Reply #32: Here ya go.

[blm]

You already know he supported the same provisions in Biden-Lugar he attackes the others for on IWR, so I won't rehash that one.


http://timesargus.nybor.com/Legislature/Story/43125.html


Dean raises money from energy sources

February 27, 2002

By David Gram

ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONTPELIER — When Gov. Howard Dean wanted to raise money for a possible presidential bid, he followed the example of a former governor of Texas and called on his friends in the energy industry.

>>>>>>>
“Administration actions going back some years betray an inappropriate coziness with the utilities,” said Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Service Research Group. “I am not prepared to say it’s a result of contributions given. But these contributions present the appearance of impropriety or appearance of influence that it probably would have been better to avoid.”

Dean’s close relationship with utility representatives dates back to the day he became governor in 1991. A lobbyist for Green Mountain Power and a GMP employee were among the first people Dean called in to help his transition.
A list of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers includes Green Mountain Power Corp.’s chairman, two company board members and a vice president, all of whom made donations to the Fund For A Healthy America. It also includes two longtime utility lobbyists.

Over the years, the governor has sided with the utilities on many of the most pressing issues, including the push for deregulation of the electric industry, and later backing away from that as a goal. Among other major decisions:

— After years of pushing for the companies to absorb the excess costs of their expensive contract with Hydro-Quebec, Dean’s Department of Public Service agreed to let ratepayers be billed for more than 90 percent of what those excess costs are expected to be in the coming years. The extra costs will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
>>>>>>>


 MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe the military operation in Afghanistan has been successful?
       
       GOV. DEAN: Yes, I do, and I support the president in that military operation.
       
       MR. RUSSERT: The battle of Tora Bora was successful?
       
       GOV. DEAN: I’ve seen others criticize the president. I think it’s very easy to second-guess the
       commander-in-chief at a time of war. I don’t choose to engage in doing that.


Is Howard Dean for Real? Well, Not Entirely, by Morton M. Kondracke, Roll Call, 1/27/03, (here)
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean ought to do well in the Iowa Democratic caucuses — unless the anti-war folks out there find out where he really stands on Iraq.
Login | Subscribe to Rollcall.com     "The Newspaper of Capital Hill Since 1955"

http://www.sover.net/~auc/gov.htm

http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/Editorial/Article/54174.html

March 2002
http://www.thestate.com/mld/state/2794665.htm
Dean, a medical doctor, describes himself as "a bit unusual" for a Democrat. For one thing, "I'm very conservative about money," he said. Also, he pointed out, he has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

"I have trouble with the liberal wing of my own party," Dean said.

>>>RB...this link below is broken, but Yglesias was a Dean supporter until the point he wrote this. Not sure where he stands right now.

So I'm back from a week at Howard Dean's office and let me tell you, it is cold in Vermont. Big time. It makes Boston look like Maui. On a more serious note, however, I became quite dissilusioned when it became clear that Dean has decided to abandon his history of support for free trade and become a protectionist. I spent a lot of time transcribing Dean's off-the-kuff remarks so they could be worked-up into a written address and while it looked at first like he was just trying to fudge (trade hurts you in the primary) it became clear that over the past few weeks he's been moving toward a full-scale flip-flop complete with a ginned-up non-protectionist rationalization for protectionism.

http://www.matthewyglesias.com/archives/001873.html



MR. RUSSERT: You heard Mr. Armey’s objection to the president’s TIPS Program, where cable
       installers, utility workers would observe what’s going on and report anything suspicious to the police.
       Do you support the president?
       
       GOV. DEAN: I tend to support the president, although I have some reservations about this one as well.
       All I’ve seen is what’s been on television, and I have something in me that is bothered by the notion that
       Americans are going to be spying on each other. So if the president is simply asking people to be alert,
       I think that’s fine. If the president really is encouraging Americans to spy on each other, I have a
       problem with that.
       
       MR. RUSSERT: You did say after the 11th that the United States may be prepared to have to sacrifice
       some personal liberties and civil liberties in order to fight the war on terrorism.
       
       GOV. DEAN: We already are. I think when I got on the airplane to come down here, it took me about
       25 minutes longer than it would have a year ago. And those are the kinds of liberties that we are going
       to be sacrificing and there may be some other ones.

"Tends to support president" on TIPS??????????????? WTF??? This was BEFORE he shifted left. He never really answers the questions directly if you notice and that has people reading him wrong. Straight shooter, my ass.