VIDEO-Howard Dean on Face the Nation

[Coltrane]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/08/14.html#a4456 for the video

via Atrios: The question is, what is a reasonable way to get out? And that's - we have no answers from the President on that at all. He keeps - his Administration appears divided. Some of the generals have said we can withdraw some of the troops, perhaps as many as 30,000 after the elections. We have others saying, we're not going to leave. These people do not know what they are doing. They didn't know what they were doing when we got in, they had no plan then, they have no plan now. ...read on"

[madfloridian]

1. That is just the part about Iraq. Excellent, though.

Well-done interview.

[Larkspur]

2. Thanks, I'm going to listen to it now.

[jillan]

3. I loved it when Dean was asked what his plan was to get out of Iraq

No way am I going to answer that! I'm not the president. That's his job.

Perfecto! Best answer he could have given. And also answered in a similar way when asked who the democrat candidate would be.

He also kicked butt reframing issues.

[welshTerrier2]

4. Dean: no plan from Democrats on Iraq

Schieffer: "Why do you suppose it is that people are not buying what Democrats are saying?"

Dean: "I think they are buying what Democrats are saying. People believe that we need a plan to get our troops to come home."

Schieffer: "Sure you need a plan but do you have a plan?"

Dean: "You can't expect a particular Senator or a particular Congressman to have a plan (for withdrawal from Iraq); Only the President can do that."

This highlights exactly what problems the Democrats have ...

first of all, i was under the impression that some Democrats have, indeed, proposed very specific plans about how to handle Iraq ... I include statements from Senator Kerry in this category although i totally disagree with Kerry's views ...

the core problem, though, is that, as a Party, as an OPPOSITION party, it is not at all clear exactly what Democrats are offering Americans as a solution in Iraq ... Dean's comments about the dismal failures and the cluelessness of the bush administration in handling the situation were dead on the money ... but for Dean to say that Democratic legislators cannot be expected to propose a plan is absurd ...

exactly how does a "non-plan" appeal to Americans? ... how does a "non-plan" demonstrate the kind of leadership we hope Americans will see in our Democratic representatives?? how does a "non-plan" show Democrats as being "tough on defense" as some have advocated as a political strategy???

the Democratic Party's refusal to sit down with left, right and center and "find our passion" as a Party on this issue and present a clear, unified statement to the American people about how we would do a better job sits at the core of the problems we face ... how can we convince Americans that we are passionate about our beliefs and that we have the courage of our convictions when our own party Chair argues that Democrats are not even in a position to understand the issue and formulate positions?????

and don't waste any bandwidth defending Dean ... Dean is not the problem; the problem is party-wide ...