Peace Prize brings Al Gore, president face-to-face with bitter past
10:32 a.m. Monday, November 26, 2007
A lot has happened in the seven years since Al Gore conceded to George W. Bush after a bitter fight that went all the way to the Supreme Court.
The president has faced terrorist attacks, natural disasters and war, while the former vice president Al Gore left politics to campaign against global warming.
But while Bush saw his popularity plummet, Gore made an Oscar-winning movie and won the Nobel Peace Prize.
So when they meet face-to-face in the Oval Office Tuesday will they finally bury the hatchet? Don't bet on it.
"This is going to be a very uncomfortable moment for both of them. I think after the president looks at Al Gore and says congratulations, Al Gore will probably depart the room," said Former Gore Campaign Manager Donna Brazile.
The two men have been dismissive of each other from the start.
In recent years, Gore has not hesitated to criticize the president's leadership.
"He took America on an ill-conceived foreign adventure dangerous to our troops," Gore said.
President Bush -- reflecting the stature of his office -- has been more restrained. But his spokesmen have taken shots.
s"Al Gore's hypocrisy knows no bounds," White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said.
After Gore won the Nobel Peace prize, the official White House comment was a chilly: "We're sure the Vice President is thrilled."
Of course, even bitter political rivals often form friendships later in life.
"I remember George Bush, Sr. saying to me at one point, 'I can't imagine Bill Clinton and I will ever work together they way that Gerry Ford and Jimmy Carter do'," said ABC News Reporter Cokie Roberts.
And now they are.
In the case of Gore and the current president, developing a amicable relationship just might take a while.
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