have a reasonable debate with deniers and fools?