Al Gore Meeting With President-Elect Barack Obama and VP-Elect Joe Biden

By: KathyinBlacksburg
Published On: 12/10/2008 12:42:34 PM

When word spread that Former Vice President Al Gore was to meet with the President and Vice President Elect, hopes rose that we might hear something concrete about a future Al Gore role for our nation.  Al Gore was perhaps the best Vice President in US history.

Its' too early to tell, but it may be that President-Elect Barack Obama and VP-Elect Joe Biden talked climate issues only with Al Gore.  It is possible that no cabinet, or other assignment, was discussed in their meeting yesterday. Here's the link.
However, many of us hoped that Al Gore would play prominently in this administration's global warming and environmental initiatives.  His prominent role in an Obama administration might serve as an important signal that Barack Obama does remember why progressives and moderates sent him on his White House journey.

According to an associated press story, and the YouTube video, it appears that, at minimum, The Obama Administration will undertake serious efforts at remediating global warming.  


"We all believe what the scientists have been telling us for years now, that this is a matter of urgency and national security, and it has to be dealt with in a serious way," Obama told reporters and photographers at the end of the closed-door meeting.

"We have the opportunity now to make jobs all across this country, in all 50 states, to repower America. ... We are not going to miss this opportunity," Obama said.


It is also clear that Barack Obama understands the nexus between green environmental initiatives and growing new jobs with a green economy focus.  We've been told the word "can't" for far too long.  "We can't take on the issue of global warming because it will cost jobs,"  we've been told.  And our nation's leaders have been either a state of denial or paralysis.  But given Obama's grasp of how to incentivize and grow green jobs, we may be at a real turning point.

Barack seems to be saying that Gore will be at the table and an advisor.  Meanwhile, I'd love to see Al Gore at the forefront.  Perhaps, though, he sees himself instead as a worldwide ambassador for a greener earth.  And that too is a noble calling.  

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In a related note... (ericy - 12/10/2008 7:13:55 PM)

MSNBC is now reporting that Steven Chu will be the Energy Secretary..

Chu to be Energy secretary

Obama will name Steven Chu his choice for Energy secretary, Lisa Jackson for EPA administrator and Carol Browner as energy "czar" reporting to the president.

It is unclear whether the Browner position is cabinet level.

This will not be officially announced this week.

There will be a news conference tomorrow to announce the Health and Human Services secretary -- expected to be Tom Daschle.