Things don't go so well for Dean at MLK event

[wndycty]

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Dean To News Media: Get A Life
DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 19, 2004
Fight To The Finish In Iowa


(CBS) By David Paul Kuhn
CBSNews.com Chief Political Writer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
At an event meant to mark the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a stern if not angry Howard Dean, told the media to “get a new life.”

With the start of the Iowa Caucus only hours away, the former Vermont governor arrived at the Iowa Historical Museum for the State of Iowa King remembrance.

Dean, who was not scheduled as one of the speakers, arrived with the national and local media waiting. The event had been posted on the media roster by his campaign.
-snip-
“Dean came here and he was hoping that his henchmen would get the job done," said 26-year-old Seville Lee, who heads a mentoring program for at-risk youth in Des Moines. "He thought he was going to speak."

“I’m offended that Dean would even try and do this,” said Lee, who organized a children’s play that day in honor of King. “He wasn’t scheduled to speak.

"If he wanted to come he could go sit down like everyone else.”
-snip-

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/19/politics/main594091.shtml



U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean (news - web sites) stands alone in a hallway of the Iowa State Historical building in Des Moines waiting for his staff to tell him how to safely exit the building after being forced to leave a Martin Luther King Observance because of a crush of media following him in Des Moines, Iowa January 19, 2004. Dean is fighting to remain the front-runner as Iowans head to vote at caucuses. REUTERS/Jim Bourg



U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean (news - web sites) gestures towards the media while speaking to the Administrator for the Status of African Americans Kimberly Baxter (C) at an event called 'Remember the Dream,' the State of Iowa employee's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, in Des Moines, Iowa, January 19, 2004. Dean left the event early after a pack of media failed to comply with a request made by the campaign to move to the back of the room. Polls for the Iowa caucuses, held later today, shows a close four-way race with candidates Dean, Senator John Kerry (news - web sites) (D-MA), Senator John Edwards (news - web sites) (D-NC) and Representative Richard Gephardt (D-MO) vying for the lead. REUTERS/John Gress

[bicentennial_baby]

1. YIkes!

Hey wndy, did ya see this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=136572

[w4rma]

113. "Organizer…Baxter…said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend."

…
Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend.

Baxter said her only concern was making sure there was enough room for Des Moines-area residents who wanted to attend the ceremony.
…
http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=137657

[wndycty]

2. Yes. . .it was fantastic

:kick:

[windansea]

3. oops !!!

“I think it was very disrespectful," said Donna Graves, who was on the planning committee for the commemoration ceremony. "The intent of today was not to look at Howard Dean.

[TexasPatriot]

there's been a spate of this lately

it feels discombobulated.

[hellhathnofury]

4. They take the quote out of context in the first line.

"You know why I wasn’t able to attend this event,” Dean said, “because you guys are behaving so badly you’ve got to get a new life.”

Upbraiding the media, Dean told the press: “I’m feeling great, we’re going to win but you guys got to behave yourselves out of respect for Dr. King.”

Blaming the media for the commotion of his arrival, Dean refused to answer any more questions.

“Dean did not come there to speak, Dean’s national spokesman Jay Carson later said. "He came there to pay his respects, and he felt that the crush of the press was distracting and not showing the respect that Dr. King deserves.”

----

I don't think he wanted to speak at all, damn media.

[TLM]

12. No Dean did not want to speak, nor did he plan to...

He only went up on stage to talk to the organizers about the media who were piling into the area between the front row and the stage.

Then Dean left, to get the media out of there, and shot off a few choice words at the media folks for being disrespectful.

[wndycty]

15. Why did his staff put it on his schedule. . .

-snip-
Dean, who was not scheduled as one of the speakers, arrived with the national and local media waiting. The event had been posted on the media roster by his campaign.
-snip-

[hellhathnofury]

20. Formality. They probably should have added "no media access"

I doubt the media would have listened even if he had done that.

[wndycty]

How come the organizers did not know he was coming?

:kick:

[hellhathnofury]

25. Beats me. Miscommunication probably. Iowa at this point is organized chaos

[wndycty]

29. Rationalize all you want. . .

. . .this was Dean's fault, not the media's fault. It was on his schedule and he failed to tell the organizers he was coming. . .the responsibility lies with Dean.

[hellhathnofury]

33. Whatever, it's 3 hours before Iowa, it's all irrelevant.

[TLM]

39. Trying so hard to spin rude media folks into an attack on Dean.

turning back flips to take a shot at Dean... when Dean was the one who did the classy thing and left to get these rude media folks out of there, then he laid into them for being disrespectful of the event.


The organizers said they invited a lot of people and it was very hectic... doesn't sound like they really had a handle on who was coming and who wasn't.

But there was a seat right up in the front row for Dean... so obviously somebody knew he was coming.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

40. Looks Like the "Rude Media Folks" Got the Last Laugh

Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.

DTH

[TLM]

43. Yes and the rude media type have plenty of help

from opportunistic bashers jut looking for anything to fuel their hate of Dean.


But is it any surprise this was written as a snide shot at Dean, after Dean laid into the press for eing dicks at the event?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

46. Honestly? I Think Dean Screwed Up Here.

But then quite a few people already know I am exceedingly interested in issues relating to people of color. Respect for the community, respect for the community, respect for the community.

Dean's advance people should EITHER not have told the media about this, or they should have at LEAST forewarned the organizers. The failure to do either/both is very telling, and cannot just be spun away despite the best efforts of certain Dean supporters, IMO.

DTH

[TLM]

54. Sure... and no other conclusion is possible...

for those who have an agenda to attack everything Dean says or does.

Honestly.

Such a person, driven by an agenda of hate, couldn't possibly accept that in a day filled with events for a candidate, something might go wrong, wires might get crossed, or someone might drop the ball or communications might break down.

Do you seriously think nobody knew Dean was coming? THey had a seat for him. Maybe somebody at the event did not get the word out to everybody else or something like that, but I don't believe for a second that Dean would just show up to an event without some level of communication between his people and their people.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

56. So You Are Admitting That Dean Screwed Up, Then?

Such a person, driven by an agenda of hate, couldn't possibly accept that in a day filled with events for a candidate, something might go wrong, wires might get crossed, or someone might drop the ball or communications might break down.

That sure sounds like "mistakes were made" to me!

It would behoove Dean's campaign to admit the mistakes and learn from them, rather than try to point the finger at the media. That is a rookie mistake, IMO, and dodges personal responsibility.

DTH

[TLM]

65. Looking so hard for anything to attack...

You're mixing about two things here...

The first was the issue of knowing Dean was going to be there. The quote in the piece says they didn't know he was coming because they invited so many folks that it was hectic. Which is not the same as sayign Dean, or someone from the campaign, didn't confirm he was coming. Obviously somebody knew he was coming... he had a seat.

Second, the disruption was caused by the media crowding the stage, and they most certianly do deserve to have the finger pointed at them for that behavior.

[beaconess]

62. Once again, blame everybody else for Dr. Dean's screwups

Maybe somebody at the event did not get the word out to everybody else or something like that, but I don't believe for a second that Dean would just show up to an event without some level of communication between his people and their people.

Now let's blame the organizers of the MLK Day event since, nothing is ever Dr. Dean's fault.

[TLM]

66. As opposed to blaming everything on Dean to fuel more bashing?

I going by the event organizer's quote... they did not know who was coming because they invited a lot of people.

How is that Dean's fault?

[beaconess]

No - as opposed to, for once, declining to point fingers at everyone else

except the always-beyond-reproach Dr. Dean.

[TLM]

82. For once? LOL! !!!!!!!

Funny when Dean does mess up, and he makes some statement to retract or to clarify meaning, the same folks attacking him now dog pile on him for that.

So do not push this shit about "for once" because we both know that the attacks will be made by the same folks regardless of what Dean does.

There is nothing Dean can do that these people won't attack.

I mean for Christ's sake Dean left the event to get the media out of there after he asked them to move to the back and they wouldn't. Now Dean gets attacked because the media wouuldn't stop crowding the stage... same pathetic desperate bashing as always.

[beaconess]

90. Clarificarions aren't the same as taking responsibility

I have yet to see Dean "retract" anything he has said or ever admit that he was wrong. His growing list of "clarifications" consist largely of "I didn't say what I said," or "What I said was just fine, but I'm sorry that you didn't understand me."

I stand by my point. Dean seems to be incapable of ever admitting that he was wrong or mistaken, a quality that many of his supporters seem to emulate. This is a perfect example. Instead of simply acknowledging that - or God forbid apologizing - that his campaign screwed up and contributed to the disruption of this event, he (and many folks in here) blame everybody BUT Dr. Dean - it's the press, it's the organizers, it's the director of the mentoring program. And not only are these other people responsible for the problem, they are all picking on Dr. Dean.

Pathetic.

[stickdog]

97. Dean came. The media crowded the stage. They would not back off.

Dean requested they back off and they didn't listen. Then Dean left out of respect for MLK.

Then CBS got a couple to Dean haters who didn't know what was going on to slam him, and viola! -- another baseless media attack!

[TLM]

99. Then obviusly you see what you want....

and you do not want to see things like Dean retracting a statement he made about Edwards, which he did at the debates.


And the fact that i the article is flat out says dean asked the media folks to move ad they would not... so Dean then opted to leave to get the media out of there.

Some folks just want to attack Dean, no matter what he does... This is a perfect example. Dean opts to leave an event to get the media out who are disrupting an event, then he tells them flat out they need to be more respectful... and you still attack him.


There is no RIGHT thing Dean could do to keep these people from attacking him, nothing. Because the attacks are based not on anythig Dean does or says, but an agenda to attack him no matter what.

[beaconess]

101. That is the ONLY apology I have ever seen Dean issue

But feel free to point out any others that I may have missed.

And by apology, I don't mean "I'm sorry that you misunderstood me, but I was right."

I'll wait.

[TLM]

108. So much for the "just once" line....

Thanks for proving my point.

[beaconess]

115. I have not proven your point

I noted that it would be nice "for once" to see a Dean supporter admit that Dean was wrong about something rather than point fingers at everyone else for his mistakes. The fact that Dean apologized once for a gaffe does nothing to contradict my point.

In fact, your comments in this thread, and elsewhere, only confirm my point.

Or did I miss the part where you acknowledged that Dean has been wrong about anything?

Also, pointing out ONE instance in which Dean apologized for something is not really anything to be proud about, in fact, the rarity of the occasion only highlights the very problem I am pointing out.

[TLM]

118. Oh and the truth shall set you free....

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend

[beaconess]

128. According to the link you provided

"That's not for him," said Seville Lee, 26 of Des Moines. "This was nothing but a conniving way for him to sneak in and take up a vote from the African-American community."

and

When a Dean aide announced that the former Vermont governor was leaving, the audience applauded.

Shame on those black people for blaming Dr. Dean. Don't they know that none of this was his fault? They're just looking for an excuse to pick on him.

Another example of Dr. Dean's immense popularity in the African American community, eh?

[windansea]

142. the audience applauded????????

ouchy wouchy

[jadesfire]

106. Believe it or not, I agree with you

at least up to the point where I think it was the media's bad form that they were causing a disturbance in a very somber atmosphere.

I do not believe, however, that Dean handled it very well. In fact, it is "gaffes" like this that make me leary of him. He flies off the handle and gets totally angry any time things don't go his way or someone does something that he doesn't like. Reminds me too much of W and his cowboy, off the hook, arroganced that just makes my blood boil....

[Clark4VotingRights]

127. Exactly. I actually feel kinda bad for him; he looks so dejected in

that one picture.
But his lack of poise is a genuine issue.

Even if everyone else is 100% wrong, and he made
a tough decision to take one for the team and leave,
couldn't he have shown some poise?

I know how hackneyed it is, but sometimes a problem
is an "opportunity." An opportunity to show leadership and
calm under pressure. An opportunity missed in this case.

[beaconess]

129. It's called grace

a quality that Dean seems to sorely lack.

[bearfartinthewoods]

110. it was right for him to leave but the really "right thing" would have been

to stay away as the rest of the candidate's did. it doesn't take an einstien to realize what kind of disruption the presscorp would be at such an event. everyone had enough sense to stay awy.....only dean
couldn't figure it out.

of course he does have this problem with his support in the AA community. maybe he was looking for a good photo op.

if this wasn't his idea, whoever came up with it should be fired.

[beaconess]

125. Or even - here's a wacky concept - to apologize to the organizers

for the disruption his presence caused.

Rather than blaming the hosts and the media and everybody but his own campaign, he could have done the gracious thing and expressed regret to the people who's event he helped to ruin.

But "gracious" is the operative word, isn't it? And since grace is not a quality that we've seen in Dean - or that he even seems to value - I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he shows none.

[stickdog]

94. Bullshit. He told the organizers he was coming. One vague quote from

a Gephardt supporter doesn't change that.

[TLM]

30. They obviously did know ... since there was a seat for him in the front

[Skip Intro]

79. Hey, if you point out the obvious, some are going to get confused ;-) n/t

[Clark Can WIN]

75. Formality my eye

it was on the media schedule becuase he wanted them to know and be there. That's the only reason for putting things like that on the media schedule. But, alas, it's never Dean's fault is it?

[hellhathnofury]

80. Sigh.

Here's how it REALLY works...

The campaign puts out a media schedule for Dean each day. (as do all the other campaigns.) Some appearances are "no media" events, although the media knows what they are. For instance, when Gov. Dean goes to a home, no press is allowed, but they knew where he is. They got their interviews and coverage at a rally earlier in the day. It looks like this is what happened. The media knoew Dean was going, and overstepped the bounds in their frenzy to cover him. It ain't Dean's fault, it's the media's fault. Gov. Dean had a right to be pissed, the news jerks stepped on someone else's event.

But it sure shows how strong our candidate is in Iowa! Everywhere he goes it's a media frenzy.

edit: fixed grammar

[Clark Can WIN]

96. "Uber sigh"

If Dean had put "no media access" on his schedule the media would probably be to blame but he did not. Whether they would have obeyed is purely speculation and meaningless to the topic at hand.

Dean did not specify the press should not attend
Dean publicized his appearance on his media schedule
Dean wanted press coverage of his MLK event appearance

This whole sorry scenario only illustrates the worst attributes of a poor candidate.

Thanks for trying to explain to me how the whole campaign/media thing works but there's no need. Been there. I see this very well for what it is. A bit of self-promotion and black/brown damage control gone horribly awry. Smells like Trippi.

[TLM]

27. Because he was going to be there?

Dean was going to this event, so why not list it on the list of things he was doing??

[wndycty]

31. And why didn't they tell the organizers he was going to be there?

:kick:

[TLM]

41. Where does it say they didn't ?

It says the organizers invited a lot of folks and it was very hectic.

Obviously somebody knew Dean was coming, since there was a seat for him.

[wndycty]

48. You asked and you shall receive

-snip-
“I think it was very disrespectful," said Donna Graves, who was on the planning committee for the commemoration ceremony. "The intent of today was not to look at Howard Dean.

“The planning committee didn’t know he was coming as we invited a lot of people. It was very hectic and this is a day that is supposed to be about Martin Luther King.”
-snip-

[TLM]

59. Still looking for the part that says "Dean did not tell us he was coming"

You take the fact that the committee did not know he was coming AS THEY INVITED A LOT OF PEOPLE!

Read the quote.

They did not say Dean did not tell them he was coming or that Dean's campaign did not alert them. They say they didn't know because they invited lots of people and it was hectic.

Sounds a lot more like the organizers of the event had more going on than they expected or could keep track of. That's hardly the same thing as saying Dean did not tell them he was coming.

[wndycty]

64. So are you saying the organizers knew. . .was the event advanced?

:kick:

[TLM]

70. The quote said they did not know Dean was coming....

because they invited a lot of people... which sounds a lot more like this event simply being more than the organizers expected than it being a case of Dean's folks not letting them know he was coming.

I'm only going by what was quoted.

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. Of course they were taken out of context.

But as it was pointed out, they have the presses. It's not surprising to me that Dean's comment saying the media was behaving badly generated some negative "ink" about him. When I heard Clark make his defiant off the cuff ad lib in that early debate about letting India do the software, I knew that would be used against him also, regardless of the true context of his position or whatever he said in the rest of his answer. It's been used against him here at DU for months now.

I do have sympathy for all of our candidates, who have to work endless 17 hour or longer days, with every single word out of their mouth closely scrutinized, blown up, and presented with whatever spin the writer wants to make of it.

[hellhathnofury]

22. The India quote was not out of context.

He basically said that Americans could find something else to do.

[Tom Rinaldo]

57. That is true, except...

He wasn't advocating GIVING jobs to India which literally is how some chose to spin it out of context. He basically said in his reply that there is and always will be, to some extent, technology drain to less developed countries, but there are things we can still do to create and preserve American jobs. People can argue about Clark's or anyone else's relative proposals or priorities, but countering malicious spin is another thing completely.

[hellhathnofury]

81. I didn't spin it. I know what he said and I don't really agree with it.

But that's another thread.

[beaconess]

50. Yes, a campaign is tough

I do have sympathy for all of our candidates, who have to work endless 17 hour or longer days, with every single word out of their mouth closely scrutinized, blown up, and presented with whatever spin the writer wants to make of it.

But if any of these guys aren't up to a few days like this, they definitely aren't ready for the presidency.

[Cuban_Liberal]

5. This is a dupe:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=136976

:)

[wndycty]

6. Actually its not. . .

:kick: the other one is.

[Cuban_Liberal]

13. You are correct.

My apologies. :hi:

[wndycty]

17. No problem

:kick:

[goodhue]

7. wow

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/19/politics/main594091.shtml

After Dean entered the packed auditorium with a mostly black audience of about 300 people, the former Iowa front-runner took a seat in the front row for about five minutes.

Photographers and camera crews followed, positioning themselves at the foot of the stage. A clearly perturbed Dean sat through the flashes, but soon walked up on stage and had a discussion with local organizers.

A while later he exited the auditorium, making a beeline to the front entrance and to his bus. Wedging through the media, he stopped at the front step before boarding the bus to answer a reporter's question about how he was feeling.

"You know why I wasn’t able to attend this event,” Dean said, “because you guys are behaving so badly you’ve got to get a new life.”

[wndycty]

9. Maybe if his campaign staff had not posted it. . .

. . .the press would not have shown up.

[TLM]

16. The problem was not that the press were there....

but that they were crowding the stage and interupting the event.

Come on, anybody who has ever worked in any media knows you don't do that.

Dean was right... the press folks who were crowding the stage were out of line.

And it is cool that Dean would leave to get the press out of there so the event could continue. That was a classy move.

[wndycty]

21. The organizers did not know he was coming. . .

. . .I would think that he was savvy enough to know that wherever he went on Caucus day there would be a ruckus. His staff could have had the courtesy to call ahead. . .he was not even expected!

[beaconess]

52. Or have a staff person there to corral the press

It's Political Campaign 101 - it's called "press advance" and Dean's press advance people could have avoided this problem altogether.

Dean can't now turn around and blame others - this was clearly his own mess.

[TLM]

78. Read the first post.... Dean asked them to move to the back...

and they continued to crowd the stage.

[TLM]

119. This is not correct.... as with most attacks on Dean

the truth is found elsewhere....

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend

[TLM]

131. wrong again...

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend

[goodhue]

18. good point

I guess its important to clear an event with the hosts before advertising. Sounds like Dean's anger is misplaced. Someone on his staff screwed up.

[TLM]

8. Once again following the link to the rest of the story....

"After Dean entered the packed auditorium with a mostly black audience of about 300 people, the former Iowa front-runner took a seat in the front row for about five minutes.

Photographers and camera crews followed, positioning themselves at the foot of the stage. A clearly perturbed Dean sat through the flashes, but soon walked up on stage and had a discussion with local organizers.

snip...

"You know why I wasn’t able to attend this event,” Dean said, “because you guys are behaving so badly you’ve got to get a new life.”


snip...


“Dean did not come there to speak, Dean’s national spokesman Jay Carson later said. "He came there to pay his respects, and he felt that the crush of the press was distracting and not showing the respect that Dr. King deserves.”

[wndycty]

10. Why did his staff post it?

He knew what he was doing and did not work out.

-snip-
Dean, who was not scheduled as one of the speakers, arrived with the national and local media waiting. The event had been posted on the media roster by his campaign.
-snip-

[windansea]

14. just a minor detail

heh heh

[CMT]

38. it was on his schedule that he was attending this event

just like it would be on any other candidates schedule. I would think you would understand that.

[TLM]

24. It was on his media roster... he was not listed as a speaker.

He went to attend, and the fact he listed it is in no way an excuse for the media folks covering him to crowd the stage like that.

You get some arriving and departing shots and maybe a few crowd shots from the sidelines... but you don't rush the stage and crowd out the event.


I know the folks hear who hate Dean will want to spin this into an attack, but the facts, even in the article, are clear that this was the media causing the problem not Dean.

[wndycty]

28. How come he told the media he was coming but not the organizers?

I would think he was smart enough to know that it would create a ruckus.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

34. Because the Media Attention Is Obviously What Dean Cares About Most

Local organizers? Feh.

DTH

[returnable]

37. "he was smart enough to know that it would create a ruckus."

Or maybe he figured since his numbers in Iowa have tanked so much, everyone would be checking out Kerry and Edwards today :hi:

[TLM]

72. Once again... you are making assumptions to attack Dean...

Where does it say that Dean's people did not call or let them know he was coming?

The organizer said they did not know he was coming as they had invited a lot of people... not that he did not have his campaign contact them.

But I realize that since Dean;s name it on it, those who hate him and do nothing but bash him must assume the worst.

Otherwise what will thy attack?

[TLM]

133. He did tell the organizers

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend

[beaconess]

134. As you cut and paste this post over and over, can you answer a question?

Do you know when he "alerted" the organizers? Did he give them enough notice to prepare for his presence or did he call them from the bus and say, "Be there in 5?"

[Maddy McCall]

11. This guy takes the cake for disrespect

Read further in the article:

I think it was very disrespectful," said Donna Graves, who was on the planning committee for the commemoration ceremony. "The intent of today was not to look at Howard Dean.

“The planning committee didn’t know he was coming as we invited a lot of people. It was very hectic and this is a day that is supposed to be about Martin Luther King.”

[returnable]

23. Interesting...

The Dean campaign tells the media he'll be attending the event, but not the event organizers.

Take what you want from that :hi:

[TLM]

45. Funny i thought the organizer said

"The planning committee didn’t know he was coming as we invited a lot of people. It was very hectic"


They invited a lot of poeple... but did not know Dean was coming.

???

Doesn't look like Dean did not let them know he was coming, but that things were simply too hectic for the event folks to keep track of who was coming and who wasn't.

[Maddy McCall]

49. And the organizers said he should sit down like everyone else

He wanted to use the ceremony for King as a campaign event, and in doing so disrespected King and the organizers planned the event to honor King, not Dean.

[TLM]

83. Read the f-ing article...that's exactly what Dean TRIED to do.

And the media crowded the stage and wouldn't move when asked.

""After Dean entered the packed auditorium with a mostly black audience of about 300 people, the former Iowa front-runner took a seat in the front row for about five minutes.

Photographers and camera crews followed, positioning themselves at the foot of the stage. A clearly perturbed Dean sat through the flashes, but soon walked up on stage and had a discussion with local organizers."

[Maddy McCall]

87. He announces event, then gets pissed when media shows up?

Either he is disrespectful of the event organizers or just plain stupid.

[TLM]

100. No he gets pissed when they crowded the stage and wouldn't move

when asked.


But then again, why let the facts get in the way of a good bash.

[Maddy McCall]

91. At any rate, thank you Dr. Dean for costing your self 300 votes

[TLM]

102. Doubt it...

How do you figure, based on two quotes, that somehow everybody there now hates Dean?

[Maddy McCall]

122. The audience's response is a good indication:

This is from the article in the Des Moines Register in 1floridademocrat's thread:
********************************
Presidential candidate Howard Dean's attempt Monday to attend a ceremony honoring the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. left many in the audience unhappy and complaining that the former Vermont governor was trying to overshadow the event.

The Iowa Commission on the Status of African-Americans hosted the 15th annual event, held at the Iowa Historical Building in Des Moines.

"That's not for him," said Seville Lee, 26 of Des Moines. "This was nothing but a conniving way for him to sneak in and take up a vote from the African-American community."

snip/

When a Dean aide announced that the former Vermont governor was leaving, the audience applauded.

**************************
At any rate, his appearance there could cost him a lot of black support, and that will reverberate nationwide. A stupid move for Dean.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

26. Yesterday his photo-op with Carter backfires. Today this.

I really never thought the wheels would come of the Dean campaign so quickly.

[windansea]

35. kind of like in the debate

when Dean tried to ask a question to the audience

pushy pushy pushy.....think I'll revise my prediction for Iowa

he probably lost 300 votes for this little episode

[Clark Can WIN]

103. I didn't think they'd all come off at once .........eom

[in_cog_ni_to]

42. Oh my.

Again, not invited. He just assumed he'd have open arms welcoming him. All those people wanted to do was honor Dr. Martin Luther King, not Howard Dean. Sheesh.

[Melinda]

32. Good for Dr. Dean!

From the same article:

Photographers and camera crews followed, positioning themselves at the foot of the stage. A clearly perturbed Dean sat through the flashes, but soon walked up on stage and had a discussion with local organizers.

A while later he exited the auditorium, making a beeline to the front entrance and to his bus. Wedging through the media, he stopped at the front step before boarding the bus to answer a reporter's question about how he was feeling.

"You know why I wasn’t able to attend this event,” Dean said, “because you guys are behaving so badly you’ve got to get a new life.”

Upbraiding the media, Dean told the press: “I’m feeling great, we’re going to win but you guys got to behave yourselves out of respect for Dr. King.”

Blaming the media for the commotion of his arrival, Dean refused to answer any more questions.

“Dean did not come there to speak, Dean’s national spokesman Jay Carson later said. "He came there to pay his respects, and he felt that the crush of the press was distracting and not showing the respect that Dr. King deserves.”

[Malikshah]

36. Thank you for the update

This is what is wrong with the media. One cannot win with them at all.

Folks should not feed into their frenzy, but alas, the temptation is too great for some.

[Maddy McCall]

47. What update? She quoted from the same article and her quote only

further shows that Dean scheduled it as a campaign event (he listed it on his blog, thus attracting the media) but didn't inform event organizers, who are very miffed.

I quote:

I think it was very disrespectful," said Donna Graves, who was on the planning committee for the commemoration ceremony. "The intent of today was not to look at Howard Dean.

“The planning committee didn’t know he was coming as we invited a lot of people. It was very hectic and this is a day that is supposed to be about Martin Luther King.”

[Malikshah]

73. There is no need to be rude.

I find it interesting that the issue has become yet another scuffle for the "mythology" books on the 2003-4 primaries. No doubt this will continue with all other candidates.

It is disheartening to see the feeding frenzy continue in such a fashion.

BTW--the beginning message is changing on a regular basis more is being added and w/ pictures. Too bad folks will respond before noting that issue.

[TLM]

89. You might try reading the quote.... like this part

"The planning committee didn't know he was coming as we invited a lot of people."



Funny they did not say...

The planning committee didn't know he was coming because he didn't tell us he was coming.

The planning committee didn't know he was coming because we never invited him.


Yet somehow all the folks attacking Dean in this tread seem to be arguing as if the quote did say those things... but hey why let the truth get in the way of a good Dean bashing?

[Maddy McCall]

124. And this:

Presidential candidate Howard Dean's attempt Monday to attend a ceremony honoring the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. left many in the audience unhappy and complaining that the former Vermont governor was trying to overshadow the event.

The Iowa Commission on the Status of African-Americans hosted the 15th annual event, held at the Iowa Historical Building in Des Moines.

"That's not for him," said Seville Lee, 26 of Des Moines. "This was nothing but a conniving way for him to sneak in and take up a vote from the African-American community."

snip/

When a Dean aide announced that the former Vermont governor was leaving, the audience applauded.

**************************
They saw it for what it was worth. Shame on Dean.

[Maddy McCall]

44. That's because he announced it as a campaign event on his webpage

And then he cries foul at the media for showing up?

And I submit this quote to you:

I think it was very disrespectful," said Donna Graves, who was on the planning committee for the commemoration ceremony. "The intent of today was not to look at Howard Dean.

“The planning committee didn’t know he was coming as we invited a lot of people. It was very hectic and this is a day that is supposed to be about Martin Luther King.”



He didn't tell the organizers that he was attending or planned on speaking. What an insult to people who were there. This is indefensible, and I am amazed that anyone would come to his defense.

[depakid]

53. That's post #3 of the same quote

and the same point- if it wasn't taken the first time, it probably won't be taken a fourth... ;)

[beaconess]

58. Anyone who has been involved in these kinds of campaign events

would know that if you announce to the press that your candidate is going to attend an event you:

1) notify the event organizers;
2) coordinate press logistics with the organizers
3) if the crush of press would be too much to be accommodated without disrupting the event, arrange for a "pool" so that the event won't be overwhelmed by media

This is a basic activity for a campaign, all of whom have event and press advance people working around the clock.

You can bet that they had the sense and respect to do that with Jimmy Carter yesterday. That's why you didn't have a mob of reporters and cameras in Carter's church, disrupting the events. It was obviously pooled and the rest of the press was kept outside in a confined area where they were able to get pictures and statements immediately afterward.

Apparently, the Dean campaign didn't think this was necessary for this event today, and allowed it to be turned into a circus.

[Maddy McCall]

76. Yes, you hit the nail on the head

I am involved in state government and this is the procedure even we follow for low-level events.

[Name removed]

120. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TLM]

136. Once again... the attacks on Dean are flat wrong...

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend

[TLM]

112. 99% assumptions and BS plus 1% spun quotes.... nice

perfect recepie for bashing.


The fact, and this is even stateed inteh article, is that the press were asked to move and refused.

Not much an advance person could do about that.


I get the impression everybody was overwhelmed by the press' behavior... and Dean did the classy thing and left rather than allowing the disruption to continue.

But we can't give Dean any credit for that move, as it might get in the way of bashing him.

[Clark Can WIN]

144. Could you explain please exactly how these are "spun" quotes?

“Dean came here and he was hoping that his henchmen would get the job done," said 26-year-old Seville Lee, who heads a mentoring program for at-risk youth in Des Moines. "He thought he was going to speak."

“I’m offended that Dean would even try and do this,” said Lee, who organized a children’s play that day in honor of King. “He wasn’t scheduled to speak.

"If he wanted to come he could go sit down like everyone else.”

Do you not believe that the people who organized and attended their own event are capable of relating the incidents that took place?

[TLM]

135. Why do you keep avoiding this quote?

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend

[beaconess]

138. I don't think anyone is avoiding the quote - it just doesn't mean much w/o

more information. Even if Dean did alert one of the organizers that he was coming, that doesn't say much unless we know whether he gave them enough lead time to do anything about it. It makes a big difference whether they were notified of Dean's plans the day before or 10 minutes before.

But even if Dean had notified the organizers in advance, it is obvious that his campaign failed miserably to coordinate the press logistics - something that that organizers are not and should not be expected to handle - and, as a result, allowed what should have been a simple photo op to turn into a fiasco. And, to make it worse, rather than just sucking it up and apologizing for making a mess of their event, Dean and some of his supporters are blaming everyone in sight, including the organizers who themselves, for the blunder. It doesn't speak well of Dean and his campaign, regardless how you try to spin it.

[corporatewhore]

51. wasnt there a thread that said dean didnt want to make MLKjr

day a federal holiday and now he wants to be the spotlight of the show

[wndycty]

55. Here is another pic

Democratic presidential hopeful former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (news - web sites), right, speaks with Ruth White, left, Director of the Iowa Department of Human Rights, and Kimberly Baxter, center, with the Iowa Commission on Status of African Americans, at the State of Iowa 15th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa, Monday, Jan. 19, 2004. Dean left the event before it began after the large amount of media following the campaign disrupted the event. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040119/480/pcs10101191927

[Sly Kal]

60. This is distasteful

I do not believe this hit piece.

[Blitz]

63. What don't you believe about it?

That he went to the event?

That there was a disturbance?

That the planning committee didn't know that he was coming?

That he used the quoted words to blame the media?

All of it? I'm curious about which part of the article you would dispute.

[AntiCoup2K4]

71. Get over it. The corporate media sabotaged him

and you know it.

[Blitz]

77. So, somebody in the corporate media

Used mind control or blackmail or something to force Dean's foot into his mouth just in time for the evening news on the day of the caucus? Sure. He's a victim. Poor, innocent, unsuspecting Dr. Dean.

[TLM]

121. They knew he was coming....

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend

[beaconess]

61. Dayam -

That is NOT the picture the candidate wants going over the wires on Caucus day.

[shance]

67. The invasiveness of the press so often ruins the quality of

so many otherwise quality moments.

Something sounds like a set up to me, and even though I support Dean, I dont think this sounds like his deal. He wouldnt have been upset if he had planned it. It sounds as though he was caught off guard and was pretty much ambushed.

That there is nothing sacred to many journalists takes away from ultimately the quality and dignity of our media at large.

Many paid journalists are aching to produce more negative stories of Dean. Can you guess who is trying to do this? I have a friend in the press who told me during the 2000 election, they were on Al Gore like flies to butter.

Its assault and battery really. Because there is a concerted effort to agitate and create an image that is not accurate. This could be said for any Democratic candidate depending on their ranking position in the election.

This would be happening to any Democratic candidate who was a frontrunner. Its happening to Dean even more, because he has been bold enough to speak out and tell it like it is. Sometimes politeness is more cowardly than sincere. And it doesnt sound like he was being overly impolite, on the contrary, he was setting a boundary, and they dont like it.

I like that Dean is telling it like it is. The truth is on his side, because we all know how rude and skewed many in the media can be, especially towards Democrats.

[Blitz]

74. Ambushed?

Are you kidding?

Are you seriously trying to argue that Dean and his staff didn't know that, on the day of the caucuses; the most significant day in the primaries to date, he didn't know that the press would be out in force wherever he went and ESPECIALLY at an event that his staff announced to the press?

Are you seriously saying that you think that Dean & his staff are that bush league? It sounds to me that Dean decided to forego common courtesy and expected others to accomodate him. It also sounds like, when things didn't go as he wanted them to, he did one of the dumbest things a politician can do. He decided to act the martyr and lashed out at reporters (upon whom he and EVERY candidate depend) for his campaign's lack of foresight, planning and simple courtesy. He lashed out on the day of the primaries. In plenty of time for the tape to make the news right before people go to caucus.

Dean's mouth lapped his brain again.

Right now, Republican strategists who are saddened by the steady disintigration of the Dean juggernaut can at least take comfort in his "non-transferable" quote (and are praying for a strong Green candidate to make it a reality).

[deminflorida]

68. Of course this is the same organization that is supposed to

deliver Big Time for Dean tonight in Iowa. Doesn't seem to organized to me.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

85. They can't even manage to schedule Dean's apperances

on the day of the caucus. I'm singularly unimpressed.

[Clark Can WIN]

69. I am officially repulsed

good lord. How are they spinning this one? This needs to be kicked from now until Howard Dean withdraws from the race.

:puke:

“Dean came here and he was hoping that his henchmen would get the job done," said 26-year-old Seville Lee, who heads a mentoring program for at-risk youth in Des Moines. "He thought he was going to speak."

I suppose Ms. Lee is now a lying bitch or part of the conspiracy or something like that.:cry: :(

[tishaLA]

95. Being "repulsed" is a bit overboard, IMHO

IF the Dean campaign screwed up--and it looks to me like it did--they should accept responsibility and move on. Worse things have happened to campaigns in the past. A logistical error in the heat of Iowa isn't the biggest deal, even though it happened with an event I wouldn't want to make mistakes with, especially insofar as some have rightly or wrongly criticized Dean on race issues.

[Clark Can WIN]

130. I respect your difference of opinion

But Dean put this event on his media schedule. It's not something you do unless you want the media to know where you are. You may specify *no media* but he did not. It is no great leap to understand that Dean wanted media coverage of his attendance at an MLK event.

Some people worked very hard on this event and it is something that is deeply meaningful to them on many different levels. Dean sought to use this event to do some damage control after the Black/Brown forum, still on the minds of many voters but did it in such a way that further illustrates WHY he is in trouble in this area.

The following comments indicate to me that the organizers and participants were left with the impression that Howard Dean felt like he was entitled to speak, and that he was disruptive and disrespectful. I must trust their judgement first because it was their event and they were there.

“Dean came here and he was hoping that his henchmen would get the job done," said 26-year-old Seville Lee, who heads a mentoring program for at-risk youth in Des Moines. "He thought he was going to speak."

“I’m offended that Dean would even try and do this,” said Lee, who organized a children’s play that day in honor of King. “He wasn’t scheduled to speak.

"If he wanted to come he could go sit down like everyone else.”

I am repulsed.

[TLM]

114. I think she was just confused about why Dean went on stage...

but if you read the rest of the article, as yellow as it is, it does point out Dean was not at the event to speak but just to attend.

[Skip Intro]

84. Good for Dean

This is a story about a disgusting display by the press. And a classy move by Dean to leave rather than taint the event with that media frenzy. Its the press who are dispicable in this.

:eyes:

[Cuban_Liberal]

86. I CALL "BULLSHIT!!" ON CBS 'News': Link.

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

[tishaLA]

98. Wow. That article is amazing

"That's not for him," said Seville Lee, 26 of Des Moines. "This was nothing but a conniving way for him to sneak in and take up a vote from the African-American community."

<snip>

When a Dean aide announced that the former Vermont governor was leaving, the audience applauded.


As I said earlier in the thread, it's not a huge deal to me, but the press is making this look like an apocalyptic moment. It's very odd.

[stickdog]

104. The facts of the report are that the media disrupted the event and

Dean left out of respect for MLK.

The Dean hater quotes (and their placement) are nothing more than yellow journalism.

[TLM]

116. SO all the negative quotes are from this one person?

odd..

[tishaLA]

126. Right

Look, I'm not a Dean supporter, but this smells terribly dirty to me. I don't like the way they are playing this thing at all.

[in_cog_ni_to]

105. OUCH!

"That's not for him," said Seville Lee, 26 of Des Moines. "This was nothing but a conniving way for him to sneak in and take up a vote from the African-American community."

Shame, shame, shame on Dean!

[Cat M.]

143. Read your article.

I think it sounds like one of his supporters who happened to be involved with the event was trying to cover for him.

The administrator of the event said she had no idea Dean was coming and he never called.

Maybe Dean and this person who claims she had talked to him beforehand DID arrange it but she didn't tell the administrator of the event because she knew Dean wouldn't be officially welcome.

It's most telling that people APPLAUDED when Dean left.

They were certainly more happy to see his back than his front.

[mot78]

88. This quote can't be good

"After Dean’s bus pulled in at about 10:30 a.m., he circled the large building, just blocks from the golden-domed capital, as hordes of press and orange-capped Dean “storm troopers” followed in tow in the subfreezing weather."

[Blitz]

92. It's not good

and unless, for some crazy reason, Dean's people are calling themselves that, it is COMPLETELY inappropriate for the reporter to be using such a perjorative and historically loaded term.

[stickdog]

107. The whole story is a transparent yellow hitpiece. (nt)

[DemBones DemBones]

93. The pictures indicate the organizers' unhappiness

with Dean, the undisputed king of gaffes this primary season. He seems not to understand other people very well.

For sure, he needs to learn that when Southerners say "Y'all come on by and see us anytime, you hear?" they are being polite, NOT issuing an actual invitation.

[stickdog]

109. You need to understand that Iowasn are not Southerners.

The organizers were unhappy with the MEDIA.

Funny that the MEDIA isn't making that clear, ain't it?

[LTR]

111. Does he always show up unannounced?

First Jimmy Carter's church (quite a commute, I must say), then the MLK event.

Gotta get out those RSVPs...

[TLM]

117. Keep on ignoring the facts....

http://miva.dmregister.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?news/live/special/display.mv+direction=showstory&showrec=2

Organizer Kimberly Baxter, administrator of the state's Commission on the Status of African-Americans, said Dean had alerted her that he planned to attend

[in_cog_ni_to]

123. Since when is DU known for paying attention to facts?

Clark on the SOA...."If there is proof that atrocities have occurred or things have NOT changed since they have revamped the SOA school...I will shut down the school." paraphrased.

We don't deal with facts on DU.

Shame on Dean for trying to get a photo-op at that MLK program!

[TLM]

140. Yes MLK day photo ops are so very shameful

"Shame on Dean for trying to get a photo-op at that MLK program!"

[Cat M.]

141. Big Difference--Clark was welcome.

1. Clark was INVITED. Dean may want to look up that word.

2. The people next to Clark are HAPPY that he's there. The women Dean is talking to look most unhappy and their remarks suggest that they weren't happy either.

3. If Dean was merely going to honor Martin Luther King, he should NOT have posted it everywhere--especially on the media schedule. Oversight my behind.

The truth? Dean woke up this morning and said--"Oh no! We forgot to schedule something for Martin Luther King Jr. day! Let's see if we can get into some big local event that will give me a lot of access to African American voters! You know, like we do when we go to black churches."

Of course, when he goes to black churches most of the black people who regularly attend those churches stay home. Dean probably decided NOT to arrange it in advance because he was worried the African American people would find a different event to go to. He just wanted a captive audience.

[ReynoldsWrap]

132. I'm not going to blame Dean...

But someone in his campaign messed up. If they really wanted this to about paying respects, it would have been a Non-Media event. If they WANTED media there, they should have clarified with the event organizers that there not only would be a seat for Dean, but there would also be space for the media to set up to ensure they didn't cause any serious interruptions.

Whether the media would have followed these guidelines or not really don't matter, some probably wouldn't have, but Dean would have had room to be upset at those who were disruptive. The media people were doing their job trying to cover a highly important candidate on a highly important day at a presumably open-media event. Someone in Dean's camp miscalculated seriously...Dean should be holding them responsible, not the media.

[beaconess]

137. Instead of blaming the press, Dean should be ripping his staff a new one

for letting this thing get out of hand. They should have coordinated with the organizers to ensure that the media was accommodated and controlled. They've been doing this long enough to know that Dean attracts huge media attention wherever he goes and that his very presence at any event, if left uncontrolled, threatens to disrupt the proceedings.

It may not have been Dean's personal responsibility, but someone on his team screwed up big time and he only makes himself look petty, ridiculous and thoughtless by lashing out at everyone in sight but those in his own campaign.

[TLM]

139. What part of DID NOT MOVE WHEN ASKED don't you understand?

If these media folks were not listening when asked to move, what makes you think they would have listened when asked to move?

All the folks who were harping that Dean showed up unannounced are now eating crow and are sadly still trying to prop up this pathetic attack.