Dean more conciliatory? Yeah right

[Renew Deal]

Here is an article from only 2 days ago. Dean was going to be more "conciliatory."

Dean Works To Smooth The Edges
Democratic Front-Runner Stays Calm as Rivals Attack
By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 6, 2004; Page A01

CHARLES CITY, Iowa, Jan. 5 -- Former Vermont governor Howard Dean is campaigning like a candidate who appears increasingly confident of winning the Democratic presidential nomination, striking a more conciliatory tone and signaling how he would run in the general election.

Leading in polls in Iowa, in New Hampshire and nationally, Dean is toning down attacks on his Democratic rivals and avoiding the back-and-forth criticism that has defined much of the presidential campaign.
<snip>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57289-2004Jan5.html

Now there is evidence that's not true.

<snip>
"The Bradley message could be, like, (Dean) knew where he stood on the war, is still a Democrat, takes . . . positions, blah, blah, blah," the staffer said.

The next day, the speaker said, "surrogates" for Dean, both local and national, could "then hit Clark on the flip side of the argument: that he's indecisive, didn't know what party he's with, doesn't know his position on the war," she said.

The strategists ended their conversation when another reporter joined the conference, telling him, "I think you may have the wrong call-in number. This isn't a press call."
<snip>

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0106dean-interview06.html

<snip>
Breaking from Clark embed on MSNBC

Dean supporters are handing out smear flyers outside Clark campaign rallys.

More to come....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=76385&mesg_id=76385
<snip>

What is going on here? Does Dean have problems with the truth? Is he running his campaign? Are the "surrogates" running it? Who are these surrogates?

[LuminousX]

1. 5th thread on this topic

and still no proof the flyers came from Dean campaign, in fact, no proof thus far the flyers even existed in the first place. And if they do exist, what was printed on them?

So many questions that need to be answered before this issue is used to 'beat up' on Dean.

[jmaier]

2. Yep

I'm a Clark supporter and I agree that this 'flyer' issue is 1) premature and 2) so what? Stuff like this happens in every campaign and it's no big deal. Often, this is just the sort of thing a few ardent supporters might do. It's not worth the effort to be an official 'campaign' act. Pretty petty to get much worked up about and it certainly doesn't require multiple DU threads to beat it to death.


Wes Clark. He will make an extraordinary American President.

[Renew Deal]

3. I agree but

there seems to be a pattern here. Even if the fliers are BS, it still seems like Dean is not stopping the attacks. They say one thing and do another. I wonder how long before he goes and whines to Terry M. again.

[MuseRider]

4. THAT is the point.

By engaging in these tactics before it become increasingly difficult to wait for proof. It has become easy to assume it is directly from the Dean campaign.

[Hep]

5. yes there is a pattern

Something controversial swith Dean, so every Dean opponent and his brother has to START A THREAD about it.

Pretty easy pattern to pick up on.