Posted on 05/15/2003 11:26:39 AM PDT by lilylangtree
SEATTLE--Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean likes President Bush as a person, he said Wenesday, "But his policies I can't stand."
The former governor of Vermont roused a crowd of more than 1,000 in Seattle to several standing ovations by blasting Bush's economic and domestic policies. He spoke to supporters after raising money and meeting with top state Democratic leaders.
"I'll make you proud to be Democrats again," Dean told the crowd on Wednesday night. Dean said he thinks the administration's policy in Iraq will "come back to bite us."
"If the president thinks our troops will be out in 18 months, he is smoking something he forgot about when he was at Yale," the former governor said. Dean, like Bush, is a Yale graduate.
Dean made a nme for himself nationally with his strong opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. He is one of nine candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to challenge Bush in 2004.
Earlier this week Dean, who is also a medical doctor, proposed an $88.3 billion plan to provide health coverage for all Americans up to age 25 and slash tax breaks for corporations that don't provide health insurance to workers.
After his speech, he told reporters that his health care proposal differs from the failed Clinton plan because it builds on existing federal systems rather than making drastic changes.
"Nobody has to change insurance companies if they don't want to," he said. "Nobody has to change doctors if they don't want to. It's not going to look any different to the consumer."
Asked about globalization and trade, Dean said he believes the United States should tie labor and environmental standards to trade in agreements such as the NAFTA.
"I think other countries would do it, because now they're in the tent, they've got a lot to lose," Dean said.
Bringing countries into "the tent" also came up in Dean's discussion of North Korea's nuclear threat. He said the United States should resume food and fuel aid--diplomatically recognize North Korea--in exchange for that country's allowing weapons inspectors to enter. Diplomatic recognition will pay off, Dean said.
"We'll have more leverage over their behavior when they're in the tent than when they're out of the tent," he said.
Dean also spoke strongly in support of affirmative action, and harshly criticized Bush's support for Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a Republican who compared homosexual behavior to incest or polygamy.
"I am tired of being divided by race," Dean said. "I am tired of being divided by gender. I am tired of being divided by income, sexual orientation, religion."
Dean's ideas appealed to Jim Halfaker of Seattle, a retired minister and development officer.
"The kinds of things he's said make me happy to be an American again," said Halfaker, a longtime Democrat. "This guy's a fresh voice. He feels like a stronger candidate than bill Bradley, just personality-wise."
A: If I's gonna be impotent, I'se gonna look impotent..
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I also think Bush's economic and domestic policies are hidious, But I don;t thinks the Democrats and the left's are any more relevant.
My thoughts exactly. Dean probably isn't left enough for the commies in Seattle. Boy, I hate living in Western Washington when I think about the politics of the area.
Actually, the opposite is true as we have found out.
OMG I just said almost the same thing today in another post! Great minds think alike! :-)
...He hopes.
As I posted on a similar thread earlier, Dean (along with other Democrats) offer no alternatives to Bush's policies -- no viable alternatives. They simply criticize. No Democrat can hope to get elected who bases his campaign on criticisim. The American people will not vote for a candidate on negativity alone. Voters need to have a positive reason to vote for someone, and the Democrats seems to be devoid of constructive alternatives. Also, voters are going to turn against anyone who so obviously wishes ill, yet Democrats clearly yearn for something disasterous to fall on the US during Bush's tenure in office.
First of all, people up to age 25 are the ones who need medical coverage least (they are not terribly prone to serious illness until they're older). Second, note the coercive nature of the democrat - using taxation as a tool to force private corporations to do what they (the control-freak dems) want them to do.
If you want health benefits, get a job at a company that offers them. If you can't get a job at such a company, deal with it (get private insurance - which by the way, would not cost nearly as much if it weren't for all of the mandatory coverages required by the politicians). Sorry socialists, but if a private company does not wish to provide benefits, that's their business.
I think this shows that Dean really is a socialist.
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