Al Gore Criticizes Bush on Iraq, Katrina

Former Vice President Al Gore returned Sunday to the state that effectively ended his presidential aspirations, criticizing the Bush Administration's actions in Iraq as deceptive and calling the White House's response to Hurricane Katrina irresponsible.

"There were warnings the levees (in New Orleans) were in danger. No questions were asked," Gore said to raucous applause and cheers at a Florida Democratic Party fundraiser. "What is going on there now? There are still refrigerators in front yards, and there are still bodies under rubble."

Introduced as the man who had the presidency stolen in 2000, Gore avoided talk of the now infamous recount that handed President Bush the election with a mere 537 votes in Florida.

"I'm Al Gore. I'm a recovering politician," he joked. Gore stumped over the weekend in three Florida cities for Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson, who is challenged by U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, the former Florida secretary of state who oversaw the 2000 presidential election recount.

Analysts say Gore likely got some sense of personal pleasure out of raising money to defeat her.

"It's probably extra sweet in his mind if he can raise money that would actually help defeat Katherine Harris, given that she's viewed by most Democrats as being at least partly responsible for him losing," said University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett. "From a Democrat's perspective, she not only interpreted election law to favor Republicans, she went out of her way at every turn to make decisions that hurt the Gore team."

Gore said President Bush misled Americans with the idea that "our troops would be welcomed by flowers (in Iraq) ... That we wouldn't need many troops because it would be a cakewalk. "When there is no vision, people perish," he repeated over and over.

He also criticized the Bush Administration's stance on torture.

"No matter that in all of history that has been commonplace, we are different," he said. "Never has it been official U.S. policy that we depart from that ... that we should torture people."

Carole Jean Jordan, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, called Gore's appearance good news for Republican candidates.

"That the Democrats have been forced to look so far outside the state of Florida and so far back in history to track down a 'guest of honor' speaks volumes," she said, adding that Democrats lack "viable, visionary, or inspirational candidates."

The 2006 election season in Florida has been heating up, with fundraising visits from Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Vice President Dick Cheney just in the last two weeks.

It's a sure sign that candidates are once again looking to Florida, with its 27 electoral votes, as a 2008 presidential battleground, analysts said.

"In a close presidential race, Florida is probably the most important state," Jewett said. "This is going to be a high drama political season all around," added David Epstein, a Columbia University political science professor. "It's a chance for Democrats to settle a few scores, one of which would be for Gore to help someone win in Florida, especially to help beat Katherine Harris."

The Harris campaign is not without its problems after recent reports that she received illegal campaign contributions from the same man who bribed former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif. Harris said she donated the money to charity.

She canceled plans Saturday to attend the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Memphis, Tenn., and announced that this week she will end speculation about whether she will bow out of the race under pressure from the party.