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Who Does Gore Speak For?

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Tripp

You think you hate it now...
Still scratching my head over this one...I mean, Al Gore wants to keep our nukes? I thought he was allied with the Sierra Club. Talk about talking out of both sides of your mouth.

quote:
Gore to Cadets: `I Know What You Need'

Sunday, May 28, 2000 By Darlene Superville - Associated Press

WEST POINT, N.Y. — Al Gore criticized George W. Bush's proposal to cut America's nuclear arsenal whether or not Russia does the same, telling West Point cadets Saturday that it "will create instability and undermine our security."

"Nuclear unilateralism will hinder, rather than help, arms control," Gore said in a commencement address that did not mention his Republican presidential rival by name while warning of dangers in Bush's defense plan.

The vice president's aides billed the speech as an official statement of U.S. policy and the Army secretary said it did not violate guidelines against political speeches at the United States Military Academy.

Stressing his credentials to serve as commander in chief, Democrat Gore told more than 940 graduates and guests at Michie Stadium: "I know what you need to do your jobs."

Bush last week proposed reducing the U.S. nuclear stockpile to its "lowest possible number consistent with our national security," even without Russia making cuts. The Texas governor paired the cuts with a broad national security review that must include a missile defense system

The Texas governor also opposes a treaty that bans worldwide tests of nuclear weapons. It was rejected by the Senate last year as critics said it would compromise national security. Gore has said he will resubmit the treaty to the Senate if elected president.

Gore, in his 25-minute speech, warned about the possible consequences of Bush's proposals.

"An approach that combines serious unilateral reductions with an attempt to build a massive defensive system will create instability, and thus undermine our security," the Democratic candidate said.

The Bush campaign, in response, accused the administration of a failure of leadership and a lack of commitment to the armed forces.

Administration policies have left the military "underpaid, undertrained and overextended," Bush campaign spokeswoman Mindy Tucker said in a statement issued before Gore's speech. The governor's "vision for the American military realizes that the issues of military readiness and morale must be addressed by the next president."

Gore later defended the speech, saying it was "not an effort to score a political point" but was geared toward the upcoming U.S.-Russia summit in Moscow.

"I would wager a bet with you that not one of the 20,000 people there had the slightest thought that that was a political speech about arms control," Gore told reporters as he flew back to Washington. "There was no mention of the presidential campaign, no mention of my opponent, no mention of myself in the role of a candidate."

The campaign sparring over defense policy comes as President Clinton heads to Moscow for arms talks next weekend with President Vladimir Putin.

Clinton and Boris Yeltsin, Putin's predecessor, agreed in 1997 that a START III accord would further reduce their countries' nuclear arsenals by about 1,000 warheads, to between 2,000 and 2,500. Recently, the Russians have suggested going even lower, perhaps to 1,500.

Late Friday, en route to New York from a campaign stop in Tennessee, Gore scoffed at what he called Bush's "wildly optimistic" plan, saying it amounts to "a formula ... for a reignited arms race."

"If you're not careful, you could have fewer missiles and a more dangerous world," he said aboard Air Force Two.

Gore favors a limited missile defense system that he says can be accomplished by amending the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which now forbids building a national system. The Russians have said they will put arms control treaties on hold if the United States violates the treaty.

Bush has said he will act even if Russia disapproves. Gore said continued negotiations over further arms reductions are needed.

Gore, in his speech to cadets, said he is aware that his own military service as an Army journalist for five months in Vietnam "doesn't match that of others on this stage — or what you will see in your careers."

Still, he said, he knows "what it's like to meet a responsibility to our country."

Bush served in the Texas Air National Guard during Vietnam. And as governor of Texas, he lacks the foreign policy experience of Gore.

The vice president said that to remain pre-eminent, the military must evolve into an Information Age force by taking advantage of the latest technology. That, he said, "will require foresight, technical skill and a clear understanding of the nature of war."

Echoing Clinton administration themes, Gore also said he would:

—Improve the pay and quality of life for service members.

—Bolster recruitment and training programs.

—And increase access to education, affordable housing and medical care.

Gore's speech won praise from Army Secretary Louis Caldera, who said the vice president "did a tremendous job of talking to the cadets about the kind of challenges that they're going to face in the future."

Caldera told reporters the speech was "absolutely not" in violation of academy rules against political addresses. "I think there was great care taken to make sure that this was not a political speech."

The only politicians West Point allows to address cadets are the president, vice president and U.S. House speaker.
 

Dave Shutter

Registered User
quote:Can anyone tell me why the Clinton-Gore administration has continued to get press credibility with regard to Foreign Policy when it's clear they have no idea of successful Foreign Policy (Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, lowest levels of US Armed Forces recruiting ever, Russia moving back towards communism, more nations with Nuclear power, NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY (Holy S**t!), the list goes on and on.)

Two words Q: LIBERAL MEDIA The guys and girls on all these lovely news shows look like these crusading folks out for justice but what people usually overlook, don't know or care to know is that all media sources are owned by corporations and their sole job is ratings. My journalism class lectures on non-biased reporting were some of the funniest I had in college.

quote:My only hope is that the Cadets that heard Gore's speech see through the political posturing of "more raises, better equipment, more training, etc." and understand fully what they are in store for if we have to suffer another democratic presidency.

I hope your right, and the cadets knew enought to ignore this very political, political speech, but then again the way the PC thought cops have blitzkrieged schools and universities (you don't even want to know how bad it is out there!) I wouldn't be so sure? Under Clinton's admin I dread to think what kind of philosophies are being progra...excuse me...instilled in the cadets and midshipmen of our service academies.

Gee guys! Ya think SecArmy Caldera has the integrity of the academy or his own job security in mind!


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