More On Gore

Back to Al Gore's sex life!  Al Gore's side confirms that he got a therapeutic massage on the night in question, but it was all very innocent:

According to a source friendly with the Gores, Al Gore confirmed that he received a therapeutic massage in his hotel room that night, and likely from the therapist making the accusation. But, the source said, Gore remembers getting a massage without incident and the therapist leaving on good terms.

And the Gore break-up may be driving this story:

Gore's attorneys wrote to the Portland Tribune in 2007 and 2008 that the allegation was "completely false," and the paper decided against publishing a story, in part because the woman was reluctant to be identified. In a 2007 letter, Gore's lawyers wrote: "You. . . . are aware that everyone who knows Al and Tipper Gore well can and does attest to the integrity of their 37 year marriage and to his honorable character. Moreover, no allegations remotely resembling the ones made by this lawyer have been made against Mr. Gore by anyone else." Gore recently announced that he and his wife are splitting up.

And the tab:

The Enquirer's story, which [executive editor of the National Enquirer] Levine says was approved for publication just before the paper's deadline Monday night, relied heavily on documents. The tabloid confirmed that Gore, who had just released the film "An Inconvenient Truth," was in Portland at the time of the alleged incident to give a speech on global warming. The paper obtained the $540 bill -- including a 20 percent gratuity -- that the masseuse submitted to the Hotel Lucia, which retained her, along with her subsequent e-mail correspondence with the hotel. 

And where is this story headed?  Oblivion, if there is a merciful God in heaven:

Levine said he did not know whether the breakup of the Gore marriage prompted the masseuse to go public but that "you have to give her the benefit of the doubt." He conceded, however, that "this could come down to a he said/she said."

Well, it may be a 'he said/she said' but so far, she has spoken anonymously and he has not spoken directly at all.

Comments

[Captain Hate]

the paper decided against publishing a story, in part because the woman was reluctant to be identified.

Wait a goddamned minute: These quislings have made it their consistent policy *never* to identify the women in sexual assault cases while not giving the same consideration to the men, running roughshod over the rights of the accused. Why the suddent change? Hmmmmmmm?

[peter]

So he did get a massage from this woman in this hotel. The holes in her story are getting smaller all the time.

[Janet]

It is a he said/she said story....well, so what. The whole Russert/Libby/Cooper sham was a he said/he said story and that was good enough for the media then. So I say Start Printing...we want headlines and speculation ad nauseum!!!

[BobDenver]

A $540 bill, including a 20 percent gratuity. So the therapeutic massage was billed at $450. Time for a career change.

[Janet]

They can't print enough money to make me willing to knead the pasty flesh of algore.

[Arturono]

$540. Put it on his carbon credit card, sans doute.

[Janet]

And whatever happened to the Laurie"one square"David affair speculation? I want headlines I tell ya! I want the words "disgraced former VP" to precede every mention of algore.

[bgates]

Why the sudden change?

Usually anonymity is preferred to protect the women. In this case, though, the accused is a high official of the most notorious woman-protecting racket in the world. If anything untoward happened to this woman, how could disgraced former VP Al Gore show his face to Bill Clinton, Teddy Kennedy, Barack Obama, or their fellow staunch defenders of womanhood?

[bgates]

no allegations remotely resembling the ones made by this lawyer have been made against Mr. Gore by anyone else

I suppose that's perfectly serviceable as part of a boilerplate threatening letter to a newspaper which by definition could be expected to spike the story anyway - but once it's broadcast over the internet it starts to acquire a sort of Gary Hart feeling, donnit?

[How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the scraggly beard?]

Hubris and Hormones. Yet another new way to perdition.
==============

[bk]

OK, maybe i'm just naive, so help me out here. Does anyone really pay $540 for an in-room hotel massage at 10pm without expecting a "happy ending" of some sort?

[Cecil Turner]

The holes in her story are getting smaller all the time.

Concur. And the billing foofraw suggests she was actually paid $0 . . . which makes her story more believable, not less.

They can't print enough money to make me willing to knead the pasty flesh of algore.

You can say that again . . . but I wish you wouldn't. [/shudder]

[Danube of Thought]

Smoke. Fire. Case closed.

[Speedy G]

Scary...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVOVRZWrkgQ

[tonynoboloney]

I read the entire 15 page pdf that the masseuse
left with the police..........I believe every word of it. It sounds to "real" not to have some merit. Very vice president-ish, Democrat-ish behavior. Expect the media to bury the story as quickly as possible.

[Janet]

a sort of Gary Hart feeling, donnit?

That is exactly what I thought when I read that line.

I'll repost a link to another story that was deemed unimportant by the MSM -
...and I'm sure we all remember the screaming outrage and headlines when Barney Frank was present for a drug bust at his boyfriend's house in Aug. 2007. LUN

The event occurred in Aug. 2007 & it was reported in Nov. 2009.
This disgraced former VP algore aka Mr. Stone story occurred in 2006 & is just now being reported.

Maybe Frank needs 2 years to get his story straight, while disgraced former VP algore needs 4 years?

[Janet]

and bk, you are exactly right. $540...10:30pm...massage..."Mr. Stone"????
Yeah, I think we all know something more was expected.

[Ignatz]

Is "More on Gore" another of TM's puns?
If so it's less lame than usual.

[bgates]

it's less lame than usual

C'mon - there's the pun, the rhyme, the subtle allusion to "Move On"....

Well, it's better than Janet's line about Barney Frank getting his story straight, anyway :)

[Elroy Jetson]

bk:
That is the $540 question. Perhaps Albert was looking to get his money's worth, which led to a "misunderstanding"!

[Janet]

You know another big story that was minimized was the Sandy Berger story. It also had a lag time from being caught to being reported.
Sept./Oct.2003 he is caught stealing. Not until July 2004 was it reported in the MSM. 9 months.

By the time we read about some Dem. scandals the deals have already been cut and the cover-up worked out.

[Ignatz]

--C'mon - there's the pun, the rhyme, the subtle allusion to "Move On"....--

Considering all the Doc Seuss rhyming that was going on round here yesterday I guess we should just count our blessings he didn't title it Hop on Pop instead of Moron Gore.

[Janet]

getting his story straight! ha..I didn't realize. That arrest was when Barney said he didn't know what marijuana looked like.
Nobody knows nuttin with these Dem..
Marijuana leaf???huh...what...duh???
Massage my abdomen & call me Mr. Stone.?????
That paper in my pants??Well I was just takin Laurie David's advice. Recycling ya know.

[Janet]

Green egghead & a scam

[Danube of Thought]

Delicious: Ann Althouse dances a http://althouse.blogspot.com/2010/06/burn-davey-burn-self-immolation-of.html on the horrid Dave Weigel.

[Danube of Thought]

Should read: dances a whipsong on the horrid Dave Weigel.

[Greg Q]

A $540 bill with a 20% gratuity is $450 for the massage, and a $90 tip.

This was at the Hotel Lucia, which has an associate spa, the Portland Spa and Boutique.

Looking at their price list, the most expensive massage they offer is $140. Al paid over 3x that, plus a 20% tip.

If that's the price the Hotel told him, he said yes because he was expecting to buy sex. If that's not the price the Hotel quoted to him, then he was paying her for sex, or for hush money.

[A.Sullivan]

Oh, Al.

I just want you to know you still make my glutes quiver.

And you always will, big guy.

[doc]

Well I guess the Global Warming data was the only thing to get massaged.

Does anyone have a hockey stick joke on this?

[Clarice]

DoT her last graph was a real keeper.

[Porchlight]

In the comments at DoT's Althouse link there is a link to Dave trying to defend himself in the comments at Reason's Hit & Run blog. Even more pathetic, if that's possible.

Why on earth would anyone who considers himself a serious journalist dive into blog comments (even at the blog of his former employer) to wrestle with commenters?

[A.Sullivan]

Ahem.

[Ignatz]

Drudge says Weigel has run out of wiggle room and resigned.

[Porchlight]

Ah but Andi, you don't allow comments!

[Comanche Voter]

Which goes back to the line I saw earlier.
"Al Gore couldn't get laid in a whorehouse if he was buck nekkid and covered with $20 bills." The problem here is that it takes lot more than 27 twenties to cover Al Gore's great white whale of a body. More twenties please!

[Danube of Thought]

Look at Weigel's picture here. Tell me you don't feel the urge to mash his face in at the first opportunity.

[Ignatz]

--Tell me you don't feel the urge to mash his face in at the first opportunity.--

Heh. Looks like a yearbook picture of a pre-pubescent and particularly self satisfied Charlie Sheen matriculating at Sidwell Friends.
He's still in his acne phase isn't he?

[jimmyk]

no allegations remotely resembling the ones made by this lawyer have been made against Mr. Gore by anyone else

Hmm, all that did for Clarence Thomas was get him a televised grilling and skewering by the media, guilty unless proven innocent. Granted, Gore is not being nominated for the SC, but the best interpretation of this piece of evidence is that most of the time Gore got what he wanted consensually.

[Extraneus]

Ok, I think we have it figured out.

Multiple commenters have convincingly explained that the unreasonably high $540 "massage" bill means they both knew what the "massage" was really all about.

Janet then explains what the "masseuse's" inner voice surely began to whine to her at a particularly strategic moment...

They can't print enough money to make me willing to knead the pasty flesh of algore.

At which point, the "masseuse" discontinued the "massage," leading to Al's now-explicable boorish behavior.

The fact that she seems to have not been paid after all would appear to support the above scenario.

[jimmyk]

I heartily recommend Tim Blair's commenters for lots of great one-liners, such as:

“Can I get an ending happier than Gaia’s in 100 years?”

Also, see the LUN for a (SFW) visual.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Why on earth would anyone who considers himself a serious journalist dive into blog comments (even at the blog of his former employer) to wrestle with commenters?

(1) readers like it
(2) readers REALLY like it
(3) it drives more page views
(4) readers REALLY REALLY like it.

You have no idea how many complimentary emails I get when one of my writers joins in the conversation.

[Ignatz]

Since apple-cheeked Davey Weigel would appear to now need a job may I suggest:

Although, by appearances, I do believe he would be the junior member.

[Clarice]

Politico says it was the Post's own damned fault. They were stupid to hire this putz as their man on conservatives at Ezra Klein's suggestion.

Who's the mole on journolist,is what I want to know..

[Stephanie]

According to the article in the LUN, Gore got back to his hotel after giving an environmental speech at the Rose Garden that night and called for a masseuse. I doubt that the hotel's spa was open at that hour. The hour proves nothing. That she is licensed in massage is a plus for her. Also a plus is that she gave contemporaneous accounts to several friends (libs) and attended rape crisis counseling.

"She said she was meeting with a rape crisis unit, stuff like that," Burleigh said. "She said it was a high authority person who has a lot of power. She was scared of him."

I wonder if she did a Lewinsky (not that) and kept the slacks with the incriminating evidence.

Gonadal Warming is certainly a danger to Gore. Hey, maybe he's dyslexic?!?!?

[A.Sullivan]

--Tell me you don't feel the urge to mash his face in at the first opportunity.--

Yesssss! Me! Me!

[A.Sullivan]

"Gonadal Warming is certainly a danger to Gore."

Generally I find blogs that are less conservative than I to be somewhat jejune. But this one is just a treasure trove.

"Gonadal Warming"?

Must go lie down.

[Porchlight]

Politico says it was the Post's own damned fault. They were stupid to hire this putz as their man on conservatives at Ezra Klein's suggestion.

No way. WaPo knew exactly what they were getting. The whole point was to have someone on staff generating conservative strawmen to beat down, and then be able to claim they were fairly reporting all sides of the spectrum. Weigel was the journalistic equivalent of a concern troll and that's exactly what he was hired to be.

[Stephanie]

Video proof!

I love the internets.

LUN

and SFW. Your eyes, however, bleach. cloth. some assembly required.

The comments are comedy gold.

[Stephanie]

OMG.

[Jane]

"They were stupid to hire this putz as their man on conservatives at Ezra Klein's suggestion."

I can't figure out why they need a "man on conservatives". Why not just hire a conservative man.

[A.Sullivan]

"I can't figure out why they need a "man on conservatives". Why not just hire a conservative man."

What am I...invisible or something? Trust me, I can "man on" like nobody's business.

[Clarice]

Jane, they don't know any. That's the point. They are in an impenetrable bubble.

[A.Sullivan]

"Who's the mole on journolist,is what I want to know.."

Actually, I find moles quite attractive, particularly on a hirsute back.

[giggle]

[Clarice]

OT==Looks like Kevin Costner may save the Gulf.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts2851

Remember the beautiful Hedy Lamarr invented a strategically important code breaking device.

[Clarice]

Kevin Costner, follows in Hedy Lamarr's footprints as an actor who can invent important things--looks like his centrifuge will save the Gulf.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts2851

[jimmyk]

From the article on Costner, this is telling:

In his congressional testimony, Costner recounted his struggle to effectively market the centrifuge. He explained that although the machines are quite effective, they can still leave trace amounts of oil in the treated water that exceeds current environmental regulations. Because of that regulatory hurdle, he said, he had great difficulty getting oil industry giants interested without first having the approval of the federal government.

Brilliant: It's like when they halted the skimmers for the lack of lifejackets. Let's let the perfect be the enemy of the near-perfect.

[PaulL]

I skimmed the boring article Drudge linked to about Algore's Current TV.

Q: Has anyone in the country ever actually watched anything on this "network"?

Or does this fall under one of those new business models in which viewers don't matter, as long as you can get cable providers to pay you for your "programming" and thus inflate your bottom line as you prepare to sell your "company" to some green crony who can bilk thousands of shareholders?

Rhetorical questions.

[Danube of Thought]

The sexual assault of the masseuse re-enacted.

[Extraneus]

I just watched that from Stepanie's link. The post says it's Japanese, but aren't all the characters Chinese? In any case, it's really well done, and I could swear I saw one of these same (re-enactments from some other totally embarrassing American scandal, I just can't remember which one. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It wasn't Larry Craig, and I don't think it was a Republican, but it was a good one.

[Extraneus]

Definitely Chinese, now that I saw it with the sound on.

[jimmyk]

I could swear I saw one of these same (re-enactments from some other totally embarrassing American scandal

Yes, it was Tiger Woods, complete with Elin going after him with an iron. I'll look for it again.

[jimmyk]

This was the Woods reenactment, from a Chinese news broadcast.

[Extraneus]

That was it. Thanks Jimmy!

[Charlie (Colorado)]

He explained that although the machines are quite effective, they can still leave trace amounts of oil in the treated water that exceeds current environmental regulations.

Back in my Very First Job, I worked for Rocky Mountain Energy, the minerals subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad. One of the things RMEC did was in situ uranium mining: you basically pumped vinegar down into an underground uranium deposit in an existing aquifer, chemically removed the dissolved uranium, and -- theoretically -- pumped the water, now with a roughly neutral pH, back into the ground.

The business was wiped out because the waste water, with a trace amount of remaining U, was now "radioactive waste" and illegal to pump into the ground. Even though it was substantially less radioactive than it had been when it was originally in the ground.

[Danube of Thought]

Taiwanese, according to HotAir.

So we had the Coast Guard halting operations in order to do a life jacket inspection. We had Fish & Wildlife calling a halt to the berm construction. The EPA has thwarted Costner's project. We have a law prohibiting the Navy from sending its skiing vessels. I'm quite sure the Corps of Engineers stopped some other remedial operation.

Before the end of April, a wise president might have appointed a retired Marine Gunny as cleanup supervisor, and directed every single federal agency not to stand in the way of any effort without first getting the sergeant's permission. I can dream, can't I?

[Clarice]

It is effin amazing,DoT.

When will the Gulf state citizens march on DC (with sharpened pikes purchased from me)?

[hit and run]

I would less expect them to march on DC than to take those pikes (you are set up for mail order,right?) and start shoving them up the feds' athols right down there in the Gulf states.

"You wanna stop this vessel from going out skimming oil ... because of f'n life vests? Yessir. Bless your heart. You go right ahead ... as soon as you get past me and my S-C-A-M-Approved-Federal-Goverment-Impaling™ Pike"

[narciso]

I just saw this news, on a Fox News feed, in the LUN

[Clarice]

Let's hope it's nothing, narciso. It's so hot and humid here everyone's feeling discomfort.

Damned right, hit.

[Janet]

We just bought one of Clarice's pikes...and we're comin to Washington!

Git yours now before the DC environmental morons kill all the fish!

[jimmyk]

We also have the government telling me that if I create a job that can pay someone $6.50 an hour, even a job that might provide him or her with training and future pay increases, I'm not allowed to do so. Better that he remain unemployed.

Wouldn't it be something to have a new president come in and say, "To help fight unemployment, I hereby suspend all minimum wage laws."

[hit and run]

JIMMYK FOR PRESIDENT!!!!

Dot:
I can dream, can't I?

That's what I'm saying...

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

The massage therapist is reported to be a college graduate, 54 years old, a licensed massage therapist with licenses in more than one form of Asian massage technique.

I can't square those factoids with the idea of an outcall masseuse/prostitute.

Apparently she made contemporaneous statements to a friend and a rape crisis line. And I read again about the stained black pants. But, even if he thought she was there to service him sexually and even if she were there knowing this, it doesn't give him the right to assault her or try to have sex without her consent.

[jimmyk]

Thanks, Hit, but I already nominated Clarice a long time ago.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Janet-

Northern Pike is a nice catch, but Walleye is where the joy of the work is paid off. A bit different:

But well worth it. If you can get "Rainy River" walleye, you will taste none other, nor order any other, ever again.

[JorgXMcKie]

@DoT: Tell me you don't feel the urge to mash his face in at the first opportunity.

That pic would go perfectly alongside the definition of this word:

backpfeifengesicht: German for a face badly in the need of a fist.

[Mustang0302]

Remember the beautiful Hedy Lamarr invented a strategically important code breaking device.

Don't forget Jeff "Skunk" Baxter!

[Scooby-Doo does too.]

Wow, Perfect Ford, I love 'Coalition of the Willing', and thank you for the link. To think I'd not heard of this guy, though I've certainly loved the Brothers Doobie.
=============

[peter]

Mustang 5.0, thanks for that link. Very interesting.

[Mustang0302]

Carp. If I may be so bold. Sorry, folks.

[boris]

Unbold ye Internet Despoilers!

[weffie]

An ABC story says, "[t]he entire alleged incident lasted three hours. The woman says she was paid $540 for the massage."
abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/politics&id=7521944
That means the hourly rate was not so unusual. That seems like a very long massage.

[Janet]

LUN is the audio of the accuser. Just so there is a link on this thread. via Drudge

[Parking Lot]

((But, even if he thought she was there to service him sexually and even if she were there knowing this, it doesn't give him the right to assault her or try to have sex without her consent.))

true, and algore's a pig, but listening to her audio I wondered how naieve was this woman? she repeatedly says how deeply shocked she was that he was pressuring her for sex. Hmmmm, no, not all men would do as he did, but is she so naieve about the ways of the world, that she discounted that some men in that situation--half naked, physically stimulated, late at night in a hotel room--might have less than honorable intentions? Not justifying algore's actions here, or saying that she deserved his disgusting advances, just saying that libs need to grow up and get over their foolish naievete about how the world works. If they smartened up some about how the real world actually works, they might not vote for Owebama.