A hirsute and relaxed Al Gore spoke last month at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. While the topic was predictably on ‘The Strength of America’, Gore’s comments on the continuing significance of the federal government drew many cheers from among the hundreds of students who gathered to watch and listen. Taking the evening’s only potshot at his Republican counterparts (some of whom would like nothing better than to strip public services to a minimum), he reminded the audience of the vital role performed by the firemen, policemen and emergency teams which responded to the wtc disaster. Commendations apart, the bearded Gore shied away from discussing domestic politics. The highest point of the evening actually came at the very beginning when Gore introduced himself. Gesturing toward himself, he said: "Hi. I am Al Gore. I used to be the next President of the United States." When the laughter died down, he added: "You win some. You lose some and then there’s that little known category." He then went on to take a further dig at life after eight long years at the White House: "It’s taken some getting used to—for example, they now let other cars out on the road at the same time as me. That is very disconcerting and perhaps not wise—what with my not having driven for the past eight years!"