It's already been documented that the media have, at least initially, ignored the allegation that global warming alarmist-in-chief and former Vice President Al Gore faced a sexual assault charge in 2006. But why?
Although not know for its enlightening commentary, ABC's June 24 broadcast of "The View" offered an answer for that question. Subbing as a moderator for the show's panel was MSNBC "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough, who explained their decision to ignore it was based on "insufficient evidence" despite the police report documenting the allegation.
"This is an interesting story," Scarborough said. "A 2006 police report surfaced of a masseuse claiming former Vice President Al Gore repeatedly attempted, quote, ‘unwanted sexual contact with her during a hotel room massage which lasted for three hours.' Detectives found insufficient evidence to support the allegations, which leads to my question first, Joy. Should we be talking about it at all? This was in The Oregonian. We decided this morning not to talk about it on ‘Morning Joe' because there was insufficient evidence. The Oregonian picked it up, then the National Enquirer. Everybody's going to be talking about it. Should we?"
Panelist Joy Behar, who also hosts a HLN primetime show said she suspected there was more to Al Gore's marital problems than was initially let on.
"I've been saying all along, though that there is something more to the breakup," Behar said. "This is the ‘Tipper' of the iceberg because I think that in fact the guy has a history now. I'm beginning to believe it."
But that wasn't fair to Gore, who now apparently has a friend in Joe Scarborough. He disagreed with Behar's assertion.
"But we don't know that," Scarborough protested. "We're piling on."
A little later, Scarborough labeled the entire story - that a former sitting vice president would be the subject of such "unfair" media scrutiny.
"Let's get back to Al Gore," Scarborough said. "Really quickly though, I want to get back to what I think is the unfairness to Al Gore because those of us in New York know that there was a rumor on the front page of the New York Post last week - an unfounded, but a rumor that everybody in New York talked about. Now we've got another story out there in The Oregonian. Where there's smoke, there's not always fire."
Behar relented and conceded there was a degree of unfairness.
"It's not really fair to the guy," Behar said. "I'm a comedian. I'm going to go for the joke no matter who it is. It's not fair."
