Who's he think he is -- Edwards?

John Fund, in OpinionJournal Politoical Diary:

Al Gore's Energy Policy: Less for You, More for Me

Only hours after basking in the warm glow of Hollywood's cultural elite, Al Gore took two nasty PR hits that tarnished his Oscar victory. It was revealed that acting Cuban President Raul Castro had lavished praise on the former vice president's anti-global warming film and even required that it be shown in primetime on Cuba's official television networks. Not exactly the endorsement a potential Democratic presidential candidate would want.

Then it was revealed that Mr. Gore's sprawling mansion in Nashville was consuming 20 times the power of a typical American household, and that its consumption had actually increased since the release of the Gore film, in which the former vice president can be seen telling audiences they should curb their use of electric power.

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research obtained public records that showed Mr. Gore's mansion in the tony Belle Meade neighborhood has been consuming a monthly average of 18,414 kilowatt-hours, nearly twice what the average American home consumes in an entire year. His electric bill averaged $1359 a month in 2006 and his gas bill was $536. His heated pool house alone consumed more natural gas than his entire main living quarters.

Mr. Gore's office responded with a lame statement claiming that his energy consumption was appropriate because he obtained all of it from a local "powerswitch" program that used 100% renewable fuels, whatever that means. His office also claimed that his home was in the midst of a renovation that would include the addition of solar panels to his roof.

No doubt the controversy over Mr. Gore's power gluttony will fade away, but it illustrates a classic example of how liberals who believe the rest of the world should lower its expectations for the good life often find it hard to follow that advice in their own daily routines.

UPDATE: Wizbang compares it to that evil George W. Bush's home:

The 4,000-square-foot house is a model of environmental rectitude

Geothermal heat pumps located in a central closet circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground where the temperature is a constant 67 degrees; the water heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. Systems such as the one in this "eco-friendly" dwelling use about 25% of the electricity that traditional heating and cooling systems utilize.
A 25,000-gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof runs; wastewater from sinks, toilets and showers goes into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is used to irrigate the landscaping surrounding the four-bedroom home. Plants and flowers native to the high prairie area blend the structure into the surrounding ecosystem.
No, this is not the home of some eccentrically wealthy eco-freak trying to shame his fellow citizens into following the pristineness of his self-righteous example. And no, it is not the wilderness retreat of the Sierra Club or the Natural Resources Defense Council, a haven where tree-huggers plot political strategy.
This is President George W. Bush's "Texas White House" outside the small town of Crawford.

Posted by jk at February 27, 2007 1:20 PM