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Rivals Attack Dean Over Energy Task Force
Yahoo News ^ | 12/29/03 | John Solomon - AP

Posted on 12/29/2003 2:43:53 PM PST by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON - Casting aside Howard Dean (news - web sites)'s plea to tone down their criticisms, the other Democratic presidential candidates said Monday that revelations the former Vermont governor had an energy task force that met in secret like the Bush administration is further proof he is ill-suited to challenge the president next fall.

"The more we learn about Howard Dean's record as governor, the more difficult position he'll be in to criticize the Bush administration," Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (news - web sites) said, responding to an Associated Press story Sunday.

AP reported that though Dean has demanded the administration release the secret deliberations of Vice President Cheney's 2001 energy policy task force, Dean as Vermont governor convened a similar group in 1998 to restructure the state's electric utilities that met in secret, to the dismay of state legislators.

Dean called the comparison "laughable."

But Lieberman said he feared voters would not see much difference between Cheney and Dean.

"This is going to hurt our party and nominee. We're not going to win the confidence of voters if we practice the same policy of name calling and secrecy engaged in by the Bush administration," Lieberman said.

"Before Dick Cheney (news - web sites) ever did it, he (Dean) tried to hide information about his own energy task force," the Connecticut Democrat said.

Lieberman's comments came just hours after Dean, exasperated by a string of critical news articles and rival attacks on his record, criticized Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe for failing to rein in the other Democratic candidates.

"What's happening is, in their desperation, those guys have thrown their positive agenda out the window. I can't imagine it's going to help them. It might hurt us but it can't help them," Dean said in a stop in Iowa on Sunday.

"If we had strong leadership in the Democratic Party, it would be calling the other candidates and saying somebody has to win here. If (former Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) head) Ron Brown were chairman, this wouldn't be happening," he added.

Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Debra DeShong rejected Dean's claim that his rivals' criticisms have been unfair, saying "Democratic primaries over the last 20 years have been just as tough and just as vigorous.".

"All of the Democratic presidential candidates including Governor Dean have been vigorous about drawing distinctions among themselves," she said.

Several of the Democrats reacted to the AP story.

In an interview, former House minority leader Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) said he fears Dean's record as governor is too similar to that of Bush.

"It is another example of why Howard would have a hard time going up against George Bush. I mean here he is complaining about secrecy in their administration with the Cheney task force and then it turns out he was doing the same thing in Vermont," Gephardt said.

For the last few weeks, Dean's rivals have stepped up their attacks as Dean's lead has increased in the polls, arguing he is a poorer choice to challenge Bush.

Massachusett's Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), who made some of his sharpest attacks against Dean in a speech Saturday in New Hampshire, also took a swipe at Dean on the secrecy issue. He renewed his call for Dean to unseal some 145 boxes of his official gubernatorial records in Vermont, which the governor declared secret for the next 10 years before leaving office in January.

The AP story is the latest in a string "confirming that 'People Powered Howard' was close to special interests as governor of Vermont," Kerry said. "Howard Dean could answer many of the questions raised over the last two weeks about his record by finally opening the 145 boxes of his gubernatorial records currently under seal."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: dean; energytaskforce; gephardt; howarddean; johnkerry; lieberman; rivalsattack
Democratic Presidential candidate Howard Dean smiles as he briefly wears a Green Bay Packers hat during a campaign stop at Southwest High School in Green Bay, Wis., Monday, Dec. 29, 2003. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Democratic Presidential candidate Howard Dean (news - web sites) smiles as he briefly wears a Green Bay Packers hat during a campaign stop at Southwest High School in Green Bay, Wis., Monday, Dec. 29, 2003. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)


1 posted on 12/29/2003 2:43:54 PM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge
Best of all possible outcomes:

Weasel Clark gets the nomination.

Howie Baby runs a 3rd party campaign in the fall.

(Here's hoping!)
2 posted on 12/29/2003 2:50:03 PM PST by samtheman
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To: samtheman
Please, oh, please please, please throw me in the briar patch.
3 posted on 12/29/2003 3:03:21 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: samtheman
Weasel Clark gets the nomination.

Howie Baby runs a 3rd party campaign in the fall.

No way...You want Dr. Deanmento front and center with all those hippies smoking dope, the abortion Drs. showing their incision scissors, and behind him a big rainbow on the wall with the civil union perverts screaming, we're queer and married!

The best thing ever for the Repubs is Dean getting the nod!

4 posted on 12/29/2003 3:23:38 PM PST by sirchtruth
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Democratic presidential hopeful and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean speaks during a campaign stop in Detroit, Monday, Dec. 29, 2003. Dean announced his Initiative to Strengthen America's Cities would improve cities by creating jobs, increasing the federal minimum wage and providing credit for urban businesses. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Democratic presidential hopeful and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (news - web sites) speaks during a campaign stop in Detroit, Monday, Dec. 29, 2003. Dean announced his Initiative to Strengthen America's Cities would improve cities by creating jobs, increasing the federal minimum wage and providing credit for urban businesses. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)


5 posted on 12/29/2003 3:30:42 PM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge
The following appears on the Dean for America website:

"I just read on an earlier thread someone comparing Howard Dean to Jesus Christ. I agree!! DFA is more like a religious calling than a political campaign. And how could we support the Democratic nominee if it is not Gov Dean? That would be like switching religions. If Gov Dean is denied the nomination, I will worship Him even more."

Posted by: Inspired at December 29, 2003 03:29 PM

*****************

These people are scarey if you ask me when they start talking like this.

6 posted on 12/29/2003 3:36:01 PM PST by PhiKapMom (AOII Mom -- Support Bush-Cheney '04)
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