Former Vice President Al Gore blasted the Bush administration’s handling of the war on Iraq and domestic economic policy, saying that “something pretty basic has gone wrong in our country.”

Gore was addressing over 600 people at a MoveOn.org event in New York. He said the Bush administration’s routine disregard for public debate stifled the truth and misled the public on the threat posed by Saddam Hussein in the months leading up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, as well as on domestic issues ranging from the tax cuts to the environment.

Gore said President Bush and his cohorts in Washington have “developed a highly effective propaganda machine” to push policies in Iraq and in the U.S. that favor friends and supporters at the expense of the public interest.