Gephardt demands Dean release records

AP | 12/13/03

[kattracks]

ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt demanded Saturday that front-runner Howard Dean release records of meetings and phone calls about tax breaks given to corporate villain Enron, which Dean denies he did.

Visiting with local Democrats in this town near the North Carolina border, Gephardt alleged that Dean, while Vermont's governor, "met regularly with the corporate chiefs who benefited from the tax windfall he created for them. A chief beneficiary of his tax cuts for corporate special interests was Enron."

Dean has faced questions about corporate tax breaks enacted during his 11 years as governor. Enron set up a special insurance subsidiary in Vermont in 1994, a year after the Dean-supported tax break to the insurance industry went into effect.

Dean insists he never gave tax breaks to Enron, the Houston energy-trading company whose 2001 bankruptcy cost thousands of employees their retirement accounts.

"Just more desperate distortion and negative attacks from Dick Gephardt," Dean spokesman Jay Carson said. "He would rather desperately attack Gov. Dean than talk about his record."

Carson said while Gephardt led House Democrats, he received $176,000 in unregulated "soft" money from Enron.

Dean has come under heavy fire from his rivals since former Vice President Al Gore endorsed him on Monday.

"I call on Howard Dean to release all records of meetings, phone calls or negotiations between him, or representatives of his administration, and Enron executives regarding this tax break," Gephardt said.

Carson said releasing any records was not the issue.

"In 1994, know one knew that Enron was a bad company," Carson said. "This is like punishing a bank because a tax cheat has some of his money in a savings account there."

[MarkeyD]

I don't know what we can do, but we have to stop these vicious attacks on Dean!

[OldFriend]

No one knows for sure but since he won't release the records maybe he was forewarned by the Saudi's about the impending 9/11 attack on America.

[OPS4]

Dean is unscrupulous, and continues to hide his records.
But the red herring will come out and the truth about Dean will be heard!

Ops4 God Bless America! and Vote for George W.

[TheOtherOne]

No one knows for sure but since he won't release the records maybe he was forewarned by the Saudi's about the impending 9/11 attack on America.

Turnabout is fairplay. Well done.

[Heatseeker]

"In other news, the Bush reelection campaign announced that a number of its opposition researchers have been reassigned to other duties, as their positions had been made redundant."

[Tax Government]

Morris said something like this: the existence of Dean as a frontrunner candidate is incontrovertible proof that God is on the side of George Bush. He meant, Dean can't win; he will self-destruct; the best thing to do is just let the bozo time bomb tick and self destruct in the main election.

[bigfootbob]

Didn't one of the 19 hijackers begin his deadly deed by flying out of some commuter airport in Vermont? If that is the case, I don't recall for sure but, What did Governor Dean know and when did he know it about the vicious attack?

[Tax Government]

So, Gephardt's move is part of a larger effort to deflate the frontrunner, who they know can't win, before he is nominated.

[Slings and Arrows]

I love the sound of democRATs eating their own. It sounds like...freedom!

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Gephardt's a slimeball hypocrite. Dean should just question why Gephardt keeps winning his district thanks to corrupt polling places that stay open past time and judges.

[Diogenesis]

Some say Dean was connected with the Soviet Union and who they became,
which is why he now keeps bringing them up.

[Spell Correctly]

"In 1994, know one knew that Enron was a bad company," Carson said.

Lazy!

[hunter112]

Gephardt's a slimeball hypocrite.

Yes, but he's going to make a bitchy little cat fight out of Iowa, which he considers his back yard. The next couple of debates should be popcorn-worthy!

[evad]

It sounds like...freedom!

Heh heh..don't get carried away here. RATs will never be in favor of freedom, even if it does 'sound' that way.

I would say it reminds me more of the orks feeding on one of their own in Two Towers.

[Husker24]

We need to lay low, and maybe even help Dean win the nomination. Dean is going to say something that will destroy him, I just hope he waits untill hes nominated.

[Paul Atreides]

Gephardt demands Dean release records

I didn't even know Howie could sing.

[OldFriend]

It was Maine but I think we ought to say it might have been Vermont! Why not!

[The Mayor]

dems eating their own, gotta love it..

[MJY1288]

If George W. Bush had to release all of his records when he was Governor of Texas, there is no reason why Dean shouldn't do the same.

However, I do agree that non paid for advice given to a Governor or any elected official should be kept confidential, otherwise advice would be hard to get if every time it's given, it ends up being politicized.