Free Republic

WASHINGTON - With deposed dictator Saddam Hussein now in captivity, front-running Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is faced with intensified pressures to sustain his anti-war posture. His declaration that Americans are "no safer" with the Iraqi dictator a prisoner has brought the other Democratic hopefuls down on him like a swarm of locusts. The comment brushes aside the possibility that Mr. Hussein in custody could loosen many Iraqi tongues heretofore locked in silence, producing useful intelligence against those continuing to fight.

<p>In a recent speech at Georgetown University, Howard Dean unveiled his economic plan, calling it "Reclaiming the American Dream." Since its centerpiece is a complete repeal of the Bush tax cuts, the plan amounts to a gigantic tax increase. And let there be no mistake: Mr. Dean's claims to the contrary, "Reclaiming the American Dream" will result in a huge tax increase on child-rearing working families. How ironic it is that one of Mr. Dean's "clear objectives" is to "[r]elieve the crushing burdens on American families." Contrary to the details of his schemes, he also claims his program "will strive for greater tax fairness for middle-class working families."</p>

By Susan Page and Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY WASHINGTON ? Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean accused Republicans on Thursday of running up the federal budget deficit so they can undermine the fiscal underpinnings of Medicare and Social Security. "I think their principal motivation is to undo the pillars of the New Deal, particularly Medicare and Social Security, by making the budget deficit so big that those programs can't be sustained," he said at a lunch with USA TODAY and the Gannett News Service.