Is Al Gore a threat, why the hit pieces?

[ben_meyers]

I've posted here before that I don't think that Gore will seek the White House under any scenario due to his commitment to his Current TV IPO. But this article from Bloomberg seems to be trying to smear him a bit.

March 6 (Bloomberg) -- Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore left the White House seven years ago with less than $2 million in assets, including a Virginia home and the family farm in Tennessee. Now he's making enough to put $35 million in hedge funds and other private partnerships.

Gore invested the money with Capricorn Investment Group LLC, a Palo Alto, California, firm that selects the private funds for clients and invests in makers of environmentally friendly products, according to a Feb. 1 securities filing. Capricorn was founded by billionaire Jeffrey Skoll, former president of EBay Inc. and an executive producer of Gore's Oscar-winning documentary film on global warming.

Since losing the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, Gore, 59, is best known for focusing attention on climate change through his book and movie, ``An Inconvenient Truth,'' which helped him win a Nobel Peace Prize. Gore's newfound wealth resulted, in part, from speaking engagements and ties to Silicon Valley firms with soaring stock market values, such as Google Inc. and Apple Inc.(snip)

In the last personal finance report he filed as vice president, Gore disclosed on May 22, 2000, that the value of his assets totaled between $780,000 and $1.9 million. In addition, Gore listed an interest in his father's estate that included Occidental Petroleum Corp. stock worth as much as $1 million.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=a7li9Nhmhvg0&refer=home

So he's making a little money now. Is that a bad thing? And why bring up Occidental Petroleum again?
But it just gets snarky...

Al Gore rolling in the green
Former vice president Al Gore may prove that politics and big money do mix. When Gore left office in 2000, he had a net worth of $2 million and now, according to Bloomberg, has been able to earn enough money to invest $35 million in Capricorn Investment Group LLC, which has dispersed his capital into "green" investments. The environmental crusader is also a budding media mogul, planning a $100 million IPO for his media company CurrentMedia, the parent of CurrentTV, which won an emmy for Best Interactive Television Service in 2007.

http://www.thedeal.com/dealscape/2008/03/al_gore_rolling_in_the_green.php

It would appear someone (Bloomberg?) perceives Mr. Gore as a potential threat to their own ambitions.

[marmar]

1. There is a level of venom directed at Al Gore that boggles my mind.....

.... Then again, he is a big advocate of breaking up media monopolies, so you know that's put him on the MSM's shit list.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Al Gore is a visionary, exceptionally talented and skilled, I'm not the least bit surprised

he's making a lot money in the private sector. The tragedy is that his skills had he not been denied the Presidency, could have the United States economy in far better shape than it is today. If there is any snark in these columns it may due to sour grapes.

A little more excerpt from the column.

"``Gore got a lot of support from Silicon Valley when he ran for president because they knew the Internet was one of his primary concerns,'' said Tony Coelho, a former congressman and investment banker who served as chairman of Gore's 2000 campaign.

``It's very legit that these people would pursue him'' after he left office, Coelho said, adding that Gore received Google and Apple stock options before their shares ``went into the stratosphere.''"

[ReformedChris]

3. Gore is a threat to the Establishment, they will try to discredit Big Al anyway they can.

Gore has the truth on his side in the Global Warming Debate. His old man made a lot of money and had a ton of connections: no different than any other family (such as Bu$hCo, Kennedy,Daley, and others)that are in politics. There is nothing out of the ordinary to jump on Gore about. I think its funny these right wingers are trying to damage Gore for being a successful capitalist, after all, money is what makes the world go round for those people.

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. Its always GREAT when a repug makes

tons of money(its the amerikan way), but let a liberal get even just a little and OMG.....the world is ending.:puke:

[Matariki]

5. I just heard a piece on NPR about a conference presenting 'the other side' on global warming

It was pathetic. To make up for their lack of scientists, they hired comedians. Needless to say there were lots of Al Gore jokes. The few scientists they did manage to get to speak could only say 'the evidence is not conclusive'. This was pretty much funded by Exxon, GM and a few other rapidly obsolete, vision-less corporations.