Pubdate: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 Source: Daily Camera (CO) Copyright: 2004 The Daily Camera. Contact: http://www.thedailycamera.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/103 HIDDEN DEMOCRATIC MISCREANTS Al Gore III has been in and out of trouble since at least 1996, when he was suspended from an elite prep school for smoking marijuana in the cafeteria. In 2000 ... he was cited for driving 97 miles an hour in a 55 zone. Gore plea-bargained his reckless driving charge down to speeding and paid a $125 fine. Two years later, he was arrested for driving under the influence and four other offenses. He was fined $500 for DUI and ordered into counseling. The other charges were dropped. In December, when Gore was stopped for driving without headlights, an officer smelled and found marijuana in his car. Under terms of this plea bargain, charges will be dropped if he stays out of trouble for a year and gets counseling. A court official denied that Gore was given special treatment, saying that is standard procedure. If so, procedure should change. ... There has been little media coverage of young Gore's indiscretions. Likewise, the mainstream U.S. media pretty much ignored pictures of Chelsea Clinton's drunken stupor outside a London night club. Yet, there was extensive, front-page coverage of alcohol-related incidents involving President Bush's girls and the drug problems of Gov. Jeb Bush's daughter. What standard of objectivity requires protecting the privacy of prominent Democratic politicians' children but not those of Republicans? When miscreants are "protected" from the consequences, they feel less urgency to act responsibly. When that happens, everyone loses - Democrats and Republicans alike. The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin