More on Kerry/Woodruff attack

CNN's debate transcript is online, so I thought I'd append my post from last night. Here is the exchange in question:
WOODRUFF: Governor Dean, before you sit down, I've just been handed a document. I think it came out of the press room that Senator Kerry's staff has been distributing some comments about what was said. Among other things they are saying that you, Governor Dean, tried to kick Vermont seniors off their prescription drug plan. That's relevant to what you were just saying here, so do you want to respond to that?
DEAN: Does that go along with the fact that I'm just like Newt Gingrich, too, and I tried to undo Medicare.
That's silly, of course. What I did try to do was get a cigarette tax past the Republican House. They wouldn't pass them. I told them if they didn't pass a cigarette tax to pay for our health care program, then they wouldn't be able to fund seniors' prescriptions. They passed the cigarette tax, as I knew they would.
WOODRUFF: Senator Kerry, what about that?
KERRY: Well, it's not silly. It's what he did. I mean, it's sad. But he in fact, in order to balance his budget, terminated -- called for the full termination of what was called the V-Script program, and also turned to seniors and made prescription drugs more expensive for them in order to balance the budget.
Now, that's a fact. I didn't raise this, and I didn't know they were saying that, and it's sort of separate from where we were.

Senator Kerry doesn't even realise what's going on in his own war room? Sheesh. Once again, let me reiterate that this was a dirty trick on the part of Kerry/Woodruff, but it was good for Dean. He needs to demonstrate that he can think on his feet and respond to these types of attacks. I am satisfied with his answer. He forced the legislature in Vermont into enacting a cigarette tax that would make medicaid solvent and preserve health care benefits. In this action, he demonstrated leadership and gravitas, two qualities I admire in a President. Dean fought hard for health care in his state, and for someone like Kerry - who has never delivered health care - to belittle Dean's record or accuse him of kicking seniors off health care, well that's just disgusting and disingenuous. Any questions? I'm happy to answer them if any come up...

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