Ingraham uses doctored video to smear Gore

O'Reilly Factor guest host Laura Ingraham presented clips of Al Gore's recent congressional testimony that had been edited to remove his statements that he donates the money he makes from his climate-related work to a non-profit organization.

On the May 1 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, during a segment suggesting that former Vice President Al Gore has profited from his advocacy of renewable energy and climate change mitigation, guest host Laura Ingraham presented clips of Gore's April 24 congressional testimony that had been edited to remove his statements that he donates the money he makes from his climate-related work to a non-profit organization.

Introducing the segment, Ingraham stated: “It seems that being green does pay big time -- just ask Al Gore. Mr. Global Warming was worth about $2 million or so when he left office in 2001, but after eight years of tirelessly working to save the world, the planet, he's now reportedly -- get this -- worth a whopping $100 million. His financial windfall came up at last week's Capitol Hill hearing.” Ingraham then aired the following selectively edited clips from Gore's testimony:

REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): Is the legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?

[Ingraham's cut]

GORE: If you believe that the reason I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of greed, you don't know me.

[Ingraham's cut]

GORE: I've been willing to put my money where my mouth is. Do you think there's something wrong with being active in business in this country?

BLACKBURN: I am simply asking for clarification --

GORE: I'm proud of it.

BLACKBURN: -- of the relationship.

GORE: I'm proud of it.

The full exchange from the hearing is included below, with the parts Ingraham provided in italics, and Gore's relevant responses -- which were omitted from the O'Reilly Factor segment -- in bold:

BLACKBURN: So you're a partner in Kleiner Perkins. OK. Now, they have invested about a billion dollars in 40 companies that are going to benefit from cap-and-trade legislation. So is the legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?

GORE: I believe that the transition to a green economy is good for our economy and good for all of us, and I have invested in it. But every penny that I have made, I have put right into a nonprofit, the Alliance for Climate Protection, to spread awareness of why we have to take on this challenge.

And Congresswoman, if you're -- if you believe that the reason I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of greed, you don't know me.

BLACKBURN: Sir, I'm not making accusations, I'm asking questions that have been asked of me and individuals -- constituents that were seeking a point of clarity, so I am asking you for that point of -- point of clarity.

GORE: I understand exactly what you're doing, Congresswoman. Everybody here does.

BLACKBURN: And, well -- you know, are you willing to divest yourself of any profit? Does all of it go to a not-for-profit that is an educational not-for-profit --

GORE: Every penny that I have made --

BLACKBURN: Every penny --

GORE: -- has gone to it. Every penny from the movie, from the book, from any investments in renewable energy. I've been willing to put my money where my mouth is. Do you think there's something wrong with being active in business in this country?

BLACKBURN: I am simply asking for clarification --

GORE: I'm proud of it.

BLACKBURN: -- of the relationship.

GORE: I'm proud of it.

From the May 1 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

INGRAHAM: It seems that being green does pay big time -- just ask Al Gore. Mr. Global Warming was worth about $2 million or so when he left office in 2001, but after eight years of tirelessly working to save the world, the planet, he's now reportedly -- get this -- worth a whopping $100 million. His financial windfall came up at last week's Capitol Hill hearing.

[begin video clip]

BLACKBURN: Is the legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?

[Ingraham's cut]

GORE: If you believe that the reason I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of greed, you don't know me.

[Ingraham's cut]

GORE: I've been willing to put my money where my mouth is. Do you think there's something wrong with being active in business in this country?

BLACKBURN: I am simply asking for clarification --

GORE: I'm proud of it.

BLACKBURN: -- of the relationship.

GORE: I'm proud of it.

[end video clip]

INGRAHAM: Did she get the question actually answered? With us now Marc Morano, who's the executive editor of ClimateDepot.com. Marc, that was kind of a hot hearing with Al Gore and the congresswoman. And tell us what we need to know about Al Gore's relationship to a business that will seek to profit off of any kind of cap-and-trade legislation.

MORANO: Well, as you mentioned, Al Gore went from $2 million to $100 million, according to Bloomberg --

INGRAHAM: He did a lot of things, though, speaking --

MORANO: --speaking, other investments, yeah, absolutely, yes. And I think it's -- I also think Al Gore is motivated beyond money. I mean, he is an ideologue, he is a committed believer, so it's not fair to say he's doing it all for the money.

INGRAHAM: Sure.

MORANO: But this is big business in Washington. There's four lobbyists, four climate lobbyists for every member of Congress. That's how bad it's gotten. But Al Gore -- she mentioned the law firm Kleiner and Perkins -- Al Gore is a partner in that firm, which vested a billion dollars in 40 different firms. Now, when government mandates come down the road, this is going to increase these companies' business and portfolio, and the amount of profit Al Gore, according to [Harvard University atmospheric physicist and global warming skeptic] Dick Lindzen, one of his scientists from MIT who Al Gore has criticized -- Al Gore wants to become the first carbon billionaire, and he's poised to do it. He has the Alliance for Climate Protection, he has his other groups in the UK Generation Investment Management. Both of these groups -- one of them's pledged to spend $300 million to promote climate fears, promote government policy that's going to force carbon markets, carbon trading, where Al Gore has essentially either founded or partnered in a whole wide range of groups, including in Chicago and the UK stock market climate -- carbon trading where he is set poised to benefit incredibly. As much as he's made now is gonna be pikerly --

INGRAHAM: Wow.

MORANO: -- what he's gonna make in five years if all these new carbon trading mandates go --