Posted on 11/01/2006 7:08:16 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
The chairman of the Democratic National Committee leaped to the defense of the party's 2004 presidential nominee Wednesday against charges that he was insulting American troops serving in Iraq.
Howard Dean, in comments to reporters in his home state, said Sen. John Kerry had committed "a blooper," but the reaction had given Democrats an opportunity to highlight what they describe as the Republicans' weaknesses on the Iraq war.
"Kerry made a blooper. Bloopers happen," Dean said at the state party's campaign headquarters.
"I think we want to focus on the president's intemperate rhetoric in saying to vote for a Democrat is a vote to help the terrorists win," Dean said. "That's clearly untrue and that's exactly the reason why President Bush is a failed president."
The Republican National Committee shot back, accusing Dean and Kerry of disparaging the military. "Howard Dean's defense of John Kerry's shameful comments is sadly indicative of Democrats refusal to defend the integrity of our military," RNC spokesman Aaron McLear said in an e-mail. "Democrats have an opportunity to stand up for our troops but they instead are either justifying Kerry's comments or staying silent while accepting his money. Either way they are showing voters exactly what they think of our brave men and women in uniform."
Kerry got caught up in charges and countercharges with the president for saying earlier in the week when he told California students that if they did not do well on their school work they were likely to "get stuck in Iraq."
The Massachusetts senator has since said he was attempting to deliver a joke about the president but "botched" it.
"Of course I'm sorry about a botched joke. You think I love botched jokes?" Kerry said during an appearance on Don Imus' nationally syndicated radio program. "I mean, you know, it's pretty stupid."
Dean predicted during his own news conference that, if the election were held today, Democrats would win a majority in the House and would come close in the Senate. The only open question in the Senate, he said, was whether Democrat Claire McCaskill would defeat incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Talent in Missouri.
Democrats also are likely to pick up between four and six governors' offices, Dean said.
The president's unpopularity is a big part of the reason that Democrats are surging in the final week of the campaign, Dean said, comparing Bush to Richard Nixon.
"I think there's a lot of similarities between Nixon and Agnew and Bush and Cheney," Dean said. "They're both using the IRS for political purposes. They're both spying on people they don't like and not just terrorists, but also American citizens. Neither one of them particularly believes in judicial rights. They've both been dishonest with the American people."
Democrats will not try to even the score if they win control of the Congress, Dean said.
"I think what the American people want for us is to be pulled back together again and given hope again," he said. "You can't do that if you spend all your time trying to impeach the president."
Dean, who vied with Kerry for the presidential nomination in 2004, repeatedly sought to refocus the attention on Bush's remarks about Democrats and he rejected denunciations of Kerry's remarks by Republicans and even some Democrats.
"The voters want change. Change does not mean the voters like terrorists," Dean said. "He's (Bush is) out there using outrageous rhetoric and I think he'll be punished for it."
Dean's lips are moving. That means he's screaming or he's lying! No other option at all.
I laugh out loud considering what Governor Dean did with that infamous scream at the Iowa caucuses back in early 2004....
Kerry IS a blooper
Apparently, "did a boo-boo" failed to focus test well...
Howard Dean is a blooper himself, so he should know.
He was going to say Kerry "pulled a boner" - but became concerned that the right-wing terror machine might consider it a reference to Clinton/Lewinsky.
Something tells me that a lot of Democrats think their party committed a blooper by allowing these two to be mentioned in the same sentence.
He's awfully charitable, isn't he, when it comes to Skerry? How about ol' screamer applying that forgiveness to Pres. Bush? These dems always have excuses for their behavior, but absolutely none for people who are doing things for honorable reasons.
Uh huh.... only if pigs fly.
It's a Marie Antoinette kind of mind. Kerry has nothing but contempt for the people who join the military. In his view, the soldiers are uncultured rednecks who join the military only because there are no other avenues open to them. He thinks he is aristocracy whereas they are peasants. To him, the soldiers (or middle-class American people for that matter) are just tools to be made use of to further his own political ambitions.
"And furthermore, AAARRREEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
It's beautiful. Dean just single-handedly kept this scandal in the news cycle for another day instead of letting it die.
Suddenly he doesn't look like a maniacal stooge. He just looks like a stooge.
"Dean's spirits have to been raised over this whole botched affair...for if Kerry had not come along, and the Dems failed to take congress, Dean would be the fallguy. Now its Kerry."
Excellent point! Dean now must worry only about Arkancide, since the clintoons didn't want him as dnc head anyway. It's going to be fun watching him get fired, though. I don't think the rats are going to want to keep Pelosi, Reid and Dean around once they bite the dust next week.
Oh, duh! *slapping self upside da head* It was for the blooper reel, Politics Funniest Home Bloopers. Of course!
Funny how this is never said about Republicans' (inoffensive) mishaps. "Dan Quayle spelled 'potato' wrong. It was just a blooper. Bloopers happen."
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
Christian news and commentary at: sacredscoop.com ...
They are living in the past.
Kerry was just being himself. Clumsy, mindless, heartless, stupid, arrogant, repugnant, and elitist.
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