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Senate Democrats rally around embattled Dean / Some leading Democrats now screaming — at Dean
Boston Globe ^ | 6/10/05 | Rick Klein, TOM RAUM

Posted on 06/10/2005 7:59:28 PM PDT by Libloather

Senate Democrats rally around embattled Dean
Vow to remain united behind party chairman
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
June 10, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats staged a public display of support yesterday for the Democratic National Committee chairman, Howard Dean, vowing to stay united in pushing the party's agenda in the GOP-controlled Congress.

With Dean under fire for a series of controversial characterizations of Republicans, Harry Reid, the Senate minority leader, said Dean had simply misspoken, though Dean himself brushed aside that characterization.

''As all of you know, that there isn't a single person, whether it's any of us in this room or Governor Dean or [Republican National Committee chairman Ken] Mehlman, that haven't misspoken," Reid, Democrat of Nevada, said at a news conference at the Capitol, with Dean at his side. ''We're here today to talk about the American people. We're talking about common-sense reform for issues that they care about."

When Dean was asked a few moments later whether he had indeed misspoken, he declined to answer directly.

**SNIP**

Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, said yesterday that she is trying to arrange a time for Dean to address Democratic House members in the near future. She said it is important for party leaders to strategize privately on how best to present their message. ''I don't associate myself with his comments," said Pelosi, Democrat of California. ''[But] if Governor Dean were not being effective, they would not be going after him so strongly. . . . Any one of us, at any given time, may say something that might not be acceptable to another part of the party."

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 109th; chairmandean; dean; democrats; dnc; embattled; howard; rally; rats; screaming; senate
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Some leading Democrats now screaming — at Dean
By TOM RAUM
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — When Howard Dean opens his mouth, Democrats cringe — and Republicans pounce.

His depictions of Republicans as "pretty much a white, Christian party,'' with many who "never made an honest living,'' have prompted top Democrats to beseech him to cool his rhetoric. They also have questioned how much more the party will take from its volatile chairman.

Defenders dismiss it all as just Howard Dean being Howard Dean.

After all, remember the Dean "scream'' after the Iowa primary? His political courtship of "the guys with Confederate flags on their pickup trucks''? His recent suggestion that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay return to Houston to serve jail time?

Dean's enthusiasm — the same he demonstrated in his 2004 presidential campaign — is helping to energize the party's core, his supporters say. But critics suggested Wednesday that Dean's darts are threatening fundraising and may be driving away the GOP moderates and independents the party needs to court as it rebuilds from its 2004 defeats.

Dean's "white Christian'' remarks have drawn sharp criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike.

"That's not the way you distinguish someone's politics,'' said Dick Harpootlian, former South Carolina Democratic chairman. "It forces us to distance ourselves from him.''

GOP Party Chairman Ken Mehlman joked that "a lot of folks who attended my Bar Mitzvah would be surprised'' he heads a Christian party.

Leading Democrats, including some with their eye on the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, are increasingly vocal in their criticism of the former Vermont governor's choice of words — while praising him as a party organizer.

Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards said Dean didn't speak for them. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, in New Hampshire on Wednesday, called Dean's comments "ill-advised.''

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters she disagreed with Dean's line on Republicans, saying, "I don't think (it) was a helpful statement.''

When such high-profile Democrats make such comments publicly, "that to me is a pretty clear message that the party leadership would like a change in focus from the party chairman,'' said Democratic consultant Doug Schoen, who did polling for President Clinton.

"I think it's a question of priorities,'' Schoen said.

Dean said Wednesday that Republican attacks on him were intended to divert attention from the country's problems and make him the issue instead. He refused to back down from his remarks on Republicans, saying the GOP "unfortunately, by and large'' was as he described it.

"And they have the agenda of the conservative Christians,'' Dean told NBC's "Today'' show, ignoring the fact that much of the recent criticism has come from fellow Democrats, not Republicans.

Dean is "the loose canon on the deck of the Democratic Party,'' said James Thurber, an American University political scientist. "He doesn't have the discipline many in the party wish he had.''

His remarks, together with caustic comments about President Bush by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., are souring Americans on politicians and "getting in the way of what the Democrats are trying to do,'' Thurber said.

Dean told a political forum Monday that Republicans are "not very friendly to different kinds of people, they are a pretty monolithic party ... it's pretty much a white, Christian party.''

Last week, he told liberal activists, "A lot of them (Republicans) have never made an honest living in their lives.'' He later said he was talking mostly about GOP leaders.

The torrent of criticism from Republicans, and some Democrats, just shows that Dean "is held to different standards'' than other party leaders because of his high public profile and well-known personality traits, said Kathleen Sullivan, New Hampshire Democratic Party chief.

"Howard's been raising money, energizing the troops, organizing the party. Is he passionate? Yes. But I'd rather have someone who is blunt and passionate,'' Sullivan said.

Despite concerns of some Democrats that Dean doesn't have the polished fundraising skills of his predecessor, Terry McAuliffe, Dean outraised McAuliffe in the first three months of 2005 compared with the first quarter of 2003, the last off-election year: $13.8 million to $8.4 million. However, Dean's team is drawing on the benefits of an improved database of donors McAuliffe put together.

While Dean's job doesn't seem to be in any immediate jeopardy, Republicans have been having a field day with his verbal grenades.

"Last week's scandal was Deep Throat. This week's scandal was Dean's throat and apparently Dean likes the taste of his own foot,'' said Ron Bonjean, a spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

Said former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler: "If Republicans get mad at what Howard Dean says, that's probably a pretty good sign.''

http://www.dhonline.com/articles/2005/06/09/news/nation/nat02.txt

1 posted on 06/10/2005 7:59:30 PM PDT by Libloather
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To: Libloather
[But] if Governor Dean were not being effective, they would not be going after him so strongly. . .

Hey, I'm all for Dean!! He deserves our strong, wholehearted support!

I love him, and he has the right to speak for the DNC!


2 posted on 06/10/2005 8:08:30 PM PDT by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: Libloather
To prove that Dean was not "just talking about GOP leaders" when he said a lot of them have not worked an honest day in their life, simply point out the context--Dean was saying that voting in one day only might be good enought for Republican voters because a lot of them have not worked an honest day in their life; but Democrat voters have to go to work and it is simply too inconvenient for them to vote if Election Day is only one day.

Hmmmmm! What king of doctor was he????

3 posted on 06/10/2005 8:08:43 PM PDT by ontos-on
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To: Libloather

A small simple minded person that really should be pitied in any other situation


4 posted on 06/10/2005 8:08:53 PM PDT by Archon of the East ("universal executive power of the law of nature")
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To: Libloather
I realize how paranoid this sounds, but I'm starting to think this guy is just giving cover to Hillary. Dean keeps the base happy by throwing them red meat, it's easy to make Hillary look moderate in comparison... and about January 2008, Dean endorses the Hillary/Obama ticket.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I can't help thinking Dean just can't be this stupid. He's been hired by the DLC as a zoo keeper.

5 posted on 06/10/2005 8:09:03 PM PDT by Starve The Beast (I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused)
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To: Libloather

''I don't associate myself with his comments," said Pelosi, Democrat of California. ''[But] if Governor Dean were not being effective, they would not be going after him so strongly."

Wrong, Bug Eyes. If Dean was sane, there wouldn't be anything to go after him with.


6 posted on 06/10/2005 8:10:17 PM PDT by RedRover
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To: ontos-on
CORRECTION ----

Hmmmmm! What kind of doctor was he????

7 posted on 06/10/2005 8:10:39 PM PDT by ontos-on
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To: Starve The Beast

As one who lives in the communist dominate Cleveland Ohio I can say this, he speaks for the base.

He may run off all the swing voters but he speaks for the base.


8 posted on 06/10/2005 8:10:52 PM PDT by NeoCaveman (June 14th Defeat a Dewine. OH-2 www.gobrinkman.com)
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To: Libloather

Howie Dean, Howie Dean
I know just what you mean
Howie Dean, you said it all so clean
And I know the Dems would win again
If they could just hear you scream


9 posted on 06/10/2005 8:14:10 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Libloather
I see the news media's still trying to convince us that Dean's "under fire" from the Democratic leadership.

He isn't. The entire party would like to say what he's saying, and everyone knows it.

10 posted on 06/10/2005 8:14:33 PM PDT by Reactionary
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To: bill1952

11 posted on 06/10/2005 8:17:01 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Libloather
Said former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler: "If Republicans get mad at what Howard Dean says, that's probably a pretty good sign.''

Who is mad at what he says? We're laughing at him.

12 posted on 06/10/2005 8:17:17 PM PDT by paudio (Four More Years..... Let's Use Them Wisely...)
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To: Libloather

They are angry at Dean for distracting the media from DeLay.


13 posted on 06/10/2005 8:23:24 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: paudio

The Dem Party is so far gone, even their leaders have got no clue. Dean is the best they can come up with. And he's better than Fowler.


14 posted on 06/10/2005 8:25:33 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Libloather

"[But] if Governor Dean were not being effective, they would not be going after him so strongly."

Pelosi is even more stupid than Dean.


15 posted on 06/10/2005 8:26:58 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Libloather
...former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler ...

Now there is a good person to use as a reputable source. Fowler was the Co-bagman in 1996 with Senator DUD (D-CT) who accepted the illegal foreign campaign contributions. However, Senator DUD got a pass because he was a member of the Bob and Billie Club (formerly U.S. Senate).
16 posted on 06/10/2005 8:27:40 PM PDT by leprechaun9
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To: Libloather
There's no hope for these losers.

''We're here today to talk about the American people. We're talking about common-sense reform for issues that they care about."

One hardy, gut busting belly laugh from me.

17 posted on 06/10/2005 8:30:42 PM PDT by Bullish (Proudly and consistently hating the Clinton's since 1992)
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To: dubyaismypresident
He may run off all the swing voters but he speaks for the base.

I agree, that's my point: The Dems need to capture the center to win, but they can't win without the base. Solution: keep the base with Howard Dean's flying saucer rhetoric, Hillary looks moderate by comparison, and they magically come together just before Hillary declares.

Remember, Dean supporters will vote for absolutely anybody they're ordered to. The trick is to come up with some freak show to keep them distracted while Hillary makes inroads with middle America.

18 posted on 06/10/2005 8:42:52 PM PDT by Starve The Beast (I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused)
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To: Libloather
Dean has made a subtle change to the symbol of the democratic party from one of an ass being a donkey, to one of an ass being a stupid dumb-ass. Dean is appealing to the schizophrenic core of the democratic party who cannot discern the reality of the fact that american voters reject their sodomite and abominable agendas.
19 posted on 06/10/2005 8:43:15 PM PDT by mindwasp
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To: Libloather

Comeon RATS, he's the best "Leader" ya had since Pat Paulson. The folks in the red states love it, the comedy. Be careful SNL don't steal him from you.


20 posted on 06/10/2005 8:58:07 PM PDT by Waco
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