Lots of media here, expect this to show up on the news later.
Watch the live stream here. There are a couple of videos of Howard Dean and Wesley Clark on C-Span.
Who are these people?
Here's my very stripped-down transcript. Qs are questions from askthespeaker.org. As are Pelosi's answers. M is a moderator (Gina Cooper) interjection. Please understand that almost none of this is a quote, more like a paraphrase using some of the same words. I couldn't possibly keep up with the actual flow of speech so everything is very abbreviated.
q. You said impeachment is off the table?
a. I agree and that is why I support what Conyers and Sanchez has done in issuing a resolution of contempt. This is historic people didn't want us to go forward with that. This went to the floor. Republicans voted against contempt. We have other contempt, the court is now considering contempts against Karl Rove. Conyers is in charge, says "Leave it up to me."
M. Then can we expect the House to put Karl Rove in that little cell in the basement?
a. It's up to Conyers.
q. FISA immunity?
a. All electronic communication. Inspector General. Protection for US citizens abroad. Protect liberties of American people. Not a bill I would have written. Infinitely better than Senate bill.
M. I noticed bipartisan opposition online. Where is the support for this bill?
a. I'm not surprised.. We couldn't overcome the 60 votes we needed.
q. Can you tell us the Dem party vision of what government should be?
a. I see America with a big vision with how we deal with four issues. First responsibility is to protect American people. In terms of vision. It's only a decision. Just think of healthcare. In pres campaigns we heard about plans. Dems in House are talking about access to what. We're talking about big vision. Talking about research that all Americans get access to. Healthcare database so people get the care they need. About prevention. Diet not diabetes. About exercise, school. Science is the answer. Second innovation agenda. Science is the word. We may have our differences on issues like trade, let us invest in science which begins in the classroom. Begins in the classroom. Third, building infrastructure of America. Jefferson thought of infrastructure. T. Roosevelt 100 years later. Cornerstone was establishment of National Park service. 100 years later Bush is in office. Depends on science and technology whether we're talking about roads or transportation. It's just a realignment of priorities. Fourth is energy security.
q. Is Congress going to bail out Detroit.
a. I don't think that's going to happen. We should innovate and compete.
q. Abstinence only education is a failure? Will you take steps to put funds into sex education and contraception?
a. Yes. We must have appropriate sex education for our people. AO is an idea that is dangerous to the health of our young women.
M. Why is funding for AO holding its ground?
a. We need more pro-choice members of Congress.
q. Will you bring forward a bill to support broadband access to our communities?
a. In the beginning of our country, communication and transportation were the same thing. And our founders put in the Const a facilitation for that communication. Probably more difference was made in the last 20 years than from the founding of our country. Broadband is part of our innovative agenda. We must have in rural areas or inner cities, there should be no difference. Everybody has to be in on this. It involves realignment, it's going to take some money and an investment in the science to make it easier to do this. The whole country has to be wired. Another issue is Net Neutrality. I have my disappointment with the telecoms. My bigger disappointment with the regional Bells was their opposition to net neutrality. It was a lot of other smaller entrepreneurs who brought us the technology. We have to innovate.
q. Why are our are soldiers being forced to beg for care packages that include basic sundries such as protein bars, toothpaste and tampons?
a. They shouldn't have to be. There's that but it's emblematic of other needs that aren't being met for our veterans.
q. VP Gore has called for us to use 100% renewable resources in 10 years from now. How are we going to accomplish this?
HOLY CRAP! Al Gore is here! He's here in person!!!!
This man is too good for me to attempt to transcribe. Sorry, just find it on some online news later. Al Gore did mention a website that he would like people to go to: http://www.wecansolveit.org/.
Now we're on to a lightning round of questions.
Gore: I am honored by the suggestion that I consider taking a position in the next administration. I want to explain why I don't think that would be the best for me. I want to enlarge the space in which elected officials address the climate change issue.
What about the prominence of meat in the diet and its connection to global warming pollution? One of the trends is the increasing meat in the diet of developing countries. I have to plead guilty about this, perhaps because I'm a meat eater. There hasn't been enough focus on this issue.
Mountaintop mining is an atrocity.
Pelosi: I want to thank VP Gore for making people aware of this issue and for his visionary leadership. As a grandmother I especially want to thank him. Without him there would be no Netroots Nation and we would not have the technology. (I lost track here). No drilling in ANWR. 68 million acres leased in the lower 48, use it or lose it.
Gore: Buckminster Fuller suggested putting wind turbines on towers. You'd have to build new supports and you have to put them not where the structure is but where the wind is. One minor point here. The combination of wind, solar, and geothermal is important. Wind is intermittent. That can drive energy managers nuts because they have to have a steady supply. Some of the solar energy collectors help supply steady power. It's important to have a combination of those.
As to NCLB, it's important not only to have science, but arts, and pe.
As to e-waste, a lot of companies are looking for ways to reduce waste and I do give them credit for understanding the importance of the challenge. There's a long way to go.
Pelosi: Does Congress accept the challenge of 100% renewable in 10 years. I salute his challenge it is absolutely possible to do so. Talks about energy bill that was passed, including CAFE standards and renewable electricity standard. House passed it, only got 59 votes in Senate. Bush didn't want to sign it. We are going to address this again before the end of the session.
That's it. Sorry for the early end, but I'm out of juice for the laptop, so I hope you can watch the full address online.
Update: I'm back, and here's my pictures of Lloyd Doggett, Nancy Pelosi, and Al Gore.
UPDATE: Xanthippas here. Here's the NY Times on the highly favorable reception Gore received.
4 comments:
Great job live-bloggin'!
Awesome surprise guest!
Thanks!
Glad I could be of service. I would have thought this would be taped for later viewing but as of yet I don't know where you can see it.
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