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April 14th 2008

Will Al Gore And Jimmy Carter Act Together To End Clinton’s Bid?

Filed under: politics — michael @ 10:40 am

There’s a rumor drifting online just above a whisper that Al Gore and Jimmy Carter may be about to act either together or in sequence to end the Democratic primary and gather support behind a single candidate.

Such rumors generally come from barely-credible sources, in this case the UK Scotsman, but if true it would be a blow to the one candidate suspected to not be getting the endorsement of either gentleman: Hillary Clinton. From the article,

“Former president Carter and former vice-president Gore have already held high-level discussions about delivering the message that she must stand down for the good of the Democrats. ‘They’re in discussions,’ a source close to Carter told Scotland on Sunday. ‘Carter has been talking to Gore. They will act, possibly together, or in sequence.’ An appeal by both men for Democrats to unite behind Clinton’s rival, Barack Obama, would have a powerful effect, and insiders say it is a question of when, rather than if, they act.”

Other sources claim that such an announcement might be imminent — which would be interesting strategy ahead of the April 22nd Pennsylvania primary.

Stay tuned!

April 13th 2008

Matt Damon Promotes The 2008 Global Day for Darfur In London

Filed under: campaigns, events, honors, politics — parrish @ 1:47 pm

Today, Matt Damon and wife Luciana Barroso are spending the afternoon in London promoting the 2008 Global Day for Darfur.

According to SaveDarfur.org,it’s estimated that “one million Darfuri children have grown up displaced, living in camps for refugees and internally displaced persons, many without opportunities for education, without knowing the meaning of home”.

The hope is that a Global Day for Darfur will alert citizens to call on their governments and the United Nations to get the U.N.-African Union peacekeepers deployed in Darfur as fully, effectively, and quickly as possible

Tens of thousands of people across the country are finding their own way to honor this important day. Pictured above, Matt Damon is breaking toys to symbolize the destruction of childhood in Darfur.

For more information, or to find a local event in your area, visit SaveDarfur.org and let’s get this done!

thanks: justjared.com

April 3rd 2008

Senator Claims McCain Has Done More On Global Warming Than Gore

Filed under: politics — michael @ 5:26 pm

Let loose the dogs of absurdity! Fire up the flames of incompetence! Ladies and Gentlemen, we have someone other than Senator James Inhofe racking up the points in “Wild ‘n Wacky Quotes From U.S. Politicians”! Drum roll please…

“He’s not going to run away from President Bush but at the end of the day, John McCain has earned a reputation, and has the scars to show it, of doing things that put the country ahead of party,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, noting McCain has differed with the party on immigration, his desire to close Guantanamo Bay, and enacting robust climate change policies.

“Climate change is the road less traveled but he’s traveled it even more than Al Gore,” Graham said. “Al Gore has talked about it and deserves great recognition but he was around here a long time and never introduced a bill.”

My God! The Nobel Foundation got it all wrong! It’s actually John McCain that has done more than anyone else to draw attention to Global Warming! Of course!

As ThinkProgress points out “Gore held the first congressional hearings on climate change in the late 1970s, well before McCain was even elected to Congress.” Not to mention his work on the Kyoto Protocol, his thousands of talks on the subject, his $300 million dollar ad campaign, successful movie, books, and millions of other hours spent fighting to help educate and push the science of climate change into the collective of important social issues.

Gore hasn’t just walked the road. The man has practically built it.

But maybe we shouldn’t be so hard on Senator Lindsey. Maybe he does have a point about McCain’s environmental record.

“While Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has touted his support for the environment throughout his presidential campaign, the League of Conservation Voters gave him a zero rating Thursday on its 2007 congressional scorecard — making him the lowest-ranking lawmaker among all 535 members of Congress. Carl Pope, executive director of the advocacy group Sierra Club, said in a statement that the senator scored lower than some lawmakers who had died in the middle of the term.”

Or not.

April 3rd 2008

Michael Blooomberg Honored For Environmental Leadership

Filed under: business, events, events: nyc, green and famous, honors, politics, thegreenpicture — parrish @ 11:08 am

Tuesday night New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was honored alongside Bank Of America CEO Kenneth D. Lewis by the Natural Resources Defense Council for their outstanding environmental leadership. The event took place in New York City and had a swanky guest list with names like: Ralph Lauren, Candice Bergen, Lauren Bush, Chevy Chase and Sam Champion.

The NRDC recognized PlanNYC, a project Bloomberg put into place to enhance New York’s urban environment and develop a model for efficiency and sustainable. It’s estimated that PlanNYC will contribute a 30% reduction in the city’s global warming emissions.

Kenneth D. Lewis from Bank Of America was honored for leading the bank on a $20 billion, ten-year initiative that encourages development of environmentally sustainable business practices through lending, investing, philanthropy and the creation of new products and services.

What do you think Ecorazzi readers? Are you happy with the Natural Resources Defense Council’s pick for environmental leaders? Chime in and tell us what you think.

April 2nd 2008

Obama May Tap Gore For Cabinet Position. Or Higher.

Filed under: green and famous, politics — michael @ 4:25 pm

Leave it to Barack Obama to keep Gore-political fever alive. Yesterday, we made a joke that senator John McCain had chosen Gore to run as Vice-President on his ticket; but now it’s Obama that may have the idea brewing in his head. When asked at a town meeting today whether the Illinois senator if elected President would tap the former vice president for his Cabinet, or an even higher level office, to address global warming, he offered this interesting response:

“I would,” Obama said. “Not only will I, but I will make a commitment that Al Gore will be at the table and play a central part in us figuring out how we solve this problem. He’s somebody I talk to on a regular basis. I’m already consulting with him in terms of these issues, but climate change is real. It is something we have to deal with now, not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now.”

Oh man. As the article points out, Gore’s rise once again in the Democratic party — and his refusal to so far endorse either candidate — is making him the center of attention for both campaigns. As he mentioned in his 60 Minutes interview, he regularly gets calls from both Clinton and Obama.

It’s going to be an interesting next couple months…

April 1st 2008

McCain Chooses Al Gore For Vice President

Filed under: politics — michael @ 12:45 am

In a shocking move of bipartisanship, Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced that he has decided to run with Al Gore for the 2008 ticket. The early announcement has sent shock waves around the world — with most believing he would choose Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina. MSNBC’s Senior Campaign Correspondent Tucker Carlson was moody about the choice. “At this stage in the game, for McCain to make this move is unbelievable”, he said. “I firmly believe he’s going to destroy the party here — we don’t need someone in the White House that’s going to push America in a new direction.”

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter was unavailable for comment after she threw herself out a third-story window and into Manhattan traffic.

Reaction on the other side of the political spectrum was mixed. Said one resident from State College, PA, “I really like Obama, but think Al Gore is completely awesome. Now what the hell am I going to do?” Aprile Pazzo, one of the founders of the grassroots site Draft Gore was equally confused. “We’re excited he’s running, but to join up with the Republican party just kind of sucks. It’s like Luke Skywalker accepting Darth Vader’s offer to join the dark side. I guess I’ll actually have to start paying attention to that old guy he’s running with.”

For his part, Al Gore offered that he would bring a fresh perspective — and new era of partnership — to the Republican party. “With today’s announcement that I’m joining John McCain for the 2008 ticket,” the former V.P. now V.P. candidate announced, “Americans everywhere can look forward to a united government that puts bickering and partisanship behind, in favor of addressing truly important economic, environmental, and social issues, working diplomatically with foreign governments, and ensuring that peace and prosperity can be something enjoyed by each and all.”

The sky then filled with rainbows, butterflies, and an original soundtrack by James Newton.

It’s worth noting that today is April 1st.

March 27th 2008

Al Gore Presidential Mania Sweeping The Nation, Healing The Sick

Filed under: politics — michael @ 10:12 am

No sooner did we report the unlikely scenario of Al Gore becoming the Democratic Presidential nominee due to a Clinton/Obama deadlock (or random lion attack), did every major news organization jump on the “What if?” bandwagon. We’d like to think we helped start the ball rolling on this rampant speculation, but honestly, we owe it all to Florida Congressman Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) — who now is back-pedaling and saying he was “misquoted”. Mahoney explained “that while it’s possible for the former vice president to snag the nomination, the option is not being seriously considered.”

So it is possible? Damn it, Mahoney, stop teasing us!

So who’s jumping on this? Let’s see: MSNBC had a video segment last night, TIME is wondering if “Al Gore Is The Answer?“, and Green Daily even ran an amusing “6 Signs Al Gore Is Running For President“. Meanwhile, in the more than 300 votes received, Ecorazzi readers have decided that a Gore/Obama ticket would be best for the nation — with 80% of the vote. Perhaps a Gore/Clinton would carry too much irony.

In other Gore Nation news, it appears that our friends over at the Competitive Enterprise Institute have been found in copyright violation over their latest attack ad aimed at the former Veep. Apparently, seven seconds of footage shown in the hilarious television ad was taken from a documentary shot by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Tsk, tsk. The ad has since been pulled from Youtube.

March 26th 2008

The Green Video: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Votes For The Environment

Filed under: politics, web — michael @ 11:23 am

March 26th 2008

Clint Eastwood Terminated By Arnold Schwarzenegger

Filed under: politics — michael @ 9:23 am

Those Terminator jokes will ever get old.

In a move that surprised Clint Eastwood, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger formally dismissed the legendary actor from the state parks board. The removal comes in the wake of Eastwood’s opposition to a plan to build a toll road through San Onofre State Beach, a park in Orange County that is popular for its surfing and scenery. Throwing some additional drama into the mix, the Governor also dismissed his brother-in-law Bobby Shriver — another individual that opposed the construction plans. From the article,

“‘You’re not going to get people who are interested in state parks who want to build freeways through state parks,’ Eastwood said. ‘So I don’t know what the big surprise was there.’ Several environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Surfrider Foundation and the California State Parks Foundation, said they submitted a letter to state Senate leaders Tuesday requesting a hearing into the oversight of state parks. They based their request on Schwarzenegger’s treatment of the two commissioners, his proposal to close 48 parks because of the state’s fiscal crisis and his support for development in parks.”

Of course, Eastwood’s conservationist ways can sometimes be compromised. Readers will remember his plans last summer to build a golf course in an area of protected forest along the California coastline — with up to 18,000 trees slated to be removed. That proposal was eventually shot down by the California Coastal Commission. Still, his overall record is what counts to most.

“From everything I saw, he was a terrific parks commissioner,” said Peter Douglas, the Coastal Commission’s executive director. “It just happened that when he was calling the shots on that project at Pebble Beach, he wasn’t listening to what we were saying about what the law allows and doesn’t allow. But that’s behind us now.”

via the daily green

March 25th 2008

Gore Presidential Run Still In The Cards?

Deadlock could open door to new candidate

Filed under: politics — michael @ 8:15 am

While I can’t ever imagine things getting so convoluted that something like this would ever happen, the possibility still exists that Democrats might nominate Al Gore as the presidential candidate. That’s right. Not Obama. Not Clinton.

Before you start thinking that I’ve been inhaling too many Hannah Montana products, consider that this scenario came from the mouth of U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL). Here’s how it might go down,

“’If it (the nomination process) goes into the convention, don’t be surprised if someone different is at the top of the ticket,’ Mahoney said. A compromise candidate could be someone such as former vice president Al Gore, Mahoney said last week during a meeting with this news organization’s editorial board. If either Clinton or Obama suggested to a deadlocked convention a ticket of Gore-Clinton or Gore-Obama, the Democratic Party would accept it, Mahoney said.”

Whoa — could you imagine something like this happening? Me either — but the fact that this Obama/Clinton division could end with neither of them leading the ticket is incredible. Ok, Gore fans, you’ve got reason to hope.

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