Anyone watching Dean on This Week?

[AP]

Lord, with the "$300 tax cut isn't worth anything, and anything the Senators and Congressman say about this is wrong because they've never balanced a budget like I have."

He's going to need a better line than that.

Says he doesn't fight back as much because he's in the lead, and then says he does fight back.

[GAspnes]

1. I found the whole gamut disappointing

Simon on 'Meet the Press' described the difference between Gebhart and Dean supporters:

There were these guys, 6 foot 2, 250 pounds, in windbreakers, big guys, going into the Gebhart rally. Over at the Dean headquarters it was all women and gays and guys weighing 140. I hope there's never a rally where these groups collide.

And Russert chuckled inanely.

[chimpymustgo]

2. I thought that MTP momont was amusing.

Hey, I just turned to This Week, and it's already on. It usually comes on at 11:30 here. What did I - and I'm sure a few others on the East Coast - miss?

Is ABC carrying the play-offs?

[otohara]

14. Hmmm... I'm Not Finding Amusing

Women, Gays???

but then I don't find any mediawhore talk funny, it's meant to be divisive and they succeed everytime.

[La_Serpiente]

3. I heard he wants to cut payroll taxes

I haven't seen the plan yet, but I wonder what part of the payroll tax he is going to cut???

[Eric J in MN]

9. Dean will announce payroll tax plan in February. In the meanwhile

Dean will announce payroll tax plan in February. In the meanwhile, please contact the Dean campaign and ask that the rate-cut be accompanied by raising the level of income affected by payroll taxes (currently income over $87,000 is exempt).

That way, the proposal will be revenue-neutral (middle-class pay less but rich pay more) and can be implemented promptly.

Please see this post I did:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=99539

[BootinUp]

4. Dean was on the defensive

and generally it was not a great interview for him. Edwards was much better.

[DancingBear]

5. Only his handlers

so this afternoon they can issue a statement that starts with "what the Governor really meant was..."

[patricia92243]

6. Amazing how two people can see the same thing and NOT see the same thing!

[dogman]

7. No, I have the power

to change the channel. I'll tune in when he speaks with consistency. If I listen today, what I hear may be different tomorrow after it has been discussed on his blog.

[dfong63]

8. it's tough being the leader

the leader gets the toughest scrutiny. everything he says gets twisted. vultures constantly over-interpret anything unusual as a sign of impending death. if Clark is lucky enough to ever get close to being the leader, you can expect his teflon uniform to get a few scratches too. but don't hold your breath, cause Dean is doing fine.

[Toucano]

10. I heard Dean say

that balancing the budget is the most important thing.

I don't know that I agree with that. I think balancing the budget is very important, but I think job creation is a higher priority in the current economy.

I noticed he gave Dennis his due on the the IWR vote. That was nice to hear.:)

I think Kerry and Gephardt can claim to have balanced a budget during the Clinton years, however. I don't know that Dean's "only one" claim is really valid there.

[AP]

11. The most important thing is a fair economy which gives everyone who works

the ability to realize the fullest value for what they do, and if you can't work, a floor at which you can live with dignity. It's an economy which produces as much wealth for as many people as possible.

I saw Clinton on CSPAN talking at the U of Arkansas. He said that one thing about Democrats is that almost all Democrats today believe that Keynes was right -- that a richer society is a society with a wealthy middle class, and if the economy isn't working, you defecit spend to create the situation where people have an opportunity to succeed (ie, invest in education and infrastructure, and other things that pay off with future wealth).

If you believe in always balancing the budget then you don't believe in those things.

In fact, people in their private lives don't even believe in balanced budgets. They believe in taking out a loan to buy a car or house or an education in one year so that it pays off in the next year or ten.

[stickdog]

13. Obviously, balancing the budget TOO MUCH is not our nation's

biggest problem.

[Mz Pip]

12. $300 may not seem like much to Dr. Dean

but for a lot of people it is meaningful.

One of the big issues in the CA recall was the car tax. People voted for the recall because their car tax went up $100. One of the reasons we now have Ahnold for Governor is because Davis "raised" taxes.

This is a big negative for Dean. He doesn't get it and it shows how out of touch he seems to be with lower income people.

MzPip
:dem: