The Gaffes of Howard Dean
His most embarrassing quotes, in context.
By William Saletan and Avi Zenilman
Posted Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003, at 2:03 PM PT

Quote: "We've gotten rid of him [Saddam Hussein], and I suppose that's a good thing" (Children's Defense Fund forum, April 9, 2003).

Charge: Dean was expressing uncertainty as to whether Saddam was a bad guy. As David Reinhard put it in the April 13, 2003 Oregonian, "I suppose Iraqis who have endured Saddam's torture chambers, acid baths and other human-rights abuses will think [his ouster was] a good thing."

Context: Dean was actually focusing on the war's long-term cost: "We should've contained Saddam. We've gotten rid of him, and I suppose that's a good thing, but there's going to be a long period where the United States is going to need to be maintained in Iraq, and that's going to cost American taxpayers a lot of money."

Defense: Dean says his uncertainty was about not whether Saddam was bad, but whether post-Saddam Iraq would be even worse. On June 22, 2003, Dean said Saddam was "a mass murderer. I think it's terrific that he's gone." But Dean warned, "If we can't build Iraq into a democracy, then the alternative is chaos or a fundamentalist regime. That is certainly not a safer situation for the United States."

Quote: "We won't always have the strongest military" (Time, April 28, 2003).

Charge: "Howard Dean's stated belief that the United States won't always have the strongest military raises serious questions about his capacity to serve as Commander-in-Chief. No serious candidate for the Presidency has ever before suggested that he would compromise or tolerate an erosion of America's military supremacy" (statement by John Kerry campaign spokesman Chris Lehane, April 28, 2003).

Context: According to Time, Dean "suggested that America should be planning for a time when it is not the world's greatest superpower: 'We have to take a different approach [to diplomacy]. We won't always have the strongest military.' "

Defense: Dean never said when the United States would lose its military supremacy. Nor did he condone this loss or propose defense cuts to hasten it. He simply said it was inevitable. Dean's point was that President Bush's reluctance to join international treaties and organizations set a dangerous precedent, given the growth of countries such as China. That's not very different from what Kerry said in January 2003: "In a world growing more, not less interdependent, unilateralism is a formula for isolation and shrinking influence."

Rank	Location	Receipts	Donors/Avg	Freepers/Avg	Monthlies
22	Nevada	380.00	5	76.00	114	3.33	60.00	3

Howard Dean on Fox News Sunday, with host Chris Wallace, Dec. 7, 2003.

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WALLACE: Governor, there is this continuing question, even in your own party, about whether you're fit, whether you're up to being commander in chief. And I want to ask you about a radio interview that you did earlier this week. You were asked about the president suppressing information about what he knew pre-9/11, and here's what you said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: The most interesting theory that I have heard so far, which is nothing more than a theory, I can't think -- it can't be proved, is that he was warned ahead of time by the Saudis. Now who knows what the real situation is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The most interesting theory is that the president was warned ahead of time by the Saudis. Why would you say that, Go who believe that. We don't know what happened in 9/11. Tom Kean is trying to get some information from the president...

WALLACE: Do you believe that?

DEAN: ... which doesn't -- no, I don't believe that. I can't imagine the president of the United States doing that. But we don't know, and it'd be a nice thing to know.

WALLACE: I'm just curious why you would call that the most interesting theory.

DEAN: Because it's a pretty odd theory.

What we do believe is that there was a lot of chatter that somehow was missed by the CIA and the FBI about this, and that for some reason we were unable to decide and get clear indications of what the attacks what were going to be. Because the president...

WALLACE: I guess...

DEAN: Because the president won't give the information to the Kean commission we really don't know what the explanation is.

-------

Howard Dean on Meet the Press, June 22, 2003 with Tim Russert

MR. RUSSERT: Well, in 1995, when you were advocating that position, you were asked how would you balance the budget if we had a constitutional amendment...

DR. DEAN: Yeah.

MR. RUSSERT: ...calling for that, and this is what Howard Dean said. "The way to balance the budget, [Gov. Howard] Dean said, is for Congress to cut Social Security, move the retirement age to 70, cut defense, Medicare and veterans pensions, while the states cut almost everything else. 'It would be tough but we could do it,' he said."

DR. DEAN: Well, we fortunately don't have to do that now.

MR. RUSSERT: We have a $500 billion deficit.

DR. DEAN: But you don't have to cut Social Security to do that.

MR. RUSSERT: But why did you have to do it back then?

DR. DEAN: Well, because that was the middle of--I mean, I don't recall saying that, but I'm sure I did, if you have it on your show, because I know your researchers are very good.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, Miles Benson is a very good reporter for the Newhouse News.

DR. DEAN: Yes, he is. No, no, no. I'm sure I did. I'm not denying I said that. I have...

MR. RUSSERT: But you would no longer cut Social Security?

DR. DEAN: But you don't--no. I'm not ever going to cut Social Security benefits.

MR. RUSSERT: Would you raise retirement age to 70?

DR. DEAN: No. No.

--------------

(more)

DR. DEAN: But the problem for Social Security is that it is actually in fine shape until, I don't know, 2040 or something like that.

MR. RUSSERT: No, no, no, no, no, no.

DR. DEAN: Well, it's in fine shape--it's actuarially fine until 2025 or '23 and then the trust fund doesn't run out...

MR. RUSSERT: Receipts and outlays begin...

DR. DEAN: That's right. Around--in the middle of the 2020s.

---------

(more)

DR. DEAN: We have no gun control in Vermont.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, you're for the Brady Bill...

DR. DEAN: Yep.

MR. RUSSERT: ...which means there's a waiting period before you buy a gun. You're against...

DR. DEAN: Well, I'm for--it's backgrounds.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, OK.

DR. DEAN: The Brady Bill's InstaCheck. It's not a waiting period.

MR. RUSSERT: But you...

DR. DEAN: Well, there's a small waiting period, that's true.

This one?

"Iran is a more complex problem because the problem support as clearly verifiable as it is in North Korea," Dean said. "Also, we have less-fewer levers much the key, I believe, to Iran is pressure through the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is supplying much of the equipment that Iran, I believe, most likely is using to set itself along the path of developing nuclear weapons. We need to use that leverage with the Soviet Union and it may require us to buying the equipment the Soviet Union was ultimately going to sell to Iran to prevent Iran from them developing nuclear weapons."

And here's one for your handle, atomic conspiracy:

DR. DEAN: Here's the problem. We don't know whether in the long run the Iraqi people are better off, and the most important thing is we don't know whether we're better off. This president told us that we were going to go into Iraq because they might have--they had atomic weapons. That turned out not to be so.

Finale:

Dean, at a New Hampshire Town Hall meeting: "Mr. President, if you'll pardon me, I'll teach you a little about defense."

Can't wait.

Dean vs. Dean

Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont, is a Democratic candidate for President. Here is how it might sound if Howard Dean chose to debate himself on the important issues of the day. (All of the statements below are actual quotes from Howard Dean)

On War with Saddam Hussein's Iraq

Dean: "Is the security of the United States affected by what's going on in Iraq today? … I don't believe it is." ("Meet the Press," March 9, 2003)

Dean: "There's no question Saddam is a threat to the U.S. and our allies." ("Face the Nation" on Sept. 29, 2002)

"I think Saddam must be disarmed." (Associated Press, Feb. 5, 2003)

Dean: "Now we're stuck there, because there was no serious threat to the United States from Saddam Hussein…” (debate, Durham, N.H., Dec. 9, 2003)

Dean: "I never said Saddam was a danger to the United States, ever." (Dec. 10 news conference in Concord, N.H.)

Dean: "I'm not against attacking Saddam Hussein" (news conference, Sept. 19, 2002)

Dean: "I opposed the Iraq war when everyone else up here was for it" (Debate, Jan 4)

Dean: "It's conceivable we would have to act unilaterally [in Iraq]." (Des Moines Register)

Dean: "Why do we have to do everything in a unilateral way? It's not good for the future of the foreign policy of this country…” ("Face the Nation," Sept. 29, 2002)

Dean: "We clearly have to defend the United States, and if we must do so unilaterally, we will." ("Face the Nation," Sept. 29, 2002)

Dean: "I disagree with unilateral war." (“PBS Newshour”)

On Capture of Saddam Hussein

Dean: “This is a great day for the Iraqi people, the U.S., and the international community.” (Dean statement)

Dean: “The capture of Saddam has not made America safer.” (Dean speech to Pacific Council)

Should Osama receive the death penalty of life sentence in prison?

Dean: “I still have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials.” (interview with Concord Monitor)

Dean: “…as an American, I want to make sure he gets the death penalty he deserves.” (phone interview with AP)

Race in America

Dean: “Here are also a very significant number of folks in this state to whom it [the confederate flag] is a symbol of oppression and slavery.” (Charleston Post)

Dean: "I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." (Des Moines Register)

Dean: "Dealing with race is about educating white folks…." (Boston Globe)

Dean: "I am tired of being divided by race in this country." (CNN "Rock The Vote" Democratic Debate Nov 5, 2003)

Medicare And Social Security

Dean: "The way to balance the budget is for Congress to cut Social Security, move the retirement age to 70, cut defense, Medicare and veterans pensions, while the states cut almost everything else." (Newhouse News)

Dean: "I have never favored Social Security retirement at the age of 70, nor do I favor one of 68." (debate, Aug. 5, 2003)

Dean: "I also would entertain taking the retirement age to 68." (Meet the Press, June 2003)

Death Penalty

Dean: "I don't support the death penalty for two reasons. One, you might have the wrong guy, and, two, the state is like a parent. Parents who smoke cigarettes can't really tell their children not to smoke and be taken seriously. If a state tells you not to murder people, a state shouldn't be in the business of taking people's lives." (Slate.com)

Dean: “…The death penalty would be a just punishment for certain, especially heinous crimes, such as the murder of a child or the murder of a police officer. The events of Sept. 11 convinced me that terrorists also deserve the ultimate punishment.” (Statement, June 2003)

Middle East Peace Approach

Dean: "We have to stop terrorism before peace negotiations" (Forward)

Dean: "[I don't] believe stopping the terror has to be a prerequisite for talking." (CNN)

Any Final Thoughts

Dean: “Trying to have it both ways demonstrates neither strong leadership nor good judgment.” (Boston Globe)

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