Al Gore "Hypocrite" Narrative Continued on Special Report
Reported by Janie - February 28, 2007 -
As Chrish reported this morning, the "Al Gore is a hypocrite" talking point, using information from the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, has been all over Fox News, and last night's (2/27) Special Report was no exception.
During the "Two Minutes of Hate" (AKA "Grapevine") segment, Hume went on the attack against Gore:
"Al Gore's office is responding to criticism over his energy consumption at his Nashville mansion by saying the former vice president is signed up for a program to consume 100 percent green power — has installed solar panels and uses compact fluorescent bulbs.
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research says Gore — whose global warming documentary won an Oscar Sunday, 'deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy,' because his 20-room mansion consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year — with an average power bill of $13,059 59 — along with a natural gas bill of more than $1,000 a month."
Comment: According to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, this Center for Policy Research is "not a legitimate group":
"The state’s Department of Revenue is refusing to respond to inquiries from a conservative watchdog organization over a controversial tax, labeling them 'not a legitimate group.'”
This information was not mentioned by Hume, who presented the group as a legitimate source.
According to the Detroit Free Press however, Gore is in fact doing quite a bit to reduce his carbon footprint.
"Gore purchased 108 blocks of 'green power' for each of the past three months, according to a summary of the bills.
That’s a total of $432 a month Gore paid extra for solar or other renewable energy sources.
The green power Gore purchased is equivalent to recycling 2.48 million aluminum cans or 286,092 pounds of newspaper, according to comparison figures on NES’s Web site."
None of this information was mentioned by Hume who was merely attempting to continue the spread of right-wing talking points by a discredited source.
