Ridley Rips Gore: Save Son, Not Ice Caps

John Ridley might be an NPR regular, someone who says he likes the "center-left" and even professes admiration for Al Gore's work. But that didn't stop the "Morning Joe" panel member from ripping Gore on the MSNBC show this morning at 7:20 a.m. EDT for his choice of continuing his Live Earth concert tour rather than being at the side of his troubled son.

A clip was aired of Gore telling MSNBC's Chris Jansing that despite his son's latest run-in, his plans hadn't changed to attend the series of Live Earth concerts around the world. In a mantra reminiscent of his "no controlling legal authority" line from years ago regarding questionable fund-raising, Gore informed Jansing and other media that he was treating his son's situation as "a private family matter." Ridley went off on an extended tirade. Excerpts:

MORNING JOE PANEL MEMBER JOHN RIDLEY: Why isn't he with his son? He's in New York yesterday doing all these media hits. His son is in California. If my son were in crisis, I would be home with my son.

View edited video clip here.

Mika Brzezski [who, as we are legally obligated to note, is daughter to Jimmy Carter's former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski] rode to Big Al's defense.

MSNBC'S MIKA BREZEZINSKI: [This] is different; your kids are stil little, his son's an adult. [N.B. Al Gore III is 24].

The amiable Willie Geist, often a panel member but guest-hosting for a vacationing Joe Scarborough, was also in a forgiving mood.

MSNBC'S Willie Geist: He got arrested with a little pot, a couple of pills. It's not like he was on a three-day meth bender.

RIDLEY: He's been in rehab before, he's had problems before. He was driving 100 MPH.

GEIST [facetiously]: In a Prius, though; he was responsible.

RIDLEY: Instead of going to your concert, instead of doing all your high-faluting, show-bizzy kind of thing, maybe you should go and be with your son. Instead of trying to throw a hug around the world, why not throw a hug around your kid?

BRZEZINKSI: That's a little harsh, that's a little harsh.

RIDLEY: If Al Gore was an indigent, inner-city dad, and his kid was having problems with illegal substances, and he went off to see a ball game, people would be up in arms about these poor folks who don't know how to raise their kids. Instead we get a guy who's a multi-millionaire, has access to private planes. If that were me, the first thing I'd do is hop on a jet, if I had that kind of money, and fly home and be with my kid. If saving the polar ice caps is more important than saving your family, so be it.

The far-left crowd -- I'm not talking the left-center crowd, I like those folks -- the far-left crowd they don't understand that, look, you can try to save the world, but if you don't save the things that are right in front of you, if you can't see the forest for the trees, what are you really doing, who are you really saving?

Mika continued to go to bat for Al.

BRZEZINSKI: I completely disagree with you. I don't think we can understand the nuances of their relationships. We don't know what's really going on. It's very hard to judge when it comes to family dynamics.

BONUS COVERAGE -- Panel Bops Bwana Joe Biden: Earlier, Ridley and Geist had some fun at poor Joe Biden's expense. The pair were discussing Biden's comments on AIDS at the recent Dem prez debate at historically black Howard University.

RIDLEY: The rich old white guy, talking about going to the black part of town, schooling the brothers because they can't figure out how to have safe sex on their own. That generally doesn't play very well.

GEIST: He said, "I went to tell the black men that it's OK to wear a condom." Thanks, Uncle Joe!

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net