The Commutation of Reason

Heavy sigh.

I was starting to come to like Al Gore. A month ago I even praised his book. I was sure he and I would disagree on plenty of things, but I was encouraged that he, having published a book called "The Assault on Reason," was going to keep things civil, and, well, reasoned.

Then, today, he goes and gives an interview with the following exchange:

Q. Before I let you go, I’d like to ask you about the Scooter Libby case and the fact the president commuted his sentence. What was your reaction to that?

GORE: Well, I thought it was very disappointing.

Q: Because?

GORE: Well, I thought it was improper. He is charged with having knowledge that could incriminate his bosses in the White House which included the vice president and the president. I thought it was very disappointing.

Q. And how is it different than when President Clinton pardoned, in some controversial cases…

GORE: Well it’s different because in this case the person involved is charged with activities that involve knowledge of what his superiors in the White House did.

Libby "is charged with having knowledge that could incriminate his bosses in the White House which included the vice president and the president"?!

Give me a break. Al Gore has absolutely no base on which to build that argument. What non-speculative proof does Gore have that Libby has "knowledge that could incriminate his bosses"? None. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

The notion that Libby has knowledge that could incriminate Bush and Cheney is a possibility, but it's not something one can state as a matter of fact. And yet, Gore went right ahead and did so.

Ugh.

Furthermore, unless Gore is going to equally criticize his former boss, who served no jail time for lying under oath, he has no moral platform from which he can lodge a reasoned argument against Libby also not serving jail time.

Apparently Gore only cares about reason when it serves his interests and helps him sell books... and otherwise, let the partisan slandering abound!

I can't believe I was no naive as to actually expect better than this...