WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill is accustomed to famous visitors, but its guest today is an especially hot ticket: Al Gore, who left Washington as a defeated presidential candidate and returns as the celebrity spokesman on the world's most crucial environmental issue.
The former vice president will be the star witness on hearings about global warming, a Gore passion that has moved center stage in the Democratic-controlled Congress and on the presidential campaign trail.
Interest in Gore's televised hearings before House and Senate committees is so high that a bigger hearing room has been reserved, extra rooms have been set aside for the anticipated crowd and photo opportunities have been added to the calendars of top Democrats.
When Congress rolls out the green carpet today, it will complete a dramatic transformation for Gore from the dismal days after he conceded the bitterly contested 2000 presidential election.
Then, Gore's campaign was faulted by fellow Democrats for losing the presidency to Republican George W. Bush. Now, congressional Democrats hope Gore, fresh from his appearance at the Oscars, will electrify their efforts to pass a global warming law.
"What can I say? Time is a healing force," said Donna Brazile, a political consultant who managed Gore's 2000 campaign.
Gore, who stars in the Academy Award-winning documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth," agreed to speak about climate change, a spokeswoman said, because he believes that there may be a good chance to get something done.
The former Tennessee senator, a 24-year veteran of national politics, has given his now-famous slide show, which vividly depicts the devastating effect of warmer temperatures, to worldwide audiences as diverse as the French National Assembly and a crowd of 10,000 in Boise, Idaho.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, invited Gore to be the sole witness before her panel because he "has awakened the nation to the issue."
Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who will head a new House committee on energy independence and global warming, said, "What is truly amazing is the extent to which Gore has led the charge for new global warming policy, even without the auspices of elective office."
But Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.) is unimpressed by the new Gore mission. "Those who believe all his garbage are going to be excited to death," he said, "and the rest of us are going to ignore it."
