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.
Well, if the chairman of the DNC doesn't speak for them, who does?
'Rat Senators like Robert Byrd and Teddy Kennedy say things that are just as extreme as what Dean has been saying...have any of these characters made a point of distancing themselves from comments by Byrd or Kennedy?
[Senators like Robert Byrd and Teddy Kennedy say things that are just as extreme as what Dean has been saying.]
That may be attributable to Alzheimer's and alcohol, respectively. :^)
Ah ha...a reasoned, stable and moderate voice in support of Dean.
{/sarcasm}
You're right. Fat Al is a good second choice.
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