Gore vs. Clinton (Sen. Clinton, That Is)

Over at Ragged Thots, NY Poster and Reason contributor Robert A. George takes the measure of Hilary Clinton's and Al Gore's recent speeches about Republicans:

Say what you will about Al Gore, but contrast…his speech [on National Security Administration surveillance excesses] with Hillary's rather weak complaint over how the House of Representatives is being run. One doesn't have to admire—or even like—Gore to recognize that he is playing on a higher field of play than the junior senator from New York. She's playing simple politics; he's talking constitutional urgency.

George implies that one reason Gore may not be playing politics is that he's been kicked off that field, possibly (though not definitively) for good.

George also links to this press release by conservatives upset with the NSA monitoring program who share at least some of Gore's concerns. One of the things that is striking, though hardly surprising, about the cons behind "Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances"–Bob Barr, Paul Weyrich, Grover Norquist, and others–listed is that their influence within the GOP has been at a low ebb for some time now.