Remembering Katrina: Al Gore leads Charity Hospital airlift

Shortly after Katrina struck Louisiana, private citizen Al Gore organized (and initially paid for) two planes to fly several hundred people with urgent medical conditions from New Orleans to Tennessee. The federal government tried to stop the flights, but Gore refused to take "no" for an answer.

Gore has never spoken to the media about this event. He has never taken credit for it. He has never even mentioned that he was in New Orleans during that horrible time.

The media has done a few follow up stories about some of the people who were rescued by Gore's efforts. And a couple of those articles have mentioned in passing that Al Gore helped these individuals onto a plane bound for Tennessee. But these stories never stop to explain how Gore could be in the New Orleans Airport at a time when New Orleans was too dangerous for relief workers - - making the inclusion of his name look more than a little surreal.

The complete story of Al Gore's mercy flights is available on TPMCafe, written by Greg Simon. Even if you've read it before, we urge you to read it again.