Gore joins MoveOn to raise cash for Senate candidates

Former vice president and 2000 Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore has joined the liberal group MoveOn.org to raise funds for Democratic Senate candidates.

In a fundraising e-mail, Gore singles out Al Franken (Minn.), Rep. Mark Udall (Colo.) and state Sen. Kay Hagan (N.C.) as “three champions of clean energy” who should be elected to the Senate.

{mosads}The former vice president began his fundraising bid by promising that Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) is the best candidate to address pressing energy issues facing the country, but he notes that Obama, should he win in November, will need help in the Senate to accomplish his agenda.

“Elections matter. We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track. I’m personally focused on what I think is the greatest threat and greatest opportunity — averting the climate crisis and ‘repowering America’ using clean, cheap energy sources,” Gore wrote. “That’s why I’m supporting Barack Obama. He’s the sort of transformational leader who could move us through such deep, structural change. But trust me, Barack can only succeed if we also elect more champions in the Senate to stand up to the incredibly powerful oil lobby.”

Gore said those “leaders are emerging — and three of them are in close Senate races.”

Polls show close races between Hagan and Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), Franken and Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Udall and ex-Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.).