Dean’s New Directions(Hopes to find a deserters to use against Bush/Then intends to seduce Clinton)

The American Prowler ^ | 12/15/2003 | The Prowler

[nickcarraway]

DIGGING HIMSELF A DEEPER HOLE

"Great, but ..." -- that was the response from a Howie Dean New Hampshire staffer, when discussing the capture Sunday of Saddam Hussein. "I'm glad we have him, but what about bin Laden? He's more dangerous and has been out there longer than Saddam. And what about the WMD? Now that we have Hussein, they can't cover up that lie."

The conversation revealed the direction the Dean camp will now take, since the Hussein capture takes a talking point off the table. "You don't have to be a high paid consultant or talking head to figure out where they were going," says a Bush staffer. "We're ready for all of this. The fact is a lot Americans are safer today than they were 48 hours ago."

Dean's camp isn't so sure. Quietly, using contacts of advisers and long-time supporters who have friends or family members in the military, the Dean campaign has been looking for Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans willing to blast the Bush Administration on the record, and even speak publicly in Boston at the Democratic National Convention.

"We know Bush and his people are going to politicize 9/11 in New York at their convention," says the Dean staffer. "Why can't we have everyday Americans speak their mind about their concerns at our convention?"

The Dean campaign strategy seems to be to focus on whatever it can grasp at that will resonate with its base and energize it for the short-term. "Right now, it's all about just getting by another day and keeping our momentum so Kerry and Gephardt can't get a toe-hold," says the Dean staffer.

The concern is currently less about John Kerry than about Dick Gephardt. While Gephardt remains competitive in the polls in Iowa, Dean and his people remain concerned that Gephardt's organization will actually beat them in that state, where the former House minority leader was thought to have the edge all along.

Dean has some experienced hands on deck, but Gephardt's team knows Iowa and the caucus system better than any other campaign does. Given the nature of the caucus system that knowledge and know-how can beat a poll.

"We're counting on that. It's our only edge right now," says a Gephardt staffer in Washington. "We're banking on Dean's folks just not having the organization that we have in Iowa. That is what matters, not money, not TV time. It's organization and getting out the vote. We have that, and they don't"

Should Gephardt best Dean in Iowa, there are many in both Republican and Democratic circles who believe the race for the Democratic nomination will become a two-man race. While Dean appears assured of a strong showing in New Hampshire, much of the Democratic focus has been on South Carolina. Sen. John Edwards appeared to bank his entire campaign's future on that state of his birth. Gephardt, trailing badly in New Hampshire, appears to have banked on it as well. He has recently pulled in important in-state endorsements, and is poised to poll in the top three there. That would appear to be all he needs to carry himself deep into primary season, and would force his friends at the AFL-CIO to balk at an early endorsement of Dean, something Gephardt is desperate to avoid.

GOING AFTER THE BIG FISH

Now that Howie Dean has Al Gore's endorsement, he's looking for Bill Clinton's. On the same day that he was appearing in Iowa with the former vice president, Dean was calling the former president for a chat.

"It wasn't about anything," says a Dean staffer in Iowa. "Governor Dean spoke quite a bit to Mr. Gore. He speaks quite a bit to President Clinton."

One of Dean's favorite pastimes on the road is calling political figures on a cell phone, then passing the phone around to people to surprise them about who is on the other end. He also enjoys calling people out of the blue just to let them know he's tracking them. One story goes that a prominent union boss was flying in Iowa with Sen. John Kerry when his cell phone rang. It was Dean, just calling to say hi.

Dean wants Clinton's support, but the ex-prez thus far has been cool to the approach.

Gen. Wesley Clark very publicly admitted last week that after the Gore endorsement, he called Clinton to make sure that his old chum wasn't thinking of doing anything rash. Clinton, according to a Clark insider, told the neophyte candidate that he had no intention of following in Gore's footsteps.

[Pukin Dog]

Bring it on Howard.

Roll some kid with his legs blown up on to the stage to trash George Bush. Keep believing that the public will take kindly to such an approach. You may only win your crazy base, but the rest of the country will turn from you like a leper.

[nickcarraway]

[Richard Kimball]

Wow. The more I read about Dean, the classier he makes Bill Clinton look.

[Billthedrill]

If anyone needed further evidence that Dean's campaign was run by a bunch of 70's retreads, this ought to do it. They're trying to resurrect the Vietnam Veterans Against the War here. But it was a different armed forces, a different country, and a different war, then. I don't see this one doing well at all, especially not with Saddam in the bag.

[nickcarraway]

The more I read about Dean, the classier he makes Bill Clinton look.

Let's not go overboard.

[Bush2004]

Hillary used her Armed Services Senate Committee information to her political advantage last Sunday, when she supported the war in Iraq.

Then Gore prattled on about Dean, and the next thing ya know, Saddam is pulled from a spider hole.

If Osama was about to meet his demise, she'd tip his impending doom off as well.

[boxerblues]

Each one of the 9 little dwarfs has claimed everything Bush does he will politicize, but they are the first to use his photos and accomplishment to try and beat him, go figure

[bjcintennessee]

Quietly, using contacts of advisers and long-time supporters who have friends or family members in the military, the Dean campaign has been looking for Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans willing to blast the Bush Administration on the record, and even speak publicly in Boston at the Democratic National Convention

I'm certain that he will be able to find a few military personnel willing to blast President Bush, but he is going to have to search far and wide.

Recently, my liberal sister sent my Navy son that e-mail of GWBush's resume, the one that blasted President with lies and distortions.

My son was enraged that this had been sent to him (though he expressed his rage to me and not to her). His view was that most of the military loves President Bush, so

Good luck to Dean in finding the extremely small percentage of military personnel willing to put their careers on the line to support an anti-American, anti-military candidate by speaking publicly.

[happydogdesign]

[autoresponder]

Bill is sharper then Hillary

Dean is just a wacko vote whore

Bill hardly intends to tear himself down tied to a loser dingbat that will pull a McGovern and wipe out a chance he has of revising his past and building legacy of sorts

Dean is Fantasy Island on steroids

Howard will say or do anything to push his campaign foward and stay alive

Even Hillary knows Dean is the kiss of death

Bill claimed a "3rd-Way"

Dean is a "1-Way" nutcase

His way only

Check our Lanny Davis' statements about Dean

They are mild and understated

Dean is the man to depend on when it hits the fan?

How many believe that a lying wimpy jerk who was Guv of a state smaller then any of NYC's boroughs could run the USA in wartime?

Dean cannot win the southern states or any Conservative states and will possibly set a new alltime record in turning off traditionally dem states voting percentages.

Dean and Clark suffer from the idiotic "I'm the only person who....." disease.

*"Golden John" FKerry is a close 3rd in that department.

*(Saddam, take notice!)

[nickcarraway]

The sad thing is that I might vote for him over Dean.

[nopardons]

The DEms are ALL running on empty. Dean may be the front runner, who will, most probably BE the DEm candidate come summer; however, he is such a turn off, to everyone, except his rapib, benighted, cultlike followers/sycophants, that it is going to be a rout. That being said, it is still incombant upon us, to act as through President Bush were running against Hitlery!, come next November!

[kcvl]

One of Dean's favorite pastimes on the road is calling political figures on a cell phone, then passing the phone around to people to surprise them about who is on the other end.

He would make some kind of President if he gets his kicks from "impressing" people with "who" he knows. /sarcasm

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Good rant.

[thesummerwind]

The more I read about Dean, the classier he makes Bill Clinton look.

But, to just mention this - Dean, IMO, was more gracious yesterday than most other Dem. stooges. (I'm sure it was an abberation!)

HOWARD DEAN; “ This is a great day of pride in the American military, a great day for the Iraqis, a great day for the American people and, frankly, a great day for the administration.”

[samtheman]

Right now I fear Gephardt more than Dean. Not that I think Gephardt could actually beat Bush, but rather, he actually has a chance against Bush. Dean would not have a chance against Bush. Especially not now. We need Dean to get the RAT nomination. Now more than ever.

[thesummerwind]

Let's not go overboard.

You're right. Dean's out there alright, but Clinton is in another strata, LOW strata!

[thesummerwind]

They're trying to resurrect the Vietnam Veterans Against the War here.--- F***ing Kerry was one of those "leaders".

[astounded]

Here's the other thing that bothers me about this twit. The press and others seem to compare Dean with George McGovern, who as we all know was the "antiwar" candidate in 1968. Yes, the results were dismal for the Democrats then, and will be in 2004 if Dean is the candidate. However, election results are where any comparison must end. Howard Dean is, emphatically, not George McGovern. Senator McGovern is the son of a minister from South Dakota, who was raised in a middle class, Upper Midwest small town. He is a self-made man, who voluntarily interrupted his college education to join the Army Air Corps during WWII. He flew 35 combat missions out of Italy as a B24 pilot, including some of the most dangerous missions (Trieste comes to mind) in the war. He is not a draft dodger, he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He is, unlike Dean, a good man, albeit a bit too liberal, who actually has endured war. He was anti-war because he'd been there and done that. Please, people, do not link George McGovern with Howard Dean. There is no connection.