Dean says capture of Saddam 'a day of celebration' (compliments Bush!)

The Associated Press ^ | December 14, 2003

[Symblized]

Dean says capture of Saddam 'a day of celebration'

The Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said Sunday he hoped the capture of Saddam Hussein will change "the course of the occupation of Iraq."

The former Vermont governor has strongly criticized President Bush over his decision to go to war in Iraq, and his opposition has catapulted him to front-runner status in the race for the Democratic nomination.

Dean deflected questions about how Saddam's detention Saturday might shape the race in the early primary contests.

"I think this is a day to celebrate the fact that Saddam has been captured and we'll have to worry about the campaign later on," Dean said during a brief news conference in West Palm Beach.

"President Bush deserves a day of celebration," Dean said. "We have our policy differences but we won't be discussing those today."

"This, I hope, will change the course of the occupation of Iraq but I think the first order of business is to say this is a great day. I congratulate the Iraqi people," Dean said.

Dean said he learned about Saddam's capture when a staff member woke him up at 8 a.m. Sunday and told him the news. A bearded and haggard-looking Saddam was found a day earlier in an underground hide-out on a farm near his hometown of Tikrit, Iraq.

Dean attended two fund-raisers Saturday in Miami and was appearing at a brunch reception Sunday at the Palm Beach estate of Netscape Communications co-founder Jim Clark.

On Monday, he was making a major foreign policy address in California. With the breaking news of Saddam's capture, Dean said he will use the speech to "go through all these issues piece by piece."

[paul in cape]

Even a rabid dog has a clean mouth once a day!

[VRW Conspirator]

Hey Dean!

Look...at...mah...butt

Loogatmahbutt

Look...at...m'butt

[RAY]

Dean already moving to the center! BS!!

[Salvey]

I congratulate the Iraqi people," Dean said.

Uh, what for?

[Always Right]

"President Bush deserves a day of celebration,"

I hardly see the compliment here. It seems Dean is saying let Bush celebrate today, I will attack him some other day. Or did I miss the part where he complimented Bush hidden in there somewhere?

[demlosers]

Dean can't spin this.

[rickmichaels]

Dean said he learned about Saddam's capture when a staff member woke him up at 8 a.m. Sunday...

Woken up at 8 a.m.? What a lazy turd. Did his wife serve him waffles in bed?

[Pern]

"President Bush deserves a day of celebration," Dean said.

I have to admit it, the man has class for giving credit where credit is due.

I wonder what the Dem's are going to pull out of their ass, now that their main campaign issue is now a non-issue.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Dean deflected questions about how Saddam's detention Saturday might shape the race in the early primary contests.

LOL, this is a bad day for Dean. As far as I'm concerned the race is over for him.

[Cicero]

Repositioning. Dean may be a slime, but he's smart. He may be a leftist, but he's no Walter Mondale, who has sounded like a broken record for the last forty years, regardless of his audience. Dean will say anything that he thinks will advance his ambitions for the presidency. I'll bet his next statement will be to triangulate the other way and criticize Bush for mishandling the war.

[lilylangtree]

Can just hear Dean choking on his words.

[CommandoFrank]

I congratulate the Iraqi people," Dean said.

I think it strange he didn't give congrat's to the American soldiers...

[Flux Capacitor]

Dean's being a hell of a lot more gracious than John F---in Kerry. Ol' Lurch was interviewed on NPR earlier this morning, and he took the opportunity to congratulate himself for "voting for the F---in' resolution to F---in' remove Saddam Hussein" while at the same time condemning Bush for "alienating our F---in' allies" and "getting things F---in' wrong in Iraq," and saying that the President now had a new opportunity "to start acting F---in' magnanimously in our F---in' conduct of the F---in' war."

It was just unbelievable. F---in' A.

-Dan

[optimistically_conservative]

[Cultural Jihad]

Would a President Howard Dean reinstall Saddam into power in order to right a 'terrible international crime' by President Bush?

[bray]

"President Bush deserves a day of celebration," Kruschev said, because if I was President, Saddamn would still be cutting the tongues out of the Iraqi people.

Praise God and Prayers for W and The Election

[EggsAckley]

It's called tap dancing.

LOL!

[tinacart]

"As far as I'm concerned the race is over for him."

It surely will be when the administration finds Osama and the WMDs :) Woohoo! Since Dean is too socialist to thank our servicemen and women, as well as our President, let me do it for him. THANK YOU!!!

[Teacher317]

Dang, that's the third time today I've had to write that the Dems are getting better with their messages.