By JENNIFER KERR

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former vice-president Al Gore accused President George W. Bush on Sunday of failing to make the country safer after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and using the war against terrorism as a pretext to consolidate power.

"They have taken us much farther down the road toward an intrusive, 'big brother'-style government - toward the dangers prophesied by George Orwell in his book 1984 - than anyone ever thought would be possible in the United States of America," Gore charged in a speech.

Gore, who lost the disputed 2000 presidential election to Bush, said terrorism-fighting tools granted after Sept. 11 amount to a partisan power grab that have led to the erosion of the civil liberties of all Americans.

He brought many the crowd of 3,000 to their feet when he called for a repeal of the Patriot Act, which expanded government's surveillance and detention power, allowing authorities to monitor books people read and conduct secret searches.

Gore chided the administration for what he said was its "implicit assumption" that Americans must give up traditional freedoms in order to be safe from terrorists.

"In my opinion, it makes no more sense to launch an assault on our civil liberties as the best way to get at terrorists than it did to launch an invasion of Iraq as the best way to get at Osama bin Laden," Gore said.

In both cases, Gore said, the administration has "recklessly put our country in grave and unnecessary danger."

He also said the administration still has "no serious strategy" for domestic security - charging that there aren't sufficient protections in place for ports, nuclear facilities, chemical plants and other key infrastructure.

While I agree with the fact that we have given some rights that we as Americans cherish in the passing of the Patriot act, I disagree with the implied idea that we should not have done so. I have and would again willingly give my right to read a book about how to build weapons of terrorism to insure an America of the security and ideals that allowed me to grow into the person I am.

The mention of Al Gore reminds me of one more thing I have to be thankful for: That George Bush is President.

corelokt308, you are not worthy to be an American if that is your view. Who is going to decide which books you can read? Who is going to decide next year, and ten years from now? There is a reason the Founders gave the government very little power over what individuals can and can't do. Only criminal conduct ought to be punishable in America. What we choose to read is not government's business.

While there are undoubtedly problems with some of the provisions in the Patriot Act, Gore's not one who should be out there complaining -- since almost everything he objects to was also proposed by the Clinton-Gore administration in 1996. (And defeated at the time, partly because we were most worried about domestic terrorism in those days.)

John

Agreed. The Dems are even worse than the Republicans regarding the civil liberties that count. Oh yes, they will defend your right to have access to pornography, and for gays to get hitched, but as for property rights, and the right to be left alone by government, and the right to defend yourself, forget it. They are the worst offenders. Republicans are not far behind them, however. The Republicans have become "Democrats Light."

The only difference between Democrats and Republicans is that the Republicans USED to do it slower...

I my opinion, I think it's time to use force against force. But that means I'm a terrorist right?!? If the Agents of government can use DEADLY force to cram there will down my throat, I do believe it is a NATURAL right (one that USED to be embodied in the LITERAL meaning of the Constitution) to respond in kind. However, that can be "interpreted" to be conspiracy, treason, or "terrorism". The threat is not from without, but from within.

It still is the greatest country in the world to live in, by I feel a sad sense that it will be shortlived.

Blitz <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Call me an optimist, but imagine the 9/11 repercussions under a Gore administration.

I can't help but feel that we got off lucky with the Patriot Act under a Republican administration. I'm not justifying the Act, nor forgiving it, but nobody panics better than Democrats and things could be a lot worse.

I agree with JOG that we are very fortunate that we did not have to weather 09/11/01 and the aftermath with a Democrat administration. The Bush administration did go too far in not limiting the reach of the new counter terror laws to non-citizens, and even more so by not incorporating a sunset clause in them.

Much of what is wrong with our government now and where it will continue to go wrong is by imposing permanent solutions to temporary problems. Can you say "New Deal" and "Great Society"? "Patriot Act" may well top the list of permanent blunders to solve temporary problems.

Hillary will enjoy it greatly.

Fireplug