Posted on 06/07/2005 7:58:06 PM PDT by Libloather
House Dems stoke the fire
By Josephine Hearn
House Democratic leaders yesterday distanced themselves from Howard Dean’s fiery rhetoric, saying that the outspoken Democratic Party chairman’s recent controversial statements do not speak for them.
Their comments echoed Sen. Joseph Biden (Del.) and former senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards (N.C.), who took issue over the weekend with Dean’s recent statement that “a lot of [Republicans] have never made an honest living in their lives.”
Dean’s penchant for harsh rhetoric has drawn criticism several times already since he took the helm of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in February.
Last month, he suggested that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who has been rebuked several times by the House ethics committee, “ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence.” DeLay has not been charged with a crime.
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) yesterday said Dean was not speaking on behalf of the party when he made those comments.
“I don’t agree with those comments, and I share the view expressed by Mr. Edwards,” Hoyer said in response to a question from The Hill at his weekly press briefing. “I don’t think they express the views of our party… and I think probably, upon reflection, they don’t express … Mr. Dean’s views. I think they were overstated.”
“I think the party spokesmen are [Senate Minority Leader] Harry Reid [Nev.] and [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi [Calif.], [Senate Minority Whip] Dick Durbin [Ill.], myself, chairs of the committees, the governors. ... They are the people who have been elected to make policy,” Hoyer said. “My belief is the party chair’s job is to organize the party to support policymakers and the policies they promote.”
A spokeswoman for Dean, Karen Finney, was not immediately available for comment. Finney told The Washington Post on Monday that Dean “is a voice of the party, not the only voice. We have different voices in our party. But we are all committed to rebuilding our party and getting our country back on track.”
Hoyer supported one of Dean’s rivals, former Rep. Martin Frost (Texas), in the race for DNC chairman earlier this year.
Pelosi also disagreed with Dean’s recent remarks, according to her spokeswoman, Jennifer Crider.
But she said Dean is “doing a phenomenal job at organizing and getting infrastructure in place.”
Although Dean enjoys a reputation as a strong grassroots organizer who was the first to tap successfully into Internet fundraising, his unpredictable remarks have the potential to detract from the party’s message, some Democrats said.
“He’s so passionate, and that’s what makes him attractive. He goes up to the line. His enthusiasm gets the best of him; then he backs off for a while. It’s not a negative thing unless it becomes a distraction,” a Democratic aide said. “In the longer scheme of things, so long as he is doing the primary work of the DNC, it’s fine.”
One House Democrat, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), rose to Dean’s defense Monday, calling for unity within the party and encouraging him to continue to speak out.
“Chairman Howard Dean deserves our undivided support from the Democratic Party. Now is a time for us to be united in our efforts and speak directly to the people,” Jackson Lee said. “I believe that Chairman Howard Dean emulates [core Democratic] values, and should continue to work diligently to spread our message.”
Dean faces other problems besides criticism of his rhetoric. DNC fundraising in the first four months of 2005 lagged behind the Republican National Committee by a margin of $24 million. The Republicans raised $42.6 million to the Democrats’ $18.6 million.
Three top DNC fundraisers recently resigned, The Hill reported yesterday, prompting concern in some Democratic circles that Dean’s fundraising operation is troubled.
No comment from the RAT spokeswomen of the RAT spokesperson. Maybe they've run out of things to say...
Like RATs fleeing a sinking ship...
Contrast their lack of action on Dean with their sabotage of Bolton.
I can remember when Kerry said that hate-filled Hollywood represented American values.
Deans days are numbered.
How funny. If this was the Republican party, that would be the lead; the headline would be "Three Top Fundraisers Quit; Republican Fundraising in Disarray".
They're all lunatics, anyway. Biden, Pelosi, and Edwards are just as nutty as Dr. Dean.
Then we can expect him to be fired tomorrow? I didn't think so.
As Dem Chairman he speaks for the Party, as Mehlman speaks for the Republican Party. I'm going to be a broken record on this Dems. Everytime one of you says he doesn't speak for you, going to remind he does. Just as Terry did.
Every Day he is your Chair is another day you approved of Dean slamming Christians and blue collar Republican voters. If you should ditch him before election it'll be political opportunism, not because you were appalled by his statements. We'll toss that anchor on your necks as well.
I wonder if Dean is upset by all this negativity coming from his party members?
We can only hope he keeps right on keeping on. We couldn't have wished for a better DNC Chairperson.
The only way it could have been better is if they gave Albore the job.
Cynthia McKinney would be a nice replacement.
"He played on our fears!!!!"
It is particularly delightful to watch old tough talkin' Howie getting slapped by other Dems. The proverbial "win/win" situation. The moonbats that Dean depends on will demand he not be muzzled. So he will either fight back and cause further division within the party, or he shuts up and sees his lunatic "base" abandon him for "selling out to the man." Either way you slice it, it means the fundraising isn't going to be getting better for the Dems anytime soon.
It wasn't that long ago that Howie was going for the head RAT spot. Are we just pawns on Hillery's chessboard?
Right. The 'kick and scream' left already gave the max to Dean's doomed effort last year. I doubt if they are still true believers enough to bleed more green for Dean.
As for the big money, even liberals like Soros don't like to push money uphill. If Dean continues to alienate the mainstream, it will sound to me more and more like a PLOT! -- a plot by Soros/Moveon to wreck the Dem party so they can create an outright socialist party, like they have in those sophisticated European countries.
(I am only half joking here. Or maybe they are setting the stage for 'mainstream' Hillary to grab control of the party and save it from extremists... )
The ONLY reason that the Democrats are distancing themselves from Dean is that his efforts at fund-raising are not working. If Dean came out and accused Bush of having sex with his daughters and moeny started coming in these same putrid Rats would be saying there needed to be an investigation into Bushes incest...
Screw them to the wall I say...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.