Source: Gawker.com
Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two American journalists held in North Korea since March, returned home to a heroic welcome this morning alongside former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore.
But as Ling and Lee were reunited with their families early Wednesday in California, Gore's media company Current TV was out in full force to capture the return.
Only hours into their return, political critics of Al Gore and Bill Clinton are claiming that Gore is "immorally capitalizing" on the situation to help his TV channel grow and profit from the global attention given to Ling and Lee's return.
North Korea pardoned Ling, 32, and Lee, 36, on Tuesday after former President Clinton helped secure their release in a brief trip to Pyongyang.
Gore spoke and remained front and center at Wednesday's arrival ceremony for the freed journalists.
As the story heats up, those on both sides of the aisle are already bickering about whether or not Gore overstepped his boundaries.
Despite playing a significant role in helping return Ling and Lee to the US (an achievement that President Obama personally acknowledged this morning), the critics are already attacking with what some consider "baseless allegations."
Did Al Gore take advantage of Ling and Lee to benefit Current TV? Please leave your thoughts and comments below.
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Comments
You know what... who cares? What's important is that these two American citizens are home safe and sound. It was inappropriate for him to name drop Current TV, but hopefully people will be more interested that Laura and Euna are safe rather than his attempt to promote himself.
Amen! They are home, why criticize anyone involved in getting them back?!?
Save your questions for the N. Koreans
You're right Michelle. Kim Jong Il wanted good publicity...to show the world that he is humane and a peacekeeper... unfortunately he is probably the only person in the world who thinks this! If he thinks he's like this, then why did he do what he did?!
Any talking head who criticizes Al Gore for covering the release of his own two journalists/employees, after he volunteered to go to North Korea and negotiate their release and played a key role in bringing on board President Bill Clinton to save them, also needs to criticize himself and every single other American and foreign news organization that covered the story. Are we to believe that he is guilty of some wrongdoing because he did what every single other media outlet did this week, which he arguably has even more of a right to do? Let's not forget that the two women in question are journalists themselves.
This is the biggest news story of the week. If he didn't cover it, he'd be criticized for ignoring the struggle of his employees and dismissing it as irrelevant and not important enough to cover. He owes it to them to cover their incredible story. He owes it to President Clinton, the hero of the tale, and to not do so would be disrespectful and unfair.
"Take advantage" of Ling and Lee by providing news coverage of their release? You must be joking!
Current TV is a NEWS network, and the release of Ling and Lee is a NEWS story. They were captured while on the job- WORKING on a story for Current TV. Global media have used Gore and Current TV as scapegoats, and blamed them for the plight of these women for MONTHS. I would expect nothing less of their colleagues than the most joyful of celebrations for their safe return. The most coverage they could muster, and then some.
And let's be realistic here: If Ling and Lee were two unknown journalists working for a local cable station in Iowa, instead of directly linked to Al Gore and by extension the Clintons, would they have been ANY good to the North Koreans as political pawns? Would we even know they were being held? Doubtful.
Shout it from the rooftops, Al! Laura and Euna are home, safe and sound!
Al Gore could walk on water and you guys would not give him any credit. Had we had an eight year Gore presidency our country would be a much better place. If you want to be critical - be critical of Laura and Euna for putting themselves (and our country) in this situation.Their passports should be limited to prevent them from doing this again, just in case they did not learn their lesson that North Korea is a very bad, bad place
People who hate good politicians always have something to complain about. Always looking for the negative, even in something that is positive! Thank God they are home, and thanks to Former Pres Clinton and Al Gore. Period.
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