Tape Shows Dean Maligning Iowa Caucuses

NYTIMES ^ | 01/09/04 | JODI WILGOREN and RACHEL L. SWARNS

[Pikamax]

January 9, 2004 Tape Shows Dean Maligning Iowa Caucuses By JODI WILGOREN and RACHEL L. SWARNS

URLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 8 — Four years ago, Howard Dean denounced the Iowa caucuses as "dominated by special interests," saying on a Canadian television show that they "don't represent the centrist tendencies of the American people, they represent the extremes."

Videotapes of the show were broadcast on the NBC Nightly News on Thursday, less than two weeks before the Jan. 19 caucuses, the first contest of the Democratic nominating race. The tapes show Dr. Dean arguing that the lengthy caucus process in which neighbors gather to debate their preferences is inconvenient for ordinary people.

"Say I'm a guy who's got to work for a living, and I've got kids," he said on the show on Jan. 15, 2000. "On a Saturday, is it easy for me to go cast a ballot and spend 15 minutes doing it, or do I have to sit in a caucus for eight hours?"

A moment later, he added, "I can't stand there and listen to everyone else's opinion for eight hours about how to fix the world."`

The excerpts shown on NBC also show Dr. Dean saying in December, 2000, "George Bush is, I believe, in his soul a moderate," and adding about those thinking that Mr. Bush's presidency would be a one-term one, "that is going to be a mistake."

While Dr. Dean now describes Mr. Bush as "the most radical right-wing president in my lifetime," he also frequently acknowledges that, until after Mr. Bush was elected, he believed his promise of moderation.

The broadcasting of the tape comes as Dr. Dean is in a fierce fight with Representative Richard A. Gephardt in Iowa, and his comments were a sharp contrast to those he makes daily on the campaign trail in both Iowa and New Hampshire. Now Dr. Dean regularly tells audiences that the Iowa caucuses represent the essence of American democracy.

[Visalia]

Hypocrite

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[BlessedAmerican]

The guy is going to self destruct before he gets the nomination....Please Lord don't let that happen...

[okie01]

Blood in the water!

[Beck_isright]

I saw those tapes tonight. Dean is toast. Plan for a run against the Weasal Clark.

[Tim Osman]

This is too great. That guy needs some of Hillary's handlers to tell him when to keep his mouth shut!

[Paul Atreides]

Remember, how the press slaughtered Dan Quayle? Now, we have some Dim, who makes Algore look halfway normal, and he is treated as a serious candidate. I guess that is just the conservative bias in the media, at work.

[okie01]

"The next great tragedy is going to be Arafat's passing, believe it or not."

Wow! He really, really said it.

And stepped in it. Again.

[cyncooper]

The guy is going to self destruct before he gets the nomination....Please Lord don't let that happen...

You took the words right out of my mouth.

Dang!

[cyncooper]

*censored comment here*

[Beck_isright]

LOL, amen. W will be running against a Dean clone. I hope W plans to release the Waco files. That will re-energize the conservative base against this phoney, LOL.

[Republican Wildcat]

Self-destructing too early.

He's going to have blow his whole load of dough if he wants to win this thing now (which is fine by me--let him be broke).

Wouldn't you like to have audio of what's being said in his campaign HQ tonight? LOL.

[spodefly]

Four years ago, Howard Dean denounced the Iowa caucuses as "dominated by special interests," saying on a Canadian television show that they "don't represent the centrist tendencies of the American people, they represent the extremes."

He stepped on his crank with that one. Hopefully, the fine people of Iowa will forgive him. America needs Dean!

[libstripper]

Anybody here willing to bet $.01 that the Clintons didn't get this planted?

[Republican Wildcat]

adding about those thinking that Mr. Bush's presidency would be a one-term one, "that is going to be a mistake."

You can't make this stuff up. LOL.

[Dan from Michigan]

The Slimes is turning on The Duck....

[Republican Wildcat]

He could also air ads of Clark saying "Thank God Bush is there" and other praising of Bush and the members of his administration.

[AmishDude]

Hopefully, the fine people of Iowa will forgive him. America needs Dean!

Are you kidding? That's like saying he hates corn and thinks ethanol is a scam.

Dean is so not ready for prime-time. He must have never thought he would get to this point, otherwise he wouldn't have been on this chat series, giving his honest opinions on everything.

[Republican Wildcat]

And better yet...is that "Mary Help!!!" episode on tape?