Where have you gone, Al Gore, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you, woo, woo, woo

When asked at Pennsylvania town hall if he would nominate Al Gore for his Cabinet, Barak Obama said:

I would. Not only will I, but I will make a commitment that Al Gore will be at the table and play a central part in us figuring out how we solve this problem. He's somebody I talk to on a regular basis. I'm already consulting with him in terms of these issues, but climate change is real. It is something we have to deal with now, not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now.

After watching Gore on 60 Minutes last Sunday I concluded that he can accomplish much more by remaining outside the government from where he can continue to pressure those in power, both here and around the world. Joining any administration would almost by definition constrain Gore to act within the limits set by the president.

But the important part of Obama's comments is that they indicate a willingness to take global warming seriously. It also seems to me the first time any of the candidates for president has addressed this fundamental issue.

I know it's tempting for any politician, and Gore is a politician, to have power rather than just influence those ikn power, sometimes with an issue as fundamental as this one power is a constraint rather than lever.

(For more see Treehugger, come on now sugar)