AL GORE, SCATTERING THE FORCES OF DARKNESS

The former vice president has grown in stature (in more ways than one) since winning the election of 2000, and he proved it again yesterday on the Hill in testimony in both the House and the Senate. Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), one of the petroleum boys, made a fool out of himself on the Senate side, and then stalked out of the hearing in apparent recognition of that fact.

On the House side, petroleum toady Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) attacked Gore as best he could, and when Al came back at him with the "earth has a fever" rebuttal that made every evening news hour last night, Barton theatrically started reading the newspaper to signal his lack on interest.

Barton (and Inhofe too) was burnt because his own colleagues wouldn't follow his lead in attacking. The best line of the day belonged to Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), who followed Bartlett and said rather drily:

"It's possible to be a conservative without appearing to be an idiot."

Possible, but obviously very difficult.

When and if Al Gore gets into this presidential race, the whole landscape will shift dramatically, and sourpusses like us will have something to smile about.