Dean: "I was often criticized during the campaign for coming on so strongly"

[madfloridian]

I thought about this the last couple of days. There are many in Congress who could be speaking out right now....they are afraid of this administration. This was written in 04, so maybe Howard Dean is afraid now as well....afraid that a president with no conscience could put the country in danger for political reasons.

Although I was often criticized during the campaign for coming on so strongly, I think Americans desperately want a president who will clearly, forcefully, and unambiguously state their case. George Bush's greatest strength, despite being wrong on virtually every issue of long-term importance to the country, is that he always speaks with conviction in defending his policies.

From You Have the Power,Fall 2004.

P. 124, 125

Bush has no trouble intimidating. I don't know what it will take to make our Democrats less afraid. The Republicans are acting like spoiled brats, yelling and having temper tantrums...and our Democrats are allowing them to get away with it.

When good people act cowardly...the main reason is fear. Fear of what?

More from 2004...this is not new. It is just getting worse. It is just a few driving it, I believe.

"For Democrats to offer voters significant change over the long term, we need to say what we mean and not be afraid of the consequences. But there is a price to be paid for candor, as I and others inclined to speak our minds have discovered the hard way. There is no reward now in politics for saying what you think. On the contrary in the go-along-get-along world of Washington, politicians are penalized for saying what they believe; and insincerity is the culture of the currency.

America's politicians attack one another by day and slap one another on the back by evening. They can play this game because they know their fighting words have no real meaning. And the media play right along, reporting on the game as though it were a story of substance. Indeed the game becomes the story, and discussions of substance are relegated to the newspapers' inside pages if indeed they are covered at all."

Our fears of standing up enabled the rise of the radical right. I was criticized here before for posting that statment...but here it is again. I think fear is enabling the Republicans to bully us.

SNIP..."We became afraid of the Right, afraid of the anger, and instead of being steadfast, we pandered....The Democratic Party has paid a big price for that. Worse, our people have paid a big price for the collapse of our will to lead. We failed to articulate a vision for American that keyed into Americans' hope of overcoming economic and social instability. ..."

...."By remaining silent about the things that mattered so much to Americans, we allowed ourselves to be painted into a corner and to be defined by the Republican opposition. .."

Then he says this kind of behavior "laid the groundwork for the rise of the radical right".

I do feel they were cornered and trapped on this issue. I believe they were afraid that an attack would happen if they did not go along.

But there comes a time when they must stand up.

[jmp]

1. "I think Americans desperately want a president who ..."

I'd rather take advice from Bill Clinton ... because he's a proven winner.

Howard Dean flamed out and as a result has had 0 impact on public policy.

[madfloridian]

2. That sounds like talk from the DLC....

Guess whose conference the candidates did NOT attend.

[JDPriestly]

5. Howard Dean won the 2006 election and will lead Democrats

to victory in 2008.

[jmp]

15. Howard forced Bush ...

To get us hip deep in Iraq? Or do you think that was just a small factor in the '06 election?

[madfloridian]

23. Do tell us how one man forced Bush into Iraq?

That's an amazing thing.

[jmp]

24. You may want to re-read my post.

My point was exactly the opposite. There wasn't a pro-Dem tidal wave in '06 ... there was an anti-Bush tidal wave. Crediting Dean with that is a bit of a stretch.

[CTLawGuy]

6. with an overwhelming 43% of the vote

What a winner...

[MiserableFailure]

16. hah farg darg

he only won 43% because ross perot took 19%. he still beat bush sr by 5%.

[CTLawGuy]

27. still not a resounding win

i'm sorry, but it isn't. 57% of the people didn't vote for him.

[jmp]

26. I will happily accept another win with 43% of the vote.

I suppose you'd rather lose with 50% +

[CTLawGuy]

28. that doesn't prove that

someone whom 57% of the people voted against is a "proven winner"

Who knows what would have happened if Perot had not been in the race.

[Vincardog]

9. You would rather talk the DLC line and sell the American people down the river?

PLEASE.

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

11. WEEEEEEEE

Lacking a presidential figurehead, Howard Dean is arguably the most powerful Democratic leader in the party. He helped mastermind a brutal stomping in 2006, and may well solidify those gains for the next decade-plus with a strong string of wins in the senate in 2008.

Clinton's former hired guns, meanwhile, continue a strong legacy of back bitting and sounding increasingly like vacant headed paint huffers. James Carville, should you be able to pry his treacherous head out of Scooter Libby's felonious ass, couldn't be more irrelevant to modern politics if he tried.

[defendandprotect]

13. Love it---!!!!

Carville's fantasy will be his lover . . . .
which puts him in the Republican camp whether he wants to admit that or not --
Mary Madaline -- is that how you spell her name; it's been so long since I thought of her? --
is a treacherous, vile and very aggressive neo-con thug/propagandist.

[The Wizard]

14. Carville was only successful

when Bill Clinton was the candidate. There's only one Bill Clinton. Carville is still playing pre Internet politics. While he can be entertaining, James has not been very successful in the campaign business, and if his wife has another face lift she'll be sporting a Go-Tee.

[dionysus]

22. YES

[dionysus]

21. except that 50 state strategy and 06 landslide... transparent as glass

[jmp]

25. I'll throw the question out there again ...

You contend that the '06 election results were anything other than a anti-Bush backlash?

[dionysus]

29. the two are not mutually exclusive begala jr.

[lojasmo]

31. What a load of pablum

Dean is currently the leader of the party.

He ushered in a decisive victory in 2006

We won a majority of governors, and a majority in both houses because of the 50 state strategy.

Clinton can take his welfare reform, and his NAFTA and shove them up his ass.

[madfloridian]

3. This post shows that 30 of the 41 were Blue Dogs....

and many of the others were New Democrats.

There is no doubt this is part of the legacy of the DLC on our party.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

And here is a list I found at Kos.

These are the Dems who ... failed us. Who failed our country.

Jason Altmire (4th Pennsylvania)New Dem
Melissa Bean (8th Illinois) Blue Dog
Dan Boren (2nd Oklahoma) Blue Dog
Allen Boyd (2nd Florida) Blue Dog
Christopher Carney (10th Pennsylvania) Blue Dog
Ben Chandler (6th Kentucky)Blue Dog
Henry Cuellar (28th Texas) New Dem
Artur Davis (7th Alabama) New Dem
Lincoln Davis (4th Tennessee) Blue Dog
Joe Donnelly (2nd Indiana) Blue Dog
Brad Ellsworth (8th Indiana) Blue Dog
Bob Etheridge (North Carolina)
Bart Gordon (6th Tennessee) Blue Dog
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (South Dakota) Blue Dog
Brian Higgins (27th New York)
Baron Hill (9th Indiana) Blue Dog
Nick Lampson (23rd Texas) Blue Dog
Daniel Lipinski (3rd Illinois)
Jim Marshall (8th Georgia) Blue Dog
Jim Matheson (2nd Utah) Blue Dog
Mike McIntyre (7th North Carolina) Blue Dog
Charlie Melancon (3rd Louisiana) Blue Dog
Harry Mitchell (5th Arizona)
Colin Peterson (7th Minnesota) Blue Dog
Earl Pomeroy (North Dakota) Blue Dog
Ciro Rodriguez (23rd Texas) Blue Dog
Mike Ross (4th Arkansas) Blue Dog
John Salazar (3rd Colorado) Blue Dog
Heath Shuler (11th North Carolina) Blue Dog
Vic Snyder (2nd Arkansas) New DeM (I think)
Zachary Space (18th Ohio) Blue Dog
John Tanner (8th Tennessee) Blue Dog
Gene Taylor (4th Mississippi) Blue Dog
Timothy Walz (1st Minnesota)
Charles A. Wilson (6th Ohio) Blue Dog

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/8/5/01943/25391

I can tell you that almost all the others are New Dems. So those two groups are screwing us and screwing our country.

[madfloridian]

10. Corrected list..added a couple.

Jason Altmire (4th Pennsylvania) New Democrat
John Barrow (12th Georgia) Blue Dog
Melissa Bean (8th Illinois) Blue Dog
Dan Boren (2nd Oklahoma) Blue Dog
Leonard Boswell (3rd Iowa) Blue Dog
Allen Boyd (2nd Florida) Blue Dog
Christopher Carney (10th Pennsylvania) Blue Dog
Ben Chandler (6th Kentucky) Blue Dog
Rep. Jim Cooper (5th Tennessee) Blue Dog
Jim Costa (20th California) Blue Dog
Bud Cramer (5th Alabama) Blue Dog
Henry Cuellar (28th Texas) New Democrat
Artur Davis (7th Alabama) New Democrat
Lincoln Davis (4th Tennessee) Blue Dog
Joe Donnelly (2nd Indiana) Blue Dog
Chet Edwards (17th Texas)
Brad Ellsworth (8th Indiana) Blue Dog
Bob Etheridge (North Carolina) New Democrat
Bart Gordon (6th Tennessee) Blue Dog
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (South Dakota) Blue Dog
Brian Higgins (27th New York)New Democrat
Baron Hill (9th Indiana) Blue Dog
Nick Lampson (23rd Texas) Blue Dog
Daniel Lipinski (3rd Illinois)
Jim Marshall (8th Georgia) Blue Dog
Jim Matheson (2nd Utah) Blue Dog
Mike McIntyre (7th North Carolina) Blue Dog
Charlie Melancon (3rd Louisiana) Blue Dog
Harry Mitchell (5th Arizona)
Colin Peterson (7th Minnesota) Blue Dog
Earl Pomeroy (North Dakota) Blue Dog
Ciro Rodriguez (23rd Texas) Blue Dog
Mike Ross (4th Arkansas) Blue Dog
John Salazar (3rd Colorado) Blue Dog
Heath Shuler (11th North Carolina) Blue Dog
Vic Snyder (2nd Arkansas) New Democrat
Zachary Space (18th Ohio) Blue Dog
John Tanner (8th Tennessee) Blue Dog
Gene Taylor (4th Mississippi) Blue Dog
Timothy Walz (1st Minnesota)
Charles A. Wilson (6th Ohio) Blue Dog

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/8/5/01943/25391

30 were Blue Dogs, 6 were New Democrats, and the rest were not found with a group.

[JDPriestly]

4. Great post!

[madfloridian]

7. Just saw this post at Kos...FBI Raids Home of Suspected NSA Leaker

http://www.dailykos.com/hotlist/add/2007/8/5/12401/3741... //

"Even as Alberto Gonzales' was feebly deflecting perjury charges by apologizing for "creating confusion" wit his comments about "no serious disagreement" in 2004 within the administration over its NSA homeland spying scheme, the Attorney General was dispatching the FBI to investigate one of those purportedly disagreeable officials. At its worst, the campaign to punish NSA whistle-blowers reflect not only the administration's misplaced priorities, but its absolute commitment to seeking vengeance against its opponents"

I wonder?

Thomas M. Tamm, a veteran prosecutor and former official of the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (OIPR) within DOJ:

"The agents seized Tamm's desktop computer, two of his children's laptops and a cache of personal files. Tamm and his lawyer, Paul Kemp, declined any comment. So did the FBI. But two legal sources who asked not to be identified talking about an ongoing case told NEWSWEEK the raid was related to a Justice criminal probe into who leaked details of the warrantless eavesdropping program to the news media. The raid appears to be the first significant development in the probe since The New York Times reported in December 2005 that Bush had authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on the international phone calls and e-mails of U.S. residents without court warrants."

Maybe the fear is truly real.

[bonito]

8. K&R n/t

[defendandprotect]

12. Damned right there are Dems who should be speaking out -- -

And there's one hell of a lot of crap that has to be recollected --

Where were Gore/Clinton on Global Warming while ExxonMobil kept it a well-financed secret for decades ????

Did Gore never recognize the conspiracy by oil companies to keep the reality of GW from being understood by the public?

What about the unholy alliance of the NY Times over decades with ExxonMobil in their campaign to lie to the public about GW from the Op-Ed pages of the paper????

What was Gore thinking when he chose Liebermann?

Why didn't the Democrats defend at least against the fascist GOP rally at Miami Dade Election HQs . . . ????

Why haven't we a move to protect the nation by junking the electronic voting machines and move to PAPER AND BALL POINT PEN for the 2008 election -- ????

Where is the acknowledgment by Dems that these machines since the late 1960's have been part of a program to steal elections? See: VOTESCAM

Greg Palast should be taken on as an adviser to Conyers re election fraud ---

What are the visions/future plans of the party to cut off corporate control of our elections . . . and move to cutting off any involvement of corporations in our elections ???????

Where is discussion of Electric cars?

Why have we not moved to nationalize our own natural resources -- ???
Especially all fossil fuels -- OIL/GAS --
and take them out of the hands of the few private families which control them???

Not to mention the horrors of strip mining --

Why have Democrats not attacked the sexist, racist, homophobic, class warfare of the Republican party????

Why have they not pointed to the political violence our nation has suffered over the past decades????

Why have Dems not spoken of the MIC -- and the many problems with secret intelligence -- CIA -- obvious over many decades -- ????

Why have Dems not attacked Welfare for the rich -- from the beginning of this nation --
the distribution of public lands as private property to the elite/few.

Why have Dems not EXPLAINED to the public that all the wealth of the nation is involved in natural resources which have been turned over to private families?????

Even now, where is the Dem call for national health care with eliminates third parties????
EDWARDS I believe has done this -- !!!!
KUCINICH ---
WHERE THE CALL TO SIMPLY EXTEND MEDICARE TO EVERY CITIZEN -- ?????

Just a few odd things to be discussed . . ..

Not to mention the fact that we have but ONE African-American now in the Senate -- !!!!

And still no gender balance laws which would move women into government faster -- !!!!!


And, with almost every GOP candidate for Prez pretty much being a religious fanatic . . .
where is the discussion of separation of church & State -- especially Bush's handing our taxpayer dollars over to "faith-based" organizations????

[Rosa Luxemburg]

17. Dems are looking forward to their beach vacation this summer

they are ready for a break!

[defendandprotect]

18. While the Dems are away, let's give a little thought to ridding the party of the DLC . . .

Here's the agenda and sub-agenda . . ..

http://www.democrats.com/node/10456

The comments are also interesting --

[illinoisprogressive]

20. I agree. let's figure out how to rid us of the dlc

[illinoisprogressive]

19. Dean again hits it on the head: we became weak and pandered to the repukes.

[nikto]

30. HOWARD DEAN...

...would make a better president than probably ANYONE else
in the Dem field right now.

The repug candidates could vie for the presidency of
the "Jesus Rode Dinosaurs" Museum in Cat'O Ninetails, North Carolina.

[Sparkly]

32. He was definitely one of the first

and always unambiguous!