Nation-Building

On a lighter note, the Boston Globe reports that the Kerry/Dean competition is even heating up among celebrities:

Rock 'n' roll is known for its ''battle of the bands,'' but 2004 presidential politics may trigger a battle within a band. Senator John F. Kerry has enjoyed the support of Stephen Stills, of Crosby, Stills & Nash fame, as he has campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination. Stills even got off his sickbed last month to sing at a Kerry fund-raiser in San Francisco. Last night the other two-thirds of the band, David Crosby and Graham Nash, were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to attend a reception on behalf of Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont and a rival for the DemocratiS&c nomination. Kerry was making his own campaign appearance in Cedar Rapids yesterday, and when he returned to his hotel, he found the hotel driveway blocked by a van bearing a Dean bumper sticker. It was waiting for Nash and Crosby to come out of the lobby. The split allegiances prompted one Kerry aide to make reference to the band's former member, Neil Young. ''I guess the fight is to see who can get Young,'' the aide said.

Continue reading/discuss Split Ticket: CSN split over Kerry, Dean ...

OK, OK... so this is the Washington Post, not really a GOP staffer or scribe. Still, this storyline is emerging, and it's safe to say it's probably not by accident. The GOP would love to simply pigeon-hole Dean as the "pacifist" candidate... a true dove... Which he really is not. This is a testament to Dean's emerging status as a major contender in the Democratic primaries. Basically, the GOP is already so worried about Dean that they're planting the over-simplified version of Dean's position on the war in Iraq with reporters. Today's Washington Post had this analysis:

"Republicans vs. Democrats: The GOPers want to paint the Dems as the party of Howard Dean, weak on national defense, compared to a Republican president who has now whipped two despotic regimes. The Democrats' liberal wing says Bushie, Rummy & Wolfy used the anger over 9/11 to demonize the Iraqi regime as part of a grand plan to take out Syria and Iran as well – and besides, the economy still stinks."

I hope that the Democrats are the party of Howard Dean because not only is he right on the war in Iraq, but he's been saying for months that America must engage (not ignore) North Korea. When North Korea goes nuclear on this President's watch it will be a huge trump card for the Democrats next year.

What all the pundits and the journalists (and, of course the right wing) miss in all this is that "being strong" doesn't mean you go around bombing third rate powers. This war is the equivalent of the NFL playing the pee-wee league, and the Bush administration knows it. Dean has clearly outlined a strong multilateral foreign policy, and a strong defense policy that reserves the right to use force. I will sleep much better at night knowing that Dean is in the White House.

Letters to the editor at the Washington Post may be directed to: Letters@washpost.com

Continue reading/discuss GOP Already Gunning for Dean ...

Another milestone: Dean, at 13808 members. This beats the next group (witches: 13630) by 178 people - and still growing! Kerry: 802, Edwards: 529. Unsurprisingly, Gary Hart has been growing as well, with 745 members.

Gary Hart leads in growth over the past 7 days, at 47%. Dean follows at 26% and then Kerry, at 15% - the same as Sean Hannity :P All three (and Hannity too) are in Meetup's Top 25 fastest growing groups.

Continue reading/discuss Dean is king of the Meetup hill ...

A short piece from CBS news mentions that Terry McAuliffe has explicitly asked all teh Dem Candidates to "play nice" - while it's obvious that Kerry is the main offender, the article focuses more on Dean. This is problematic - probably because Dean is so outspoken, that there is a conventional wisdom building that he is the most prone to go on the offensive. It bears watching.

Dean himself is quoted and defends himself ably:

"I don't think I have said anything personal," said Dean. "I think the only personal remarks were made by some campaign aides for Senator Kerry. I don't think there is anything personal about disagreeing with someone's positions or lack of positions."

Continue reading/discuss play nice ...

This is the first article I've seen that directly compares Dean to Clinton in terms of his strengths at reaching out to a diverse range of people. The article discusses how Dean is at east in both the big city environment as well as the rural and suburban scene - mainly due to his ownn diverse background:

Like Bill Clinton, who could both hobnob in Hollywood and feel right at home playing cards and chatting with local folks in the small towns and on the back roads of Arkansas, Dean is at ease hiking the Long Trail in Vermont and navigating the subways and streets of New York.
...
Dean's diverse background helps him in many ways: His career as a doctor lends credibility when he talks about health care; his years as chief executive of a state allows him to say that he has balanced a budget; his life in Vermont gives him credibility when he speaks about the environment.

And Dean's ability to straddle the worlds of Vermont and New York City will serve him well: His experience campaigning one-on-one in Vermont will bolster his efforts in Iowa and New Hampshire while his New York upbringing will help him in the big states and with the big-money donors.

Continue reading/discuss Howard Dean at ease in big city ...

Hey Meetup organizers,

the Meetup crew has offered to assist in getting local media coverage for Dean meetups. The benefits of increased press attention are obvious - increase Dean's exposure, especially in the context of his emergent grass- and net-root support base. Myles from Meetup.com writes:

In short, we can help drive local media coverage for those so inclined to actively pursue press attention. Internally, we're already in hot pursuit, but with an active 'street team' of ad-hoc publicists in 100s of cities and small towns, the impact of the messaging can be that much greater.

If folks would like email me with their locations, I can try to send them some top-line media contacts in their areas.

You can reach Myles via email at press@meetup.com

Continue reading/discuss meetups: local media ...

Look for a flood of influential Democratic party endorsements for Howard Dean. Already on the books: Judith Hope, former New York Democratic Chair, former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts, and current Sec. of State Bill Bradbury. Now, a major coup, former Lt. Gov. Donald Beyer - a major player in Virginia politics, and a generous party donor - has agreed to become Dean's campaign Treasurer.

Keep your eyes peeled for other endorsements in your area, and let the rest of us know about them. Dean's national networking abilities and stint as former NGA Chair are holding him in good stead. This again, is one reason people underestimate him. He's not just a local pol from a small state... he actually has a large, influential network through Democratic Governors.

Continue reading/discuss Former Virginia Lt. Governor Endorses Dean, Becomes Campaign Treasurer ...

From the Washington Times comes this assessment of Sen. John Kerry's sudden change of tactics as he moves from his usual position of restraint on the war and the administration to attack mode - in a vain, and thinly disguised attempt to cut into Gov. Dean's growing support:

"The locals in New Hampshire are pondering changes in Sen. John Kerry as he switches from "honorable restraint to barbs that drip vitriol" in his race against fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean, according to a Laconia Citizen editorial yesterday.

Mr. Kerry is after the "anti-war crowd that forms the base of the former Vermont governor's support," the paper noted.
"Is this the same John Kerry we thought we knew — the honorable veteran of the Vietnam War who had pledged two weeks ago to dull his criticism of the Bush administration after the war started in the interest of promoting national unity?

"Fine words, but apparently hollow words that shift with the political winds. Kerry has taken the role of an opportunist who won't allow principle to get in the way of telling some people what they want to hear in an effort to gain votes. And if Kerry were elected president, would the U.N. delegates trust a man who talks from both sides of his mouth?"'

Editorial Note: This probably isn't the kind of press in New Hampshire that his campaign aides envisioned when they adopted this new strategy.

Continue reading/discuss John, We Hardly Knew Ye... ...

Dean Campaign Director Joe Trippi has been pointing out lately that the "Howard Dean in 2004" Meet-up total for Boston, the heart of Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign and the city in which the Democratic nominee will be named, dwarfs the "John Kerry in 2004" total there. We at the not-official DeanBlog, being more free to poke fun and gloat (good-naturedly, of course) than the official Dean Call to Action Blog, bring you the following totals from Meetup.com on the state of the "net-roots" campaign for each candidate. All numbers are accurate as of the timestamp for this post.

Trippi is right about Boston -- Dean, with 524 members, is the single most popular Meet-up topic there, with twice as many people signed up as the next closest topic. As of this writing, Kerry has failed to break a hundred members in his hometown, with Meet-ups for the cultish fans of the emo band Dashboard Confessional and knitting enthusiasts threatening to overtake him.

In Connecticut, Dean is again the most popular Meet-up topic. Both in Hartford, where Sen. Joe Lieberman lives, and in Stamford, where he grew up, "Dean in 2004" -- at 82 and 59, respectively -- has about twice as many members as the second-place topic. "Lieberman in 2004" musters only one member in each city. This puts Senator Joe below not only Kerry's total in both towns (two and four, respectively), but also a range of topics from Xena: Warrior Princess to Icelandic pop princess Björk.

In Raleigh-Durham, the locale with the most Meet-up members in North Carolina, "Dean in 2004" is at the top of the list with 162 members. Sen. John Edwards pulls in at 43, with witches (41) and the ubiquitous knitters (38) on his heels.

Rep. Dick Gephardt trails not only Dean -- again the most popular Meet-up topic in the city, with 145 members -- but Kerry and Edwards, too, in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Gephardt, with four members, finds himself tied with Tool (no relation, so far as we know) and just ahead of soapmaking.

Predictably, the four establishment candidates mentioned above find their most supporters in Washington, DC (New York City tops the "Dean in 2004" list). Yet even Dean's total in Washington (906) is more than the national total for any of the other candidates; Kerry's national total is 790, Edwards comes in at 522, Gephardt at 93, and Lieberman has 43. As of this writing "Dean in 2004" members number 13,315.

President Bush also has a Meet-up group. In Austin, Texas, where the Bush 2000 campaign was headquartered, "Bush2004" finds itself ranked below not only Dean, the most popular topic there, but also Kerry, Edwards, non-candidate Al Gore, and Gephardt, in that order. In Houston, the city with the most Meet-up members in Texas, Dean's 127 compares pretty favorably with Bush's two. That total makes Bush the 326th most popular topic there, putting Bush just below "Body Modification", but only because those subjects that are tied are ranked in alphabetical order.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many Dean supporters attending meet-ups have never been involved in a campaign before. This is significant because it means Howard Dean is not only building a campaign organization but nurturing civil society. As these numbers show, the other Democrats and the president simply aren't inspiring people in the same way.

As has been said over and over on this site and elsewhere, Meet-up is a great way to connect with other Dean supporters and get his message out. Be sure to sign up now if you haven't. If you're already a member, take a minute to tell a friend.

Continue reading/discuss Favorite Sons? ...

We will be using a phonenet service to directly reach Dean supporters with important, time sensitive text messages and voice mails on their cell phones. See our Call to Action Blog for details, or you can sign up here. This is a fantastic tool for grassroots and netroots organizing--the campaign can speak directly to you at the most critical moments.

Continue reading/discuss Join the Dean Phonenet--Receive Important Text and Voice Messages from the Campaign to your Cell ...

I really think that most pundits and politicians and journalists have trouble trying to figure Howard Dean out. Dean himself is walking a fine line between the issues and I like that strategy. What Dean is doing is taking on and evaluating every issue on its own merits. What started this train of thought of mine was this story in the Washington Post. It's about how the war has divided the Democratic party. Here's a quote:

The war in Iraq has divided and largely silenced the Democrats, leaving many of their leaders as bystanders to the conflict and their presidential candidates contending with a resurgent antiwar constituency that could drive the party farther to the left.

The war has underscored the absence of consensus among Democrats on foreign policy and national security and highlighted concern among some Democrats that, to date, no one has emerged with the experience, political stature or credibility to pull the party together to challenge President Bush on issues that will be central to the 2004 election.

Now personally, I don't happen to think this is a bad thing. The Democrats desperately need to stop marching lock-step with each other. And Howard Dean has done just that. And, not a surprise, he is the main focus of this article. His steadfast opposition to the war in Iraq has put many of the other Democratic contenders on the defensive. Here's another quote:

The strength of the antiwar left has boosted the presidential candidacy of former Vermont governor Howard Dean, a vociferous critic of going to war before it started, and it has forced candidates who supported going to war to find other ways to appeal to the party's liberal activists to prevent the once-dismissed Dean from gaining even more ground.

Well yes, much of the antiwar left have rallied around Dean but I think it's more than that; he has, or rather offers, no stock answers. As I said, he considers each question about each issue and offers a surprisingly well thought out answer. Whether it concerns gun rights or abortion rights or healthcare or the war, he doesn't fit into any neat pidgen-hole the way reporters and pundits wish he would -- that would make their jobs, and criticisms easier.

And this gift of Dean's is what had me voting for him five times. Those who know me or my blog Alphecca know my main concern in life is protecting the Second Amendment. Howard Dean has consistently agreed and governed that way. He's also a fiscal conservative (as I am) and has made the tough cuts in the state budget when they had to be made. We disagree about some issues but I defy any honest person to find a candidate they really agree with one hundred percent. Even the most die-hard Democrat must find some things they think Bush is doing right or they are the most dishonest person in the world. When I think about voting for a candidate I draw up a list of ten issues I care most about and evaluate each candidate based on that list.

Anyway, back to Dean and this article. Here's another quote:

Dean not only has attacked the president for going to war without establishing that Iraq represented an imminent threat to the United States, but also has criticized those Democrats who voted for the congressional resolution authorizing war. At party gatherings, Democratic activists have consistently given Dean their most enthusiastic applause.

Many Democrats predict that Dean's candidacy will suffer once the war ends, arguing that antiwar activists will begin to look beyond Iraq to other issues as they weigh their choices for the nomination. They also contend that the desire to defeat Bush will force the antiwar left to weigh who has the best chance of doing that.

"Right now he gets a lot of energy and a lot of support from people who are antiwar," one Democratic operative said. "It's not clear whether or not that group will stay with Dean or look to other major '04 candidates after the war in Iraq."

Dean advisers say his candidacy transcends opposition to the war and will prosper whether or not the antiwar left remains cohesive. Others say the more Dean continues to be a significant force in the nomination battle after the war, the bigger the danger for the party.

"If the war turns out to be a success, enough savvy Democratic operatives, contributors and activists will do their best to make sure the party does not nominate a Howard Dean candidate," said William Mayer of Northeastern University in Boston. "They will find somebody who will plausibly look strong enough on defense not to doom the party."

This conflict will, in various stages, be with us for the next few years. The actual war might end in a few weeks but "mopping up" and rebuilding and creating a new government will take a long time. Dean could suffer from that but I really think most folks will -- as the election draws near -- consider all that he stands for. Look, I disagree (tepidly) with his stance on the war with Iraq but when I weigh my "ten issues" with his record and his statements, I find myself liking him a lot. Granted, I agree with Bush about some issues but his "Homeland Security" legislation is an abomination and is anti-Constitutional. I'm not sure I could bring myself to vote for him again based just on that issue alone. Dean is far more attractive.

Dean is gaining momentum and gaining in the polls (he's tied with Kerry -- a politician I truly loath) and I think he will pull ahead. And this is good news for many reasons but especially because New Hampshire is the first primary and if he leads the pack there, he will have the momentum to win many more.

The Press might have a tough time figuring him out but I think most Democrats and many voters won't. Like me, they care about a lot of things and Dean comes down on the right side of most of them.

Continue reading/discuss Dean too complex for most pundits -- but hopefully not for most voters ...

Frank Rich writes in today's New York Times that Michael Moore just may have more impact as a serious/funny everyman than the so-called "liberal network" that some Hollywood types are attempting to establish to counter the Rush's, Ann Coulter's, and Sean Hannity's of the world. According to the article, Moore has struck a nerve with his commentary, his unwillingness to shrink from the "liberal" label, and his refusal to dish it out as well as the far-right. In short, he's drawn some blood. An excerpt:

To Mr. Moore, the "virtual insanity" he has provoked in "the Bill O'Reillys and others" on the right is an indication that he, unlike many of his fellow showbiz antiwar protesters, has actually drawn blood. That's a shock to the conservative system. Liberals have been so lame in battling on the mass media's turf that Democratic fat cats in February ponied up $10 million to finance a talk-show radio network that will field hosts to counter Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Yet Mr. Moore, without a talk show, may be just the lethal heat-seeking show-business weapon they have been looking for. It's telling that conservatives who deride him as a big, fat idiot sound as worried about Mr. Moore as liberals were about Mr. Limbaugh when he began his rise to superstardom.

Like Mr. Limbaugh at his least grandiose best, Mr. Moore's persona is more funny than angry, more everyman than show-biz. He is not, as he puts it, "a didactic, wimpy kind of liberal" — one of those whiners that makes audiences reach for the remote faster than you can say "Phil Donahue." Mr. Moore may not be subtle as a filmmaker or a polemicist, but the grandstanding glee of his broad strokes is precisely what makes him succeed as a showman. "Bowling for Columbine," with its wild (and sometimes dubious) leaps of logic and Kubrickesque juxtapositions of grim content (carnage-filled newsreels) with humorous trappings (Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World") makes a seemingly shopworn liberal gripe (the American culture of violence) seem like a lark.

The column closes with a reference to Moore's new work, "Fahrenheit 911" which looks at the oil connections between Texas, the Bush family, the Bin Laden family and other Saudis that will be release two weeks prior to the election. Rich notes that this in combination with Hollywood "lining up to contribute to Howard Dean" might prove a potent combination against the Bush White House.

Continue reading/discuss Michael Moore's Ascent - And an Acknowledgment of Dean's Fundraising Appeal in Hollywood ...

From the Rutland Herald, Tracy Schmaler writes that Dean supporters are not typical political volunteers. They're willing to go the extra mile, pack up a car and get to Vermont to volunteer, work overtime in far away states through meetups, and much more. Some good comments from Joe Trippi on the message here as well - this is not just a campaign against the president's war policy, it's a campaign for a balanced budget, for health care for all Americans, for a sane approach to public education, and much, much more.

This is the kind of story that other Democratic presidential candidates would sell their right arm to get (or at the very least, abandon their principles for. ahem.):

Certain volunteer stories have become lore in the campaign, the examples of the kind of inspiration Dean invokes in his supporters. There is the young man who packed up his car in New York City and drove north to Burlington to volunteer because he believed in Dean. He worked for no pay for several weeks, but now makes about $500 a month. There is a pair of Washington, D.C., lawyers who came to Vermont to work for free because they liked what they heard from Dean. They may have a paying job some day, they were told. It is that type of response that has campaign staff convinced that Dean will be the candidate who emerges as the party’s nominee next year.

“It’s one of those things that you can’t believe,” said Kate O’Connor, who has been working for Dean as his special assistant since he moved into the governor’s office upon the death of Richard Snelling in 1991. “It’s hard for people here in Vermont who know him to get it.” O’Connor recalled the audience’s reaction to a speech Dean gave in California last month. “It was amazing,” she said. “When he was walking through the crowd, people were reaching out to touch him.”

Continue reading/discuss People behind the Dean campaign are believers ...

Doug Busk of Atlanta, Georgia has a terrific letter in The New Republic:

Mad campaign

Governor Howard Dean has consistently represented his position on Iraq in multiple appearances and interviews (Ryan Lizza, "Front Load," February 24). While slightly more complicated than other candidates' outright support or opposition to the war, it is nonetheless a clear and easily understood position. Is it necessarily disingenuous of Dean to frontload his opposition to the war as opposed to the more nuanced requirements for the terms under which he would support one? Or is the opposition the other candidates feign outside the Senate chambers, while still voting to grant the president a blank check for action, even more so? TNR has a responsibility to present the facts as they stand: Governor Dean has consistently held a position of opposing the war on Iraq while indicating the terms under which he might be forced to resort to it. And isn't that the type of depth we want in a president?

Continue reading/discuss TNR - Letter to the Editor: Dean has Depth ...

This really isn't news to anyone reading this. However, it's important to note the continued fascination of the news media in internet organizing and the Dean campaign. For any of you organizing house parties, events, or future meetups, this is a great local hook to the national campaign. Call up your hometown reporters and let them know about meetups, email them copies of stories like this one from San Francisco, and definitely invite them to your activities. Reporters seem fascinated with this campaign, and the potent combination of volunteer, grassroots support and the internet is one of the reasons why.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Supporters Flock to the Internet ...

I would like to thank Joe Trippi for his continued participation on this blog. Every time he posts, it focuses my energy and enthusiasm - I don't know if he truly understands what a celebrity he is around here! Unfortunately, I've received a fair amount of hostile email from readers about this post, accusing me of "pandering to Kerry" and advocating "unilateral disarmament" - and most of them are twisting Joe's words in this comment thread to make their point. Joe ably defended his own comments, which I also think were a fair critique of Kerry's incoherence. But we aren't talking about critique so much as we are talking about support.

Let's be clear - Dean has every right to set himself apart from the other Democrats in the field. If that requires some hard criticism, so be it, as long as that criticism is well founded and true (and Dean has already shown that he accepts responsibility for his mistakes in that regard, with his apology to Edwards).

But regardless of the Kerry campaigns's silence when Dean has faced withering attack by GOP propaganda outlets, there is a high ground that we are all striving for. What I hope to see is Dean actively take the leadership role in defending all Democrats from GOP chickenhawk rhetoric. Dean faced that barrage alone well before the war on Iraq started. But the other candidates' rubber stamp of Bush's policies didn't immunize them - and by taking a public stand in their defense, Dean can both float all the boats with a rising defensive tide (including his own, of course) as well as yet again illustrate what makes him different - what makes him the real leader of the pack.

The GOP will attempt to divide and conquer. Some candidates are already falling for it - but that simply proves the degree of institutionalized rot that exists in the Democratic Party. Dr. Dean will be both antibiotic and vaccine. But to beat Bush in 2004 we need to take the right path - the moral high ground.

UPDATE: Joshua Marshall puts it all in perspective.

Continue reading/discuss the high ground ...

Campaign 2004 news on two fronts this week startled many observers. First came word on the "money primary" as the first quarter drew to a close and candidates reported their fundraising totals. A brand new poll of likely New Hampshire primary voters followed soon after. But the surprising news wasn't who was at the front of the pack in each contest -- the real story in each case was a well-known candidate performing startlingly below expectations.

Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, the candidate with the best national name-recognition, managed to raise roughly $3 million, less than half of the totals raised by the two Senators John -- Kerry of Massachusetts ($7 million) and Edwards of North Carolina ($7.4 million). The New York Times characterized his performance this way: "The Lieberman campaign barely topped the $2.6 million raised by Howard Dean, the far-lesser-known former governor of Vermont...."

As the party's vice-presidential nominee in 2000, Lieberman was positioned to establish himself as the early frontrunner by virtue of his name-recognition and contacts among party donors. That he failed to capitalize on this raises serious questions about either his competency as a candidate or Democrats' confidence that he's a viable alternative to Bush -- or both.

Similarly, despite the whopping $7.4 million he raised, John Edwards' poll numbers in New Hampshire raise serious doubts about whether this cash bonanza will do him any good. In the latest poll by the Franklin Pierce College, Edwards drew just 2% support -- putting him below former Senator Gary Hart's 3% and tying him with retired General Wesley Clark, who isn't even running at this point. A margin of error of plus or minus 4% means that Edwards is in a statistical tie with the Al Sharpton, who drew 0%.

With Representative Dick Gephardt of Missouri falling to the middle of the pack in each of these measures (a worse-than-expected third in fundraising; fourth in New Hampshire, behind Lieberman) two candidates showed their strength: Sen. Kerry and Gov. Dean. Kerry was a close second in fundraising and tied for first in New Hampshire. Dean, neck and neck with Kerry in the Granite State, raised less money, but much more than many expected.

But as Kerry continues to draw criticism from both the left and the right for his ambivalence (to put it diplomatically) on the war, it would seem that Dean had the best week of all the major candidates. Add to this the success of this week's Meetups (now pushing 13,000 members) and Dean is clearly on a roll.

[Author's Note: Attentive readers will note the Kerry criticism linked above found its voice right here at DeanBlog, some of it in blockquotes, some of it not. The Kerry-related commentary spawned some lively discussion in comments, including either Dean Campaign Director Joe Trippi or someone purporting to be Dean Campaign Director Joe Trippi [confirmed. --Aziz]. Either way, an excellent point was made: the Kerry campaign has not had the kindest of words for Gov. Dean. Nevertheless, even in the face of foolishness from Jim Jordan, the Kerry Campaign Manager, our broad efforts to elect Howard Dean will also include more benign political hackery, such as the above ham-handed attempt to use the week's news to show what most of us already know: Howard Dean is going all the way.]

Continue reading/discuss Lieberman, Edwards Stumble Badly ...

Former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts and current Secretary of State Bill Bradbury have endorsed Howard Dean for President. At the April 2nd Dean meetup, a packed crowd of more than 100 - some lined up outside the room - went wild as Gov. Roberts made her endorsement and told us that Dean is indeed "the real deal." The news release from the Dean campaign went out yesterday:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Susan Allen
April 2, 2003 Press Secretary

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Democratic presidential candidate Gov. Howard Dean today announced the Dean for Oregon Campaign. Co-chairs are former Gov. Barbara Roberts, Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, Terry Bean and Cheryl Perrin.

In addition, Mr. Bean and Ms. Perrin will be serving on the National Finance Committee.

“I am so pleased that these four Oregonians have agreed to head Dean for America’s efforts in their state,” said Gov. Dean. “They each have a long record of public service to their communities and state. They have strong grassroots connections in Oregon. And they have the respect of Democrats.”

“I look forward to working with them to bring the Dean for America message to Oregon,” he added. “It’s time for a rational foreign policy, health care for every American, and a stronger U.S. economy. With Oregon’s help, I can make these goals a reality for our nation.”

###

Continue reading/discuss Oregon's Gov. Roberts and Secretary of State Bradbury Endorse, Chair Oregon Dean Effort ...

One thing that we Dean supporters have to be very careful of is not to confuse friend with foe. Obviously, our Primary guns are trained on Kerry. But we also have to focus on the bigger picture- and take great pains not to poison the well. While it's true that Kerry's newfound criticism of Bush brings Eggo to mind, his statements are certainly ones that no one here would disagree with:

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. - Senator John F. Kerry said yesterday that President Bush committed a ''breach of trust'' in the eyes of many United Nations members by going to war with Iraq, creating a diplomatic chasm that will not be bridged as long as Bush remains in office.

''What we need now is not just a regime change in Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but we need a regime change in the United States,'' Kerry said in a speech at the Peterborough Town Library.

And Kerry has predictably drawn the heavy fire from the Chickenhawks in Chief:

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., released a statement that said in the midst of war, the nation should pull together to support the troops and commander in chief.

"Once this war is over, there will be plenty of time for the next election," the statement said. "But the war is not yet over, and we still have much work to do to rid the world of Saddam Hussein and his brutal regime."

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, released a statement calling Kerry's words "desperate and inappropriate."

"America before New Hampshire," DeLay said.

(DeLay's brazen hypocrisy is well-documented.)

Everyone who opposes Bush should be alarmed by the regular character asassination that the right-wing infrsatructure is able to manufacture and disseminate - partly with the tools and bully pulpit of the government itself. And such attacks hurt Dean as well, and propagate the ridiculous notion that Democrats are somehow weak on defense and national security. (Look at the budget battles, and you see a quite different story!)

Kerry can be rightly criticized for supporting Bush with a blank check in the past. But we have to recognize that his position now is more in tune with what the nation needs to hear - not just from Howard Dean, but from all Democrats and opposition. And we do have to close ranks to defend Kerry against the greater enemy. Training our guns on him, while he is already under fire from the ChickenHawk Brigade, ultimately only weakens us and strengthens Bush.

Continue reading/discuss Kerry and regime change ...

Glen Johnson of the Boston Globe reports that Sen. Kerry is attempting to horn in on Gov. Dean's emerging popularity by stepping up his criticism of President Bush. The problem? Kerry can't seem to decide if he's for, or against the policies of the Bush administration. An excerpt:

By echoing the ''regime change'' line popular with hundreds of thousands of antiwar protesters who have demonstrated across the nation in recent weeks, the Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential contender seemed to be reaching out to a newly invigorated constituency as rival Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont and a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, closes in on Kerry in opinion polls.

The criticism appeared to contradict statements Kerry made on March 18, just a day before Bush authorized military action to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

Kerry, who previously had been critical of Bush's efforts to reach out to the international community, was reluctant that day to answer when a television crew asked him whether the administration had handled its diplomatic efforts poorly.

''You know, we're beyond that now,'' the senator said after addressing the International Association of Fire Fighters. ''We have to come together as a country to get this done and heal the wounds.''

Kerry, a Navy veteran of Vietnam, said he strongly supported US troops. ''There will be plenty of time here to be critical about how we arrived here,'' he said at that time. In response to questions after his speech yesterday, Kerry reiterated his support for the troops.

He also joined the administration in blasting ''armchair generals'' who are criticizing the war plan.

Then he said: ''It is possible that the word `regime change' is too harsh. Perhaps it is.''

Once again, Sen. Kerry's biggest problem is that he's just not quite sure what his position on this war really is...

UPDATE: LeftLeaner suggests referring to Kerry as the Eggo candidate. It's all in good fun, especially because it's useful to highlight the differences between Dean and Kerry, but one thing we have to make sure of is that we don't cross the line to active Kerry bashing. In our enthusiasm, we have tor emember that Dean and Kerry are on the same side, after all... not that you'd necessarily know it by the Kerry's voting record :) --Aziz

Continue reading/discuss Kerry Waffles on War... Again! ...

According to the AP's Political Notebook, Howard Dean has reached a deal with Simon & Schuster to publish a book on his life and campaign platform in November of 2003. "In it, the former Vermont governor will discuss his positions on health care, social justice, education, balancing the federal budget and the environment."

No comment from the campaign and no hint as to the title. May I suggest "Stand Up for America"? Any takers?

Continue reading/discuss Dean book to be published Novemer 2003 ...

A Franklin Pierce College poll out today shows Howard Dean tied with John Kerry for first place at 21%. Joe Lieberman trails a distant third at 9%. The raw numbers:

Democratic Primary Matchup
All Men Women
Kerry 21% 26% 15%
Dean 21 21 20
Lieberman 9 9 8

Favor U.S. Military Action Against Iraq?
Support 34%
Oppose 55

This is the second poll in two weeks to show Dean tied with Kerry in New Hampshire. The American Research Group's March 21 poll showed similar results.

This is great news, following yesterday's announcement of Howard Dean's incredible first quarter fundraising. But it's important to keep the momentum going. Join Meetup. Take the Meetup Challenge and raise a million for Dean. Contribute online. Remember that March 31st was but a mile post in very long race.

Continue reading/discuss Dean ties for first again in latest NH poll ...

Gov. Dean's hometown paper, the Burlington Free Press urges the Governor to keep dishing it out. An excerpt:

"Dean should resist efforts to muzzle him or to tone down his campaign tactics. For the good of the Democratic Party and the nation, the country needs a fierce, hotly contested race for the Democratic nomination in 2004."

My guess is that other journalists - and my hope is that most Americans - feel the same way.

Continue reading/discuss Give 'em Hell, Howard! ...

A Boston Globe article cites John Kerry's stepped up rhetoric in recent days as being a direct result of the Howard Dean insurgence. Kerry is, they write, "reaching out to a newly invigorated constituency as rival Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont and a vocal opponent of the war in Iraq, closes in on Kerry in opinion polls."

No surprise to regular visitors to this site, there is definite friction between the two camps. And that seems to have given the media its angle on the Democratic primary. They always love a story of David & Goliath, insider vs. outsider, beltway candidate vs. grass roots candidate. They've found it in Kerry vs. Dean.

Continue reading/discuss Dean forces Kerry's hand ...

From the farthest reaches of the Deanverse - assemble herein and speak of your exploits!

Continue reading/discuss open thread: Meetup reports ...

The Daily Kos is running an online poll. It's worth mentioning as Dean's growing support online should be borne out through online polling. It's worth encouraging Dean bloggers, friends, and other interested parties to check it out, and make your voice heard on behalf of the online community for Dean. Check it out... and vote.

Continue reading/discuss Daily Kos Online Poll ...

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Dean for America today announced that first-quarter fundraising totals are expected to exceed $2.6 million, with more than $2 million cash-on-hand. Contributions came from more than 12,000 individual donors. More than $2 million of the contributions will qualify for federal matching funds under campaign law.

“I send my genuine thanks to all those supporters who agree that this country needs a more thoughtful foreign policy, who believe that every American deserves health insurance, and who are deeply concerned about the borrow-and-spend fiscal policy of this administration,” Gov. Dean said.

“I’m pleased with all the new supporters who were inspired to get involved in presidential politics for the first time, many through the internet,” Gov. Dean said. “But I also appreciate the level of support that I’ve received from the Democratic faithful who agree this country needs a change.”

The big surprise was Internet contributions, which exceeded three-quarters of a million dollars -- about $400,000 coming in the last week of the filing period. A successful Internet push was spearheaded by Dean Meetup, an Internet site that encouraged Dean supporters to “meet up” in cities across the U.S.

For the full release, see our Call to Action Blog.

Continue reading/discuss The Internet Delivers for Dean ...

Hi everyone! I'm back from my self-imposed hiatus, and here's the first article that came to my attention today. Go over to Salon and grab a day pass (top right header bar - view an ad and get the day pass), then check out this article.

Jake Tapper (who is hit or miss, IMO) covers Dean's "whirlwind" week in New York City. Putting aside Tapper's contention that the candidate is "pretending" that the domestic agenda matters, there are a few gold nuggets in this article. The first is that Judith Hope has endorsed Dr Dean. According to what I googled, Hope is the New York State Democratic Committee State Chair, so this is huge news. The article quoted her as saying that she endorsed Dean despite intense pressure to go with another candidate: "I just could not do it, because I feel so strongly that Howard's the real thing. And that comes so rarely in American politics." I couldn't agree with your more, Ms. Hope.

There's also a few choice quotes from Terry McAuliffe (pardon me while I visibly shudder), who is obviously trying to remain neutral at this point. He calls Dean "a spectacular individual who's brought energy, enthusiasm, and excitement to this party." Well Terry, at least you got that right. Read the article for the rest of McAuliffe's statements.

Tapper states that Dean has focused on his domestic agenda during this recent trip. With war dominating the national dialogue, do you think it's wise for Dean to remind the electorate that he's not a "single-issue candidate"? I do, because what orginally attracted me to his candidacy was his national agenda. The anti-war stance is just a bonus for me rather than "the thing" that draws me to the campaign. I'm sure it's going to be hard to force a dialogue on the State of the Union at this point in the race, but I think it's smart to try and let the people who are attracted by the anti-war stance know that there is much more to our candidate's platform.

Continue reading/discuss Another Dean article from Salon.com ...

The Dean Campaign has released a report on the Meetup Challenge over at the Dean Call to Action blog. An excerpt:

Netroot activists have raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars (with FEC matching funds) for Howard Dean in the last month.

Less than two weeks after Dean spoke at the Essex restaurant in Manhattan [on March 5th], over $30,000 had been donated to Howard Dean by Meetup members and their friends. That amount quickly increased, and on March 31st alone, $12,000 came in through the Meetup Challenge. Today, thanks to Dean Meetup members, $112,000 has been raised for Howard Dean. With FEC matching funds, that's nearly a quarter of a million dollars raised through The Meetup Challenge in exactly a month.

[The Meetup Challenge] has been an amazing demonstration of Howard Dean's grassroots support and the power of Internet activism. But the Challenge is not over. Tonight at 7 pm, many of the nearly 12,000 current Dean Meetup members will gather in venues across the country to discuss ways to help Howard Dean. If you're going, spread the news about the Meetup Challenge's success so far. Make it a goal tonight to keep the Meetup Challenge going. The million dollar goal was suggested when there were less than 5,000 Dean Meetup members; today, with nearly 12,000 members, the goal is even closer.

Continue reading/discuss Meetup Challenge now at 1/4 million dollars ...

A Reuters story out today puts Dean rival Sen. John Edwards' first-quarter fundraising total at $7.4 million. The story cites expectations of more the $4 million each for Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Dick Gephardt and $1.5 million for Howard Dean. (It does not provide any information on totals for Sen. Joe Lieberman.)

The following excerpt puts the results in context:

Donnie Fowler, a national field director for Gore's 2000 campaign, said that while many view the first-quarter totals as a sign of a campaign's strength, he considers the second and third quarters more telling.

Much of the first-quarter money is "low-hanging fruit,'' he said.

"It's the easiest money because it's family and friends,'' Fowler said. "They're going to give money to you regardless of whether you're viable, regardless of whether they agree with you on all the issues, regardless of what the media's saying.''

By that logic it seems that Edwards would do well at this early stage; as a wealthy trial lawyer, his connections to other wealthy trial lawyers around the country mean that his low-hanging fruit is probably by far the juiciest.

Similarly, Sen. Kerry and Rep. Gephardt have the connections to raise this friendly money. Sen. Kerry's wife is the Heinz ketchup heiress and he has been a fixture of Boston and Washington high society for decades. Gephardt, another Washington insider, ran for president once before and travelled the country tirelessly during the last several election cycles, cultivating donors for his repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to lead Democrats back into the majority in the House of Representatives.

Dean, as the "outsider" candidate from a small state, contends with fewer opportunities to raise this early money. But he also benefits from lower expectations because of that fact. If he manages to meet or exceed the expectations of the political establishment and his own campaign, it will emphasize his credibility as a candidate and allow him to focus on what this campaign is really about: reaching people, showing them his vision, and taking his -- and our -- country back.

Continue reading/discuss The Money Primary: Nabbing the 'Low-Hanging Fruit' ...

courtesy Nina come these public domain graphics for people to use freely:

Continue reading/discuss Dean linking ...

Good article in the Seattle PI, which again gives play to Dean's nuanced war stance, in contrast to eth "conventional wisdom" that is advocated by Democrats in teh wake of polls showing increased support for Bush's war:

"I say what I think," Dean said in a phone interview yesterday. "I am still opposed to the war on Iraq, even though polls show 70 percent of the public in favor of it. . . . This is the USA, not Iraq. There is no reason not to have a disagreement with the president."
...
In a primer for its activist clients, entitled "Navigating Media in Wartime," Washington, D.C.-based Fenton Communications recently advised: "DON'T bash Bush. 2 out of 3 Americans approve of Bush's handling of the confrontation with Saddam Hussein. In times of war -- especially the early stages -- the public's instinct is to stand behind its leader."

But different political breezes tend to blow out of New England and along the Pacific Coast, in contrast to our conforming capital.

There are also a lot of other juicy pieces, such as this extremely detailed bit about how to fix the looming budget problems facing the country post-Bush:

What would Dean do? "First, you have to get rid of the tax cuts for everyone earning over $300,000 a year," he said. "Then, you scale back reductions in the inheritance tax. Increase the exemption to $5 million so you cover people's businesses and farms, but keep the tax."

and as good a summary of his health-care viewsw as I have seen (which was succinct enough that I used it in an email to some skeptical friends):

Similarly, Dean won't ape some Demo- crats' call for universal health insurance. "The American people won't accept government-run health care; we learned that -- painfully -- in the 1990s," he said.

Instead, he would expand Medicaid to cover middle-class kids, put a prescription drug plan into Medicare, and develop a system of vouchers and tax credits to encourage employers to insure their workers.

Continue reading/discuss Dean defends dissent ...

This open thread is for Deanistan denizens to weigh in about their dream picks for Dean's cabinet. Don't forget to include WHY!

Continue reading/discuss open thread: Dean Dream Cabinet ...

Mark Humbert, political writer for the Associated Press writes that Dean has picked up a key endorsement in New York's Judith Hope, the state party chair from 1995-2001. Hope's endorsement means mo-mentum, mo-attention, and most of all... mo-money!

UPDATE: Jerome points to this link for more information.

Continue reading/discuss The Big Mo': Dean Picks Up Key New York Endorsement ...

In just a few hours, Howard Dean's presidential campaign will file his first quarter fundraising reports with the Federal Election Commission.

The campaign is only $45,000 away from its goal. We need to help Governor Howard Dean now. Howard Dean is the only candidate with the courage to stand up to President Bush and to speak out for what he believes in.

This is important. Please contribute before midnight tonight. Then pass this message on to everyone you know.

A few hours—together we can take our country back!

www.deanforamerica.com/contribute

Continue reading/discuss Hours to go for Dean ...

The current count is 10434 as of this posting. Just imagine if every single person gave $50 tonight. We'd crack the Million Dollar Meetup Challenge in one fell swoop with just hours to go before the FEC deadline!

Online contribution form.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Meetup passes 10,000 ...

At the Springfield, MA meetup (actually going to be in Northampton, MA), we are expecting Aaron Holmes, Regional Coordinator in Burlington, to be there. Here's a chance to meet with someone from the campaign. There will be local press coverage so visibility is important. April 2nd, 7pm at JavaNet in Northampton (on Main St). Sign up and RSVP at dean2004.meetup.com (register for Springfield, MA). Come even if you don't sign up or RSVP.

And, oh yeah, today is March 31st. Last day of the FEC 1st quarter filing. If you have not contributed, do it now.

Continue reading/discuss Special Guest at Northampton (Springfield), MA Meetup ...

On the eve of the 3rd Dean Meetup, as we break the 10,000 mark for the number who have signed up to Dean's Meetup (10010 have signed up as I write this), a hearty 'thank you' comes our way by Dr Dean:

"I was blown away by the March 5th Meetup in New York City. When I got out of the car, and saw hundreds of people lined up outside the Essex Lounge, and walked inside to find hundreds more, I felt—in a direct, powerful way—the awesome force of the Internet. After that Meetup, I knew we could take back the White House.

Journalists love to speculate about which candidates are doing well in the “invisible primary.” Long before Iowa and New Hampshire, pundits like to think they can assess who will do well in the elections by who is raising the most money. But there is another primary that is only invisible to those who are blind to seeing it. Its place of power is on the Internet, where people who never before had a voice this early in a campaign can speak up and demand honesty and fearless leadership from the Democratic Party, and self-organize around common ideas and ideals to take our country back.

One invisible primary is about money and posturing for position.

Our movement is about taking a stand, and giving people a reason to vote.

To the nearly 10,000 people who have joined our cause, and signed up for the April 2nd Meetup, I give you my thanks. Because of you we are building a nationwide campaign that will surprise the pundits, the other campaigns, and ultimately George W. Bush. And together we will take our country back."

Thank you,

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

Continue reading/discuss Message from Governor Howard Dean, M.D. ...

Adam Nagourney writes in Saturday's New York Times that as Dean's position on the war in Iraq has taken root, he has established a beachhead in Iowa. With other candidates openly supporting (or dissembling on) the war, Dean virtually has Iowa to himself. It remains to be seen what effect Dean's growing presence has on the larger field nationally (or in Iowa) absent any new polling, however.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Buoyed in Iowa ...

The floor is yours, for reports of the Friday Dean house parties. We especially want to hear from those who had phone calls from Dean himself!

Continue reading/discuss House Party open thread ...

Even with the war on, the boundless energy of the punditocracy to speculate and handicap the race for the Democratic nomination means that Monday's FEC quarterly reporting deadline is of crucial importance to the Dean campaign. Besides providing Governor Dean the resources he needs to build his organization, donations before midnight on Monday, March 31, will show the "big" media in terms they understand what those of us here in Blogistan already know: Howard Dean is inspiring people.

If you're not convinced, or are convinced but not compelled to actually go through the few-minute-long process of donating, please take a look at Dean's speech to the California Democratic Convention a few weeks back. Our friend Carl with a 'K' -- thus, actually, Karl -- has on his site video streams for both dial-up connections and broadband connections. Those of you who have seen the speech on C-SPAN or at c-span.org but still haven't donated should take the time to look at Karl's version. His is a different copy, taken from the convention floor, which allows you to "feel" the crowd's reaction to the speech.

It is important to remember that the California speech is for a partisan audience. Many Dean supporters are not liberals or even centrist Democrats but independents and conservatives who like the governor's straight-forward honesty and common-sense agenda. For a more general understanding of what the Dean candidacy is about see the issues section of his official site, read the speech he gave to the New America Foundation/Atlantic Monthly forum in January, or take a look at the story run by the hyper-conservative New York Sun earlier this month.

I gave today, and if you are viewing this site on anything other than free library internet access and/or have a rich spouse, it's likely that you have a better financial situation than I do. You can give anything from two to two thousand dollars right now either by secure online donation or by printing off this donation form.

The Dean Meet-up Challenge calls for a donation of $10.01 and an effort to recruit ten others to contribute the same. (Click here if you have no idea what I mean when I talk about Meet-up.) You needn't scramble to find ten friends before Monday; give now and work on spreading the message over the coming weeks and months of the campaign, which still has a long way to go.

No matter what your reasons for supporting him or how much you give, Howard Dean needs your help. Monday is, for better or worse, a big day as far as the "money primary" goes. Expectations are very low for Dean and a surprisingly strong fundraising total can help his campaign achieve escape velocity from the "underfinanced" and "long-shot" qualifications that virtually every media story about him contains.

But in the end, your donation helps Howard Dean bring his message to America. If you've come this far to learn about him, you surely agree that his message is something people need to hear. Donate today.

Continue reading/discuss Why Donate Before Monday? ...

Hooray for Maureen Ratigan from Natick, MA for her letter to the editor in the Boston Globe. If 9,000 Dean Meetup volunteers take her cue, we can provide an immediate, and very visible boost for Gov. Dean. I've heard from a few that they've sent letters that have yet to be published - but keep trying. For every ten that are sent there may only be one that runs, but it is worth the effort!

Continue reading/discuss Dean: A Real Alternative to Bush ...

We all know that Dean has been a true pioneer in making use of the netroot support. Dean's campaign has embraced Meetup, they have set up several internet sites (including the Call to Action Blog and the Dean Action site), and have benefited from the emerging network of supporter-driven sites like DeanVolunteers.org, regional groups like New York for Dean, and of course the Dean Blog itself, which paved the way.

But Gary Hart - who hasn't even announced his candidacy yet - has trumped all of this. Hart has begun blogging himself! True, Dean posted a message in the comments here on the DeanBlog, but Hart's new blog takes candidate participation on the web to the next level. Of course, it remains to be seen if Hart will actually continue posting, and what impact his schedule will have on his blogging regimen (if, indeed, he formally enters the race at all).

Still, we in Deanistan are not content to rest on our laurels - or let our candidate do the same (*grin*). There has always been a standing invite for Howard to contribute to this DeanBlog directly (Joe, Zephyr, just email me and I will handle all the technical aspects). So, make your voices heard, and leave a message exhorting Dean to follow Hart's example - and your suggestions on how to better it.

(and keep an eye on the HartBlog... so we know what he's up to :)

Continue reading/discuss Gary Hart starts blogging ...

AP has a story out today on Dean's willingness to not only promote his position(s) - on the war, and on other issues, but also to criticize his rivals within the party if their positions are not clear. In particular, he seems to have Sen. John Kerry in his sights as Kerry continues to equivocate on his position with respect to his vote for the war, but his "disagreements" with Bush on how to execute it.

What do others think: Is Dean on the right track by criticizing his rivals early on? Or, should he be more deferential this early in the primary process?

Continue reading/discuss Dean Stakes Out Position - And Criticizes Rivals ...

Seattle P-I Columnist Joel Connelly writes that Candidate Dean holds much appeal for Washingtonians. He cites Washington's history of supporting "insurgent campaigns" - Anderson in 1980, Hart in '84, and Tsongas in '92. House parties are planned throughout the Seattle area today to introduce Dean to potential supporters, and to raise much-needed cash for his emerging presidential bid.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Picking Up Steam in Northwest ...

Another article in today's Boston Globe (as reported by the Associated Press) shows that Dean is undeterred in sticking to his principled position on the war in Iraq. Perhaps the best news, however, is buried in the final paragraph:

"He's recently opened a campaign office in Des Moines and has 10 field staffers on the payroll seeking to organize for Iowa's caucuses."

This is terrific news, and shows that fundraising efforts are beginning to pay off. The trick now is to keep the momentum (and the cash-flow) building.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Continues to Speak Out (And, He's Opened an Office in Iowa!) ...

A glowing editorial in today's Boston Globe must have Senator Kerry's attention (again!). This outlines a number of reasons why Gov. Howard Dean is beginning to emerge from the pack - and how far he has yet to go. Most important it touches on his domestic agenda, which frankly is what drew many of us to him in the first place. His foreign policy is solid, and continues to be the source of his appeal to those who oppose the war, but it just scratches the surface of what is shaping up to be a very attractive platform, and a very competitive campaign.

Continue reading/discuss Candidate of the Heart ...

We need the bucks to keep coming! Join the Meetup challenge! Remember to add a penny to your donation for the power of netroots.

Continue reading/discuss ...

Vermont Governor Howard Dean has borrowed a page out of Harry Truman's playbook. According to the Associated Press, Dean took time out of his campaign schedule in Iowa to pen a personal note to Sen. John Edwards apologizing for misrepresenting his position at the California Democratic Convention. By handling this issue in a direct and straightforward manner, Dean demonstrates again that the "buck stops with him."

This not only defuses the issue, but it shows that Dean is willing to stand up and take responsibility when mistakes are made. Many other candidates would have equivocated, or ignored this issue by simply brushing it off as a misunderstanding. Once again, Dean sets himself apart from the pack - and demonstrates why he will make an excellent President of the United States.

Continue reading/discuss Howard Dean: The Buck Stops Here ...

Today's Boston Globe features an op-ed column describing the Kerry campaign's increasingly contentious relationship with Governor Dean. Clearly, when Dean was perceived as a novelty in the race Kerry was only too happy to have him in the fray. Now, however, Dean has emerged as a legitimate contender for the Democratic nomination, and a direct threat to Senator Kerry.

The author of this column predicts that this is just the beginning of a serious duel between the two contenders.

Continue reading/discuss A Not-So-Neighborly Feud ...

Before the war came to dominate the political scene, former governor of Vermont and current presidential aspirant Howard Dean was written off as a "long shot" candidate. The earliest polls -- which at that point in a campaign measure not support but simply name recognition -- put him at the bottom of the pack, which was enough "evidence" to stoke the conventional wisdom that he is "not a serious candidate."

Lacking actual reasons to explain this apparent lack of support (the polls must always Say Something; the poll-as-meaningless-name-recognition-measure does not fit into any easy narrative for journalists), his opponents took wild stabs in the dark with baseless accusations like that Dean is an "ultra-liberal." Quite the strange brand of ultra-liberal that consistently balances the budget as governor. By that standard, to be sure, President Bush is no ultra-liberal.

As the war drew closer, Dean became the "anti-war candidate" despite his protestations that he wanted Saddam Hussein disarmed, but with a truly global (as opposed to Anglo-Bulgarian) coalition. Now, with war underway, the narrative dictates that Dean will be "having trouble redefining himself" as something other than the anti-war candidate. Insofar as that was never really what he was, he shouldn't have much trouble with that. The real trouble will come from the media's definition of him, not his definition of himself. This part of the pre-defined story has already begun:

Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont who has presented himself as an antiwar candidate, was back in Iowa, a state with a large and vocal antiwar wing among Democrats. It was the start of what an aide said would be a week like any other week in Dr. Dean's campaign.

This pieces leaves it there, strangely not explaining what exactly an typical week for the Dean campaign consists of, other than simply being in Iowa. The implication seems to be that Dean is off hiding in a state that still (still!) supports his supposedly anti-war message -- as if Iowa were an undisclosed location for peaceniks and not the first-in-the-nation caucus state.

Sadly, besides the media, a rather large portion of those paying attention to the presidential race that this point fancy themselves politically astute for being able to identify the trends in this constructed storyline. The most cynical don't even believe the narrative; they make very much of the fact that they would prefer another candidate but use the prevalent conventional wisdom and their besserwisser powers of glib deduction to conclude that only this or that candidate can win.

To be sure, Al Sharpton isn't a candidate that can win a presidential election in the United States. But if people really believe in him, I'm inclined to give them a strong, vocal, "Well, uhhh, okay." The same can't be said for Howard Dean. With Dean in a statistical tie with Senator John Kerry in the latest New Hampshire polling, it would seem that the narrative is dictating reason, rather than reason dictating the narrative.

Similarly, everyone needs to relax and step away from the afactual narrative about Dean and the war. Let's wait and see how much trouble he has firing people up before the sages declare it impossible. Whether you're for or against him you have to contend with the fact that this guy is for real. The press and his opponents would do themselves and the process well to recognize that.

[Author's Note: This piece originally appeared at That Other Blog, my personal site. The eminent Aziz Poonawalla, administrator for this site and purveyor of Unmedia, invited me to join the DeanBlog and suggested that this be my first contribution. I look forward to contributing and will do my best not to embarrass myself, Aziz, or Howard Dean. (That's a hope, not a promise, though.)]

Continue reading/discuss The Coming Conventional Wisdom ...

Here's a sneaky, conservative editorial promoting GWB's "communication skills" and his "political feel." All the usual pro-Bush hype is here. What is unusual is that the essay is on health care, and they really attack Gov. Howard Dean. Clearly, they're beginning to understand that his message has appeal with voters beyond simply an "anti-war" in Iraq message.

The columnist describes Dean's health care position as "socialized medicine" (and you can bet conservatives will trumpet that soundbite to mischaracterize Dean's plan), and that this will be the "millstone" around his neck. It is comforting to know that Dean is already forcing conservatives to respond to his message, and that his stands are beginning to shift the nature of political debate in this country. This is good reading as primer to the conservative handbook on attempting to beat up on Democrats (in this case, Dean).

Note the alternative promoted, too. The much ballyhooed "Medical Savings Account" (MSA), which no doubt like school vouchers will simply shift better care to those who can supplement such accounts while leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves.

Continue reading/discuss Conservative Thinking on Health Care and Howard Dean ...

Jonathan Raban, a British writer living in Seattle has an entire column in Seattle's largest weekly on the war in Iraq and the peculiar nature of the pacific northwest's "emerald city." He makes some interesting observations, and then takes off on Gov. Howard Dean:

"There is also much anger with the Democrats for failing to provide any articulate leadership in the war on (not with) Iraq. To many of its traditional supporters, the party appears to have been gutlessly complaisant in its bipartisan stance. But something interesting happened on Feb. 21, when the present crop of presidential hopefuls paraded in front of the Democratic National Committee in what several reporters likened to a beauty pageant. Joe Lieberman made a speech so flat that his candidacy may well have died in that moment. Richard Gephardt boasted of making common cause with the Bush administration on Iraq, and was met with cries of “Shame!” but went on to outline his domestic policy and won a series of standing ovations. Then came Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont."

“I’m Howard Dean, and I’m here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. . . . What I want to know is why in the world the Democratic Party leadership is supporting the president’s unilateral attack on Iraq.”

We've all seen and heard the line by now, but he goes on to insist that Seattle (and by default, Washington State) is Dean country. He concludes with one sentence: "Watch Howard Dean."

This kind of column is terrific. It fires up the activists and should help contributions from that part of the country.

Continue reading/discuss Seattle Weekly: Watch Howard Dean ...

Only six more days until March 31st. The campaign's number one priority until the FEC deadine is raising money. Yesterday was our best Meetup Challenge day yet! If you have been thinking about contributing, please do so now (and remember a penny for the net). If you have already donated for Dean, encourage your friends to do the same. If you have already called or emailed people you know, thank you, and this is a good day to follow up with them.

You can also put a clickable Dean icon on any web site you administer. Make sure to spread the word with other Dean supporters. Thanks!

Continue reading/discuss Dean Meetup on the Verge of 8,000 Members ...

Ryan Lizza, writing in TNR, has several cogent observations about the timing of war and how it impacts the campaign cycle:

Political operatives slice the presidential campaign into quarters, largely because fund-raising reports are due at the Federal Election Commission every three months. As if on cue, the war with Iraq is coming at the end of one quarter, as if the curtain is closing on the first act of the Democratic contest. After an intermission, during which the war itself is conducted, the curtain will rise again and the second, postwar phase will begin. The Democratic contenders are busily positioning themselves for that next phase.

This is a very good article, in that it discusses in detail how Dean and Lieberman are positioned at opposite ends of teh spectrum when it comes to war, and has some strategic analysis. Dean consistently gets the benefit of the doubt he deserves, when compared to the other candidates:

After Bush's ultimatum speech Monday, overnight polls showed that Democratic opposition to removing Saddam had fallen into the low forties. Needless to say, it is likely to drop further if the war goes well. Lieberman is trying to soak up a little of this rally-round-the-flag glow, which dovetails with his campaign's belief that there are enough moderate and independent voters in the early primary states for him to win the nomination. "For all the talk that the primary electorate is generally more liberal, moderates can do well," says a senior campaign adviser.

For Dean, the onset of war could have the opposite effect. "I'm well aware of what this morning's polls show," he told me the day after Bush's first speech. "So now I'm in a minority of sixty-six to thirty-three, and that's just the way it goes. I didn't take this position for political reasons, and I'm not going to drop it for political reasons." In canvassing opinions about the political implications of the war this week, aides to all four of Dean's major rivals made the same argument: that all the energy fueling Dean's surge in the first quarter came from the war. As long as the war is successful--a hugely important caveat--its conclusion will drain the momentum from Dean's candidacy. "Dean was nowhere before the war," says a top adviser to one candidate. "Once that hook is gone, he'll stop gaining as much ground." An official from another campaign concurs: "He essentially goes back to being the quirky health care candidate."

Not surprisingly, Dean insists he does indeed have a second act. "There is a lot more to this than the war," he says. In his view, the war may have been the hook that got people to first pay attention to him, but it was, well, him that got them to stick around. "The Iraq stuff was not the biggest issue," he says of the cheers he received in California. "That gives me the entree to get people to listen to me. What gets people cranked up is the straight-ahead style and the `let the chips fall where they may.' It's the McCain thing." Dean has a habit, which some find annoying and others refreshing, of talking about himself and his campaign in this detached manner. He doesn't just speak off-the-cuff; he reminds you that he's the guy who speaks off-the-cuff and explains that his off-the-cuffness is the reason people like him. "It's not just the issues," he says. "It's the way I talk about them. The war is the divide between me and the other four folks. ... But it's not the war; it's the straightforwardness."

There's one more warning for Dean in the article - that when the issue of war is over, he will still be vulnerable to attack - from the left:

But, once the war is over, Dean may face other challenges. With his Iraq hook gone, at least one rival campaign will try to pull the plug on another source of Dean's energy--the claim that he represents the "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party." Expect an attack on Dean from the left on Social Security, the death penalty, guns, abortion, and federalism.

Of course, teh same answer applies to all of these charges - Dean speaks from rational analysis , not politics. Right now war has polarized the public, but after it is over, we have to have faith that the American public (and Democratic voters in particular) are able to appreciate "straightforwardness" and recognize its value, as compared to the same old refrain of craven politicking.

Continue reading/discuss where war and campaign finance intersect ...

The Dean campaign sent out a message to its mailing list, this one authored (or signed anyway) by Dean himself, reminding people about the filing deadline for the FEC of March 31st:

I need your help. I am writing you today because I need your financial support now, before March 31.

Next week, my campaign faces an important test of strength. March 31st is the deadline for filing first-quarter fundraising reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). These reports are public record and are carefully scrutinized by political opponents and the media. By giving your financial support today, you will show the press, political insiders and party activists that I am a candidate with a message that works and the ability to run a strong campaign.

The Democratic Party needs to look itself in the mirror and start speaking up for what it believes in. It needs a leader willing to take a stand. I hope I have shown you I can be that leader. I hope I have proven over the past months that I am committed to the issues that matter most to you and to doing the right thing-even when it means standing alone. Now is your chance to stand with me.

We can do it. We will do it.
...
We need you to contribute generously to my presidential campaign before the FEC deadline of midnight, March 31st. By giving now, your contribution (of up to $250) will be doubled by federal matching funds. The federal limit on individual giving at this time is $2,000.

(LINKS: online donation form, downloadable PDF form)

Continue reading/discuss Donation deadline: March 31st ...

From the Boston Globe, a story on how Dean's comments, misinterpretation by the press, and his own admitted gaffe are playing out:

In animated conversation on the floor of the US Senate on Wednesday, Kerry placed a hand on Edwards's shoulder and nodded in agreement as the North Carolinian spoke to him with visible passion. Then, pointing at the podium where the Senate's presiding officer sits, Edwards said to Kerry in a voice loud enough for a reporter in the overhead press gallery to hear, ''He got up there and lied.''

Edwards was referring to the speech Dean delivered to California Democrats last weekend, in which he stood at the podium at the party's annual convention in Sacramento and lambasted Edwards and Kerry by name for supporting the war. Dean, who has won a following with his antiwar pronouncements, sought to distinguish himself further by telling the delegates that both of his rivals had refused to stand by their position during their speeches to the crowd. The remark triggered cheers for Dean - even though he would later acknowledge it was wasn't true.

The part where Dean acknowledged his remarks weren't true is expanded upon near the end of the article, based on an interview he did with the Boston Globe on Friday:

In an interview with the Globe on Friday, Dean argued that his position about the war and his rhetoric surrounding it has been clear and consistent. ''I'm not going to use red-meat criticism and attack the president, but I'm not going to support his war policy, but I'm going to support the troops,'' he said.

While Dean said he was staunchly opposed to the war and planned to continue criticizing it, he also said the United States should keep fighting, putting him at odds with other antiwar activists who have been calling for an immediate cease-fire.

''We're in. We don't have any choice now. But this is the wrong choice,'' Dean said. ''There will be some who think we should get out immediately, but I don't think that's an easy position to take.''

In the interview, Dean acknowledged that he had mispoken in telling the California delegates that Kerry and Edwards had reversed their positions on the war.

''I didn't know what [Edwards] had said because I hadn't been in the hall and nobody told me,'' Dean said. ''Had I known what Senator Edwards had done, I would not have said that.''

This is going to get uglier before it gets better.

Continue reading/discuss Dean's rhetoric on war creates a campaign stir ...

There are House Parties in support of Dean all over the country on March 28th. Find out more by subscribing to HP28-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (just send an email to the address). We are trying to raise for the March 31 deadline, so try to attend. If you are near Western Massachusetts, write me (nohomissives@yahoo.com) to find out how to attend the party in Northampton, MA.
If you cannot attend on the 28th, join meetup and go to your local meeting on April 2nd.

Continue reading/discuss March 28th is Dean House Party Day ...

Jerome is exactly right about Meetup. If you haven't done it already, go to dean2004.meetup.com and sign up. Also, please don't underestimate the importance of this March 31 deadline. This is one of those weeks where every contribution counts triple, as (1) cash; (2) support; (3) the power of the net. Give 'em Hell Howard, and contribute. We'd like to raise $100,000 over the net in the next week.

Continue reading/discuss ...

Jerome offers some explanation of why Dean's Meetup netroots matter - post-New Hampshire:

A big reason why McCain lost in 2000, besides SC, was that he lacked a nationwide campaign structure that might have benefited from his NH win. The combination of the very crowded early primary schedule and the massive nationwide influx of volunteers (see Meetup.com) supporting Dean have made it possible for the Dean campaign to build a national campaign much earlier. What these means, is that the traditional growing pains associated with translating a New Hampshire win by an insurgent candidate (see McCain in ’00, Buchanan in '96, Tsongas in ’92, Hart in ’88) into a national campaign, are being dealt with by the Dean campaign nearly a year ahead of schedule. When Dean wins in New Hampshire, he’ll be on the cover of Newsweek, and become known to many voters for the first time. More importantly, for winning the nomination, he’ll also have a nationwide campaign in place to fully capitalize on the win.

Jerome is too modest to post his own stuff here, so I'm doing it for him :)

Continue reading/discuss Why Meetup matters - post NH ...

courtesy of Carl With a K, is this transcript of Dean's speech (link above goes to a PDF).

Governor Howard Dean, MD, Speech to California Democratic Party State Convention (Saturday, March 15, 2003)

What I want to know is what in the world so many Democrats are doing supporting the President’s unilateral intervention in Iraq?

What I want to know is what in the world so many Democrats are doing supporting tax cuts, which have bankrupted this country and given us the largest deficit in the history of the United States?

What I want to know is why the Congress is fighting over the patient’s bill of rights? The patient’s bill of rights is a good bill, but not one more person gets health insurance and it’s not 5 cents cheaper.

What I want to know is why the Democrats in Congress aren’t standing up for us joining every other industrialized country on the face of the Earth and having health insurance for every man, woman and child in America.

What I want to know is why so many folks in Congress are voting for the President’s Educations Bill “The No School Board Left Standing Bill” the largest un-funded mandate in the history of our educational system!

As Paul Wellstone said, as Sheila Kuehl said when she endorsed me…I am Howard Dean and I here to represent the democratic wing of the Democratic Party. I want a Democratic Party that will balance the budget. Bill Clinton balanced the budget and starting in 1993, without a single Republican vote, kicked off the greatest 10 years of economic growth in this nation’s history. No Republican President has balanced the budget in this country in 34 years. If you want to trust somebody with your taxpayer dollars you better elect a Democratic because the Republican’s can’t manage money. I want an economy in this country where we create jobs that don’t move offshore. I want an America that has health insurance for everybody. I want a government that stops passing un-funded mandates and starts funding the ones we’ve got, like special education. I want a government which will give us a foreign policy so when we walk down the streets of the capitals of our friends we don’t have to worry about watching our backs where ever we go as American’s.

We’ve had two fine people. United States Senators, Senator Edwards and Senator Kerry, who’ve done a lot for our country and they have served us honorably and if they win the nomination either one of them I am going to support them and do every thing I can to help them win the White House. But, I don’t think we can win The White House if we vote for the President’s unilateral attack on Iraq in Washington and then come to California and say we are against the war. And I don’t think we can win The White House if we support the President’s “No School Board Left Standing Bill” and then come to California and tell every body that we are going to do all kinds of things for education. And I don’t think we can win the White House if we skip the most important abortion vote in the last year and then come to California and talk about pro-choice.

I am not surprised that only 15% of people between the ages of 18 and 25 vote because we have not giving them a reason to vote and we are going to give them a reason to vote now. I was Governor for so long that I got to serve through not one but two Bush recessions and in Vermont I was very proud to balance the budget. We balanced the budget, we set aside money in a rainy day fund, and we paid down almost a quarter of our debt. The reason that is important is it is hard to fund social justice with out a balanced budget, which is why this President doesn’t have one. In our state our budget is still balanced and we are not cutting higher education, we are not cutting K-12 and we are not cutting health care for kids. That’s what we need in this country. I am Governor and I have done it. In our State everybody under the age
of 18 has health insurance. We have made Medicaid into a middle class entitlement. If you made $52,000 a year or less in Vermont everybody under 18 in your family is entitled to Medicaid. We charge if you are at the upper-end of that, we charge $50 a month that insures everybody in your family under the age of 18. Now, if we can do that in a small rural state which is 26 th in income in the entire country, surely the most wealthy and powerful society on the face of the earth can grant all of its citizen’s healthcare. I am a governor and I am a doctor and I have done it.

In Vermont we have conserved 100s of thousands of acres that will never be developed, and I might add Mr. President, they’re never going to be drilled on either. If I get to be President I will protect California as well as Florida. Let me tell you something else, one of Bill Clinton’s greatest legacies to this country was the promise he kept to make his cabinet look like a America. I thought one of the lowest moments of this President’s presidency was about 5 weeks ago when he used the word quota 5 times on national television in the evening news. The University of Michigan does not now and never has had a quota system and the President knows it. We need affirmative action in this country and we ought to stand up and say so and be proud of it as a society. California is a precursor for the rest of this country you have 5 big minorities and lots of small minorities. In alphabetical order you have African American, Anglos, Asian American, Latinos, and Native American. Soon all of America is going to look like California, and when it does I want to make sure that every American is included in the very best institutions that we have in this country. Because as a nation we either admit that we are all-together or we will be divided as the Republican have divided us since 1968 under the Richard Nixon’s Southern Strategy. I don’t want to be divided anymore by race, I don’t want to be divided anymore by gender, and I don’t want to be divided anymore by sexual orientation.

Senator Kerry was reported to have said that he could win without the South. I do not want to win without the South. I want to go to the South and I’m going to say to white guys that drive pick up trucks with Confederate flag decals on the back of their car. We want your vote to, because your kids don’t have health insurance either. I want to end on a personal note. Three years ago next month I signed a bill into law called the Civil-Unions bill, which gives gay and lesbian Vermonters the same rights I have: visitations for their significant other in the hospital; inheritance rights; and insurance rights. Vermont clearly is a place where every American is equal in the eyes of the law. I want the President of the United States to explain to all American’s why he doesn’t believe all Americans should be equal under the law. I signed that bill 6 months before an election when it was at 35% in the polls. I never had a conversation with myself about whether or not I would sign the bill or not, because I knew if I was willing to sell out the hope and dreams of a significant portion of our people that I had wasted my life in public service. Because, I have never lost an election but my career has never been about winning elections. My career and this campaign is about changing the Democratic Party. Its about changing America. And this campaign is about taking back the White House so we can have health insurance, so we can have a balanced budget, so we can have an inclusive society where everybody believes in each other and believes in America. I want the opportunity to work with extraordinary people in California. I will work with California instead of against you. I will work with Nancy Pelosi. I will work with Diane Feinstein. I will work with Gray Davis. I will work Herb Wesson. I will work with Jon Burton. And I’ll sure work with another Democratic from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, Barbara Boxer. We are not going to beat George Bush by voting with the President 85% of the time. The only way that we’re going to beat George Bush is to say what we mean, to stand up for who we are, to lift up a Democratic agenda against the Republican agenda because if you do that the Democratic agenda wins every time.

I want my country back. We want our country back. I am tired of being divided. I don’t want to listen to the fundamentalist preachers anymore. I want America to look like America. Where we are all included, hand in hand, walking down. We have dream. We can only reach the dream if we are all together – black and white, gay and straight, man and woman. America. The Democratic Party. We are going to
win in 2004. Thank you very, very much. Thank you very, very much. Stand up for America, Stand up for America, Stand up for America.

Continue reading/discuss transcript: Dean's CA Dem speech ...

From ABC's The Note comes news of a great milestone (emphasis added):

The Wall Street Journal 's Washington Wire says: "LIFE GOES ON in political-fund-raising world: As deadline nears for first-quarter reports, Senator Kerry has six fund-raisers before month's end; he's seen leading Democratic presidential candidates' money race. Rep. Gephardt still plans next week's $1.5 million bash in hometown St. Louis, and a 'Tonight Show' appearance. Senator Lieberman sends appeal to donors: 'I got off to a relatively late start,' he writes, by delaying his bid until Al Gore opted out. Senator Edwards keeps raising funds, but postpones New Hampshire trip on Friday to visit Fort Bragg families in home state North Carolina. Longer-shot Dean surpasses his $1 million goal."

Let's make it $2 million - don't forget the Million Dollar Meetup Challenge - and add a penny for the internet!

Continue reading/discuss Dean passes $1M mark ...

Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is now in a dead heat with Sen. John Kerry in a New Hampshire poll released today by the American Research Group. The poll was taken on the eve of American intervention in Iraq.

UODATE: Here's another story on this from SFGate.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Locked with Kerry for Lead in New Hampshire ...

For immediate release
March 20, 2003

In today's paper the Los Angeles Times said that Presidential candidate Gov. Howard Dean was "backing away from earlier plans to continue criticizing the war after the shooting began." This story went on to say that all the top contenders for the nomination released statements backing Bush as he ordered the first attacks on Iraq.

These assertions are incorrect and the story is incorrect. The AP, at the same event wrote quote "Anti-war Presidential candidate Howard Dean said he will not silence his criticism of President Bush's Iraq policy now that the war has begun, but he will stop the 'red meat' partisan attacks...

Dean's view that this is the wrong war at the wrong time is well known and has not changed.

Dean will continue to criticize the President's Iraq policy. "No matter how strongly I oppose the President's policy, I will continue to support American troops who are now in harms way," said Dean in a release prepared in order to correct the Los Angeles Times story.

Continue reading/discuss ...

Dean has a new line in his stump speeches:

"White folks in the South who drive pickup trucks with Confederate flag decals in the back ought to be voting with us and not them [Republicans]," he said, "because their kids don't have health insurance either, and their kids need better schools too!"

Most people think this is great (myself included), but there are a few who are uncomfortable with it. The best case against including the "confederate flag" part of the line comes from Orcinus, who argues that there are two different groups, one worth pursuing, the other not:

. And if you had to explain it in a simple sound bite like Dean's, that division nowadays is between the folks who have Confederate flag stickers in their back windows and those who don't.

The latter -- the decent, civility-minded, neighborly people of common sense and good will who make up the vast majority of rural America -- are the Democratic party's natural rural base, the people who have most felt abandoned by the party's urban focus in the past 20 years. They are the people that Dean, or whoever carries the party's banner, needs to bring back into the fold.

The former -- the neo-Confederates and Patriots, the right-wing extremists and the unregenerate racists and segregationists, all of whom are the people most likely to put a Dixie sticker in the back window -- are the people who once upon a time made the Democratic Party the acknowledged home of the nation's unreconstructed racists. They are the people who fled the party in the 1960s for the welcoming arms of the Nixonite Republican Party.

Dean should not be courting this faction of rural America. Even if he provides them with a brilliant plan to ensure health care for all of them, they will reject it and him in the end anyway, because their hatred of "gummint" ultimately knows no bounds.

Personally, I have to disagree. I live in Texas and I see a lot of Confederate flags myself - and I think that the perception of anyone who has a C flag on their truck is a closet racist (implied in Orcinus' argument) is blatant Yankee stereotyping. I despise the Confederate Flag and what it stands for but the truth is that it has become a social rallying point for conservatives, not because of racial overtones, but rather in response to the "liberal onslaught" of progressive ideology such as welfare, multilingual education, immigration, secularism, political correctness, affirmative action, etc. When you hear a Southerner speak fondly of Dixie and Southern Culture, they aren't talking about returning to the cotton plantations as massah and boy. They are literally too far removed from that era to really be tied to it.

It's true that many of these people will never vote for Dean anyway. But te point is not to try and appeal to those confederate flag wavin' pickup drivin' gun tootin' whoever they are - it's to appeal to the moderate conservatives, the ordinary people, who may be attracted by Dean's message of affordable health care but still have closer cultural ties to the more "redneck" (to use the gross stereotype) types. You can't attract Southerners to your platform without demonstrating respect for their concerns - and Dean's soundbite is (I believe) an honest recognition of this.

What does Deanlandia think? Keep the line, edit it, or dump it entirely, and why?

Continue reading/discuss confederate flags for Dean? ...

Regular DeanBlog contributor Carl Withak has a long post full of photos (and video?) from the convention floor about Dean's speech:

With each line the Governor completed the audience became more energized. By the time he had completed the above statement he had at least 80% of the crowd off their seats, screaming and waving Dean signs! No other speech before or after received anything like this. At best, a speaker could count on 30-40% of the crowd to get off of their seats and applaud. This show of support was deafening.
...
As the good Doctor began to wrap things up he seemed to feed off the audience. His face become red, nearly the entire convention on their feet, screaming his praise, Governor Dean bellowed, "I want my country back! We want our country back!" From the looks of it, California is definitely Dean Country among the party faithful.
...
Outside the convention doors hordes of delegates converged on the Dean booth snatching up whatever Dean material they could and signing up to support the campaign. When I first went outside to check I was pretty shocked. There hadn't been a line at any booth until now. New found fans were now clogging the hall way, waiting to get sign up on paper in their support of Dr. Dean.

Oddly enough, very few, if any delegates were now standing in front of the Kerry or Edwards tables unless they were in line for the Governor's table. The volunteers manning the Senator's tables (located at each end of the Dean table) looked as if they'd had the wind kicked out of them. The heavy traffic would continue at the Dean table for the rest of the weekend, only slightly slowing down.

Hours later if you were to ask an anonymous delegate, as I did man, many times, "So, what did you think of the speech." You need not mention Dean by name, they knew immediately what you meant and they showered him with praise.

Jerome has his own thoughts on the speech, and points to a similar piece from The Hauser Report (via myDD):

This was serious stuff. A Democrat saying forget the Patients Bill of Rights. Then, he gave us pie-in the sky health care for all business. But the thing is, Dean explained how to do it (through Medicare and Medicaid) and showed that he did that in Vermont. Dean insisted on balancing the budget because otherwise you cannot fund social justice. He had something going here. He had a vision, he had experience, he could explain the importance of the ideas he was espousing, show they could be done, and get the message across in a way that was not just juicing up the left nor paying lip service without action that the right does.
...
Dean's speech then hit a peak that I have never personally seen (although attendees of national conventions may have). Dean had the place sold as he yelled over the absolutely raucous cheers "I want America back. I don't want to be divided any more. I want my country back."

And then the line that sent the house through the roof:

"I'm tired of listening to the fundamentalist preachers!"

Don't forget you can see the video of Dean's speech here - if anyone can provide a transcript, it would be much appreciated.

Continue reading/discuss More responses on Dean wowing the CA Dems ...

This article in the WaPo is a more personal look at Dean on eth campaign trail. Dean reacts to the enthusiasm his campaign has generated, as well as speaking frankly of his straight-talking methods as both asset and liability. As well as unrequited love for lollipops (read it, you'll see). There is also a slight suggestion that Dean's candor is not as off the cuff as it seems:

Dean says he doesn't do things for political reasons. When you start qualifying everything, he says, you get in trouble.

But when a young mother asks a question about Dean's high approval rating from the National Rifle Association, he gives a curious answer. After saying that Vermont has no need for gun-control laws -- it has one of the lowest homicide rates in the country -- he concedes that it's a view some people will have trouble with.

"But it's also a position that will allow me to win the presidency," he says. Al Gore's strong support for gun control cost him dearly in a few key states in 2000, Dean says. "If Al Gore had my position on guns, I wouldn't be here and he'd be in the White House."

Dean will have to be careful - while his postions are pragmatic, talking about the political expediency of them leaves him vulnerable. Also, Dean has been pushing this theme recently, about setting a bad precedent:

"The threshold for what America does militarily has got to be higher than anyone else's," Dean is saying. "America has always set the moral tone in foreign policy. And if we attack a nation unilaterally that's not a threat to us, it means that someone will try the same thing, somewhere down the line, and justify it by our actions."

This is a flat-out poor strategic move on his part. While I agree that America must set the moral tone, the argument that other nations will be "inspired" by our action in Iraq to act similarly (ex. India attacking Paksitan, or China attacking Taiwan) is deeply flawed. Precedent has absolutely zero meaning in the context of foreign policy - China's decision to invade Taiwan will always hinge on what our commitment to defend Taiwan is, for example. Eugene Volokh has a fairly solid and rigorous rebuttal of Dean's point that I think demonstrates its flaws well. It's far better to insist on "moral tone" for foreign policy than to put too much stock in precedents. The moral arguments are very useful and will have resonance on the right as well as the left.

Continue reading/discuss Waging Peace ...

Cute little article comparing Dean and fictional president Bartlett in painstaking detail. Nothing really new here, though there is some insinuation that the fiction-reality connection was deliberate in some ways, especially with regard to the "for America" slogan. More interesting is the way the fervor and passion that Dean has aroused in the party activists is seen in the context of the TV series.

Further blurring the line between entertainment and politics, and truth and fiction, is Rush Limbaugh's latest diatribe.

Continue reading/discuss Howard and Josiah ...

The Howard Dean news has been coming fast and furious today, mostly in response to his stellar statement in response to the Bush announcement on Iraq. His comments have sparked a wildfire of discussion, some positive, and some anything but.

So let's break down the news in order.

1. The New York Times. Adam Nagourey's article finds the Democratic Party scrambling to find a coherent message on Operation: Iraqi Freedom (hey, I didn't name it).

Officials in both parties say the image of high-profile Democrats challenging President Bush's war policy right up through his address to the nation on Monday — and, in fact, beyond the speech, as was clear here today — could reinforce a perception that Republicans are better suited to deal with threats from abroad.

One rival strategist was quoted as saying, "If Howard Dean didn't exist, Karl Rove would have to invent him." Ouch!

However, Nagourney completely misrepresents his statement, claiming Dean "declared he would continue his attacks, war or no war." The following was Dean's actual comment, hardly a promise of continued attacks:

...to ensure that our post-war policies are constructive and humane, based on enduring principles of peace and justice, concerned Americans should continue to speak out; and I intend to do so.

2. ABC's The Note. Thank goodness for balance. The Note quotes an unnamed pro-war Democratic candidate's advisor as actually defending Dean, saying that

Lots of Americans are sympathetic to the view that this war is a questionable enterprise. What I believe is a bigger threat to Democrats in the general election are candidates that are viewed as being wishy-washy on the war. Equivocation on security issues is the real vulnerability for Democrats.

3. The Washington Post. Also noted by The Note, Mark Leibovich's article in the Post plays up Dean as "the antiwar candidate," which the author acknowledges makes the candidate "grimace."

More importantly, the article highlights that Dean is the candidate with the most momentum and the most passionate support. One such supporter is quoted as saying, "I saw him on C-SPAN and he had me jumping up and down in my living room." My thoughts exactly.

4. The American Prospect. Prospect.org has a web-only candidate-by-candidate overview of the California Democratic Party State Convention. The Dean profile is extremely flattering, calling him "very much for real" and noting that he "repeatedly brought the delegates to their feet." This is also the first time I'd seen mention of Dean's "I want my country back!" chorus which closed his Sacramento speech. (Very powerful stuff for those of you who didn't catch it. I strongly encourage you do watch the video at C-SPAN.org.)

Continue reading/discuss Big news day for Dean ...

Remember the Meetup Challenge! (details here, and add a penny for the Internet). Speak out for Dean--get at least ten friends to contribute. Also, there are new flyers coming soon for the rallies this week.

Continue reading/discuss ...

Ellis Henican of Newsday writes a nice column lauding Dean's nuanced position on the upcoming military action in Iraq. He quotes family members, moms and dads, who have kids in the Persian Gulf.

An excerpt:

Support the troops, oppose the war: For Charley Richardson, that's where real patriotism lies, as he and his son wait for their president's call.

"Why do people have such a hard time with this concept?" this one Marine father asked. "If I saw my son getting into a car with a drunk driver, I would lay down in the middle of the street to keep that car from moving. I would do anything I could. "For me to stand on the side of the road and salute would be ridiculous." Opposition to this war is deep and wide.

Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor now lighting up the Democratic presidential race, vowed to stay on the case.

"I went to Parris Island so I could look into the faces of the kids who will be sent to Iraq," Dean told a cheering lunchtime crowd in Concord, N.H. "We should always support our kids, but I do not support this president's policies and I will continue to say so."

It's telling that there are military families with kids in the Persian Gulf who remain opposed to this action, and who can understand the need - indeed, they feel compelled - to speak out.

Continue reading/discuss Support the Troops, Oppose the War ...

Our field agent Teddy Davis sends this notice of Dean's participation in a "Presidential Candidates Forum" sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund on Wednesday, April 9 from 7-9 p.m in Washington DC:

The forum will be held at the Marriot Wardman Park Hotel. The hotel is conveniently located near the Woodley Park/National Zoo stop on the Metro's Red Line.

All announced candidates have been invited. What's more, I called Jane Farrel with the Children's Defense Fund and learned that the "candidates forum" is free and open to the public.

On the heels of Dean's electrifying performances at forums sponsored by NARAL, the DNC, and the California Democratic Party, rival camps are hoping that Dean's appeal will fade once war commences in Iraq.

Come out. Support Dean's prescription for change.

Prove the pundits wrong!

It's worth noting that in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry has announced that the Children's Health Insurance program will likely not survive the upcoming budget cuts as Texas reels from its budget crisis. The reason Texas has a crisis? Ask former Governor: George W. Bush.

Continue reading/discuss see Dean speak at the Children's Defense Fund Presidential Forum ...

“Tonight, for better or worse, America is at war. Tonight, every American, regardless of party, devoutly supports the safety and success of our men and women in the field. Those of us who, over the past 6 months, have expressed deep concerns about this President’s management of the crisis, mistreatment of our allies and misconstruction of international law, have never been in doubt about the evil of Saddam Hussein or the necessity of removing his weapons of mass destruction.
Those Americans who opposed our going to war with Iraq, who wanted the United Nations to remove those weapons without war, need not apologize for giving voice to their conscience, last year, this year or next year. In a country devoted to the freedom of debate and dissent, it is every citizen’s patriotic duty to speak out, even as we wish our troops well and pray for their safe return. Congressman Abraham Lincoln did this in criticizing the Mexican War of 1846, as did Senator Robert F. Kennedy in calling the war in Vietnam “unsuitable, immoral and intolerable.”
This is not Iraq, where doubters and dissenters are punished or silenced --this is the United States of America. We need to support our young people as they are sent to war by the President, and I have no doubt that American military power will prevail. But to ensure that our post-war policies are constructive and humane, based on enduring principles of peace and justice, concerned Americans should continue to speak out; and I intend to do so.”

Continue reading/discuss Dean's Statement on the President’s decision to send U.S. military troops into Iraq ...

That's the question being asked at MSNBC.com in an article titled, "Democrats seek another Clinton." Citing his support of civil unions and universal health insurance, Tom Curry posits that Dean "might not be able to win the general election." The biggest figure lending weight to this theory of late is Garry South, Gray Davis's reelection advisor.

It appears to be a legitimate concern from a party heavyweight until one looks a bit closer. South is on record as having the goal of "beating the bejesus out of George W. Bush" in 2004. He's also on record as subscribing to the theory that "antiwar" always translates to "soft on national defense" in the minds of everyday voters. (Many would argue that's changed greatly in light of the recent foreign policy moves of George W. Bush.)

While Garry South has made his intention clear to work for the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, he's also made it clear that he hopes to help choose who that nominee is. The smart money says he's leaning towards Davis friend Kerry. One gets the impression though, that Clark, Graham, Edwards, Lieberman, or Gephardt would do. Hopefully, Dean will be able to outrun the "weak dove" meme and win over (or silence) powerbrokers like South in the process.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Too Far Left? ...

Gov. Dean has clarified his position on war with Iraq if, and when, the United States should engage in a military conflict with that nation. He has forcefully suggested that he will support our troops and wish them success - but continue to challenge the Bush Administration on its strategy in Iraq. He has said he will also continue to speak out against the administration's policy on North Korea, and its failure to open bilateral talks with that nation as it attempts to build a nuclear arsenal.

This is a big step for the campaign and will help to reassure those who fear that once war breaks out that there will be no candidate speaking out against the Bush Administration. This may also help to continue setting Dean apart from the rest of the field.

"It is our patriotic duty to say to the president, 'We wish our troops well. We hope they get home safely and soon, but Mr. President, we think this war is a mistake," Dean told a gathering of Democrats.

One woman in New Hampshire summed up how many of us feel about this campaign, and its gathering momentum:

Barbara Miles of Manchester said she came to the event because she had seen a C-SPAN broadcast Sunday night of Dean's speech Saturday to the California Democratic Party convention.

"At the end of the speech, he had me standing up cheering in my own living room," said Miles. Dean's anti-war speech drew wild applause from the 1,800 California activists at the convention.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Will Continue to Speak Out ...

We are on the eve of war on Iraq. Collectively, we deaniacs have been trying to make the case that Dean's apeal transcends his position on war, and have been striving to explain how his position is more complex than simple "no war" but hinges on recognition from the UN, without sacrificing America's sovereign right to act in defense.

However, as Bush goes to the nation tonight and delivers his ultimatum, it is important to switch gears and explain to anti-war Americans why Dean does truly reflect their views, despite the qualifications above.

Few Americans believe that all war is wrong and that war must never be waged for any reason - especially after 9-11 it is hard to find anyone but the most extreme left who advocate dismantling our armed forces or other such pacifist measures. Most Americans who are against war feel this way simply because they feel that the case for war has not yet been made.

President Bush no doubt believes that there is a strong case for war. However, he has not really made this case to the public. Implicit in Dean's position is the recognition that there must not only be a reason but that the people must be given that information. Dean would not view dissent as harmful - his administration would not seek to prevent rallies in New York City against war or threaten grave consequences when the Parliament of other sovereign nations such as Turkey vote in accordance with their people's wishes instead of his.

If we were to make a case for Dean to an American who is against war, how could we communicate these ideas effectively? Regardless of how the war goes (and it likely will go very well), how can Dean preserve the support of Americans who are anti-war but who may be dswayed by Bush's success? How can Dean remond people of the political environment today, 6 months from now?

Continue reading/discuss Dean - antiwar candidate ...

Dean was on CPAN yesterday delivering a speech at the California Dem. Convention. If anyone has the link to video or transcript, please let us know and we will update the post.

In the meantime, read DailyKos's coverage of Day 2 (where Dean cleaned house) and Jerome's reporting, who also points to this early report from AlterNet and an analysis of the top three candidates (Kerry, Edwards, and Dean) from the SacBee. By all accounts, Dean was on fire.

UPDATE: added link to the video. Click above or here.

UPDATE 2: Carl With a K has another video from the convention. Links to Dial up and high-bandwidth versions

Continue reading/discuss video: speech at California Democratic Convention ...

Howard needs your help this month--we've got an FEC deadline coming up, and we need the net to come on board and show the depth of support he's got there. He loves the net, and we've got a great opportunity to show how much it loves him. There's a new official Call to Action blog up--we'll be updating regularly. In the meantime, PLEASE send this letter (or your own), to everyone you know. Thanks so much! There is a longer version on the call to action blog. -- Z

I’m writing all my friends on my email list because there is something that is very important to me personally and should be important to the country. Howard Dean is the only candidate running for President who says what he thinks, and acts on what he says. I think he’s dead on. I want you to get involved and contribute to his campaign. He doesn’t have the deep pockets of most of the other candidates, but I believe he will make the best president—and I don’t want money to decide who leads this country. You can check him out at www.deanforamerica.com.

Even if this is the first time you have heard of him, or if you are unsure about your support, your donation at this time will allow his voice to be heard. Please help me and others take the big money out of politics. Please contribute whatever you can at WWW.DEANFORAMERICA.COM--$10 to $1000 (add a penny for the internet)--and pass it on to your friends who might be interested.

Contribute at: http://www.deanforamerica.com/dean.cfm?section=involved&page=contribute

I feel so strongly about this that I’ve decided to take the time to ask for money for the campaign, and I hope you will also take the time to make a contribution. I’m convinced that if we do this, Howard will never let us down. Thanks for considering this.

PS: If you want to get more involved, visit Howard Dean's Call To Action blog at http://www.deancalltoaction.blogspot.com/, or join your local meetup at http://dean2004.meetup.com

Continue reading/discuss ...

TEXANS! MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Gov Howard Dean will be in our state April 7, 8, and 9! On April 7, he'll be in Dallas for the morning and afternoon, then Austin in the evening. On April 8, he'll attend a few events in Austin, then travel to Houston on April 9. Details about findraising and networking activities will be posted here as soon as everything is finalised. I just wanted to go ahead and post a heads-up so you can plan on attending an event in your area.

Continue reading/discuss Texas is Dean country! ...

Hi everyone! I attended the first Dean for Texas meeting in Austin this morning and got a good inside look at how the Dean campaign is building their organisation nationwide. Essentially, the more moneyed candidates will be able to "buy" established networks of fundraisers and the like, while Dean is building one from the ground up. This is why it's very important for the activists among us to get involved in the campaign. We need to start building name recognition while continuing to raise money.
There are some websites being set up right now for the purpose of building the organisation. Many people have written us to ask how they can help, so I thought I'd point you all over to DeanVolunteers.org. There are links to many states in place already, with contact information for your precinct organisers being added daily. And as a side note, if you're in Texas like me, you can visit DeanForTexas.com to get started volunteering for the campaign. We've got a lot of legwork to do here, so if anyone can donate some time, the campaign would be very grateful.

UPDATE: the Dean Volunteers website has also been linked from the sidebar for a few days now - and there is a new Dean campaign site being setup, a blog called www.deancalltoaction.blogspot.com, which will be a notice board for specific calls to action by the campaign to the netroots support. I will try to see if the campaign will be willing to post their call to action notices on this blog as well.

update: Oh gees, I guess this is what I get when I try to post stuff directly after a four hour road trip. I just noticed Aziz has already put a link in the sidebar for the volunteers site. Ug! Sorry for the flub, folks.

Continue reading/discuss Dean volunteers website ...

Rally in Boston on March 26th at 3pm with a speech by Dean at 4pm. Take the Red Line to JFK/UMass Station--rally is at the JFK library.

Hear Howard Dean speak about:

• Guaranteed Healthcare
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Thoughtful Foreign Policy
• Equal Rights for All

Reserve a free seat at www.jfklibrary.org/calendar.html.

Continue reading/discuss Beantown is Deantown ...

Much is being made of Howard Dean and John Kerry's attacks on the administration launched this weekend at the California State Democratic convention. More important to Dean blog readers, the San Francisco Chronicle highlights Dean's criticism of Kerry for his support of last year's resolution backing war with Iraq. This seems to be a smart move for Dean, as the article notes, "Even Kerry supporters admitted his vote on Iraq worried them."

(There is a much larger piece on the growing Kerry/Dean competition at my site if you're interested.)

Continue reading/discuss Dean and Kerry take on Bush foreign policy ...

The New York Times ran a piece yesterday on the March 5 Dean Meetup at the Essex in New York City. It's a hugely positive piece citing the importance of grassroots internet organizing for the Dean campaign. Speaking about the organizer, Meetup.com, The Times points out:

... the site lists groups for supporters of Democratic candidates like Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, and for backers of President Bush. But none so far are as well populated as those for Dr. Dean, a physician who is an outspoken opponent of war with Iraq.

Dean is played up as the antiwar candidate, although without the one-trick-pony spin Fox News applied to the good doctor in their analysis of the meetup. The most important thing, it seems to me, is the fact that the New York Times is paying attention to the fact that Dean's support is real, grassroots, and anything but orchestrated.

(Thanks to Braham, who earlier posted a link to the story on the message board.)

Continue reading/discuss New York Times on the Dean Meetups ...

The Nation has an interview with Dean on their radio program, Radio Nation:

In an interview with The Nation's Washington editor David Corn, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, a Democratic presidential candidate, discusses his opposition to war in Iraq, explains his own vision of healthcare reform, praises the NRA, whacks away at Bush and the Democratic Party, and names his favorite rock album.

Here's the direct link (pre-cued to Dean's segment):

 Radio Nation interview

The Nation is also running a full profile of Dean. It's a mixed bag, but on the whole a decent analysis and serves well as a summary of Dean's progress and stance so far. Given how influential TNR is, Dean's status as a top tier candidate will likely enter conventional wisdom as a result of this piece (which is a follow-up to the TNR piece last year that helped launch Dean's candidacy). The piece is particularly good at highlighting Dean's independent positions on various issues:

On many issues, Dean lines up--or ends up--on the left, though occasionally with a twist. Asked about affirmative action, he angrily assails Bush for dishonestly and exploitatively using the word "quotas" in attacking affirmative action programs at the University of Michigan. Yet he also calls for basing affirmative action on "income and class" distinctions as well as race. He believes portions of the USA Patriot Act "overreach," but, he says, "I haven't condemned Congress for passing" the legislation. It's only natural, he explains, that the lawmakers would overreact. The problem is, he explains, that Bush has appointed right-wing judges who will not provide any counterbalance to the excesses of the politicians. Dean maintains he doesn't "believe the war on drugs is a criminal matter; it's a public health matter. To throw users in jail is silly." But he cannot stand state initiatives that seek to legalize medical marijuana. "I hate the idea of legislators and politicians practicing medicine," he says. Should the Feds be busting medical marijuana clubs? "Depends on the circumstances," he says. "In general, no." If he were President, Dean adds, he would force the Food and Drug Administration to evaluate medical marijuana, and he would be prepared to accept its findings. Regarding the Kyoto global warming treaty, he wouldn't sign it as is. He argues that the accord--since "it doesn't require the underdeveloped countries to do anything about greenhouse gases"--would "have the effect of moving the steel industry or other industries that pollute into countries where there are no requirements to improve their situation with greenhouse gasses." He wouldn't dump the treaty, as Bush did. Instead, he would continue to negotiate to make changes. He favors a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But, he says, "I don't think you can pressure the Israelis to do anything until you stop the terror." And he urges more federal spending on fighting global poverty and disease, but won't provide any sense of how much.

Meanwhile over at TNR, there is also a short blurb on Dean in TNR's "etc." section which makes a good point about why Dean looks like a liberal now, though he was considered moderate while governor:

It's not entirely out of keeping that I'm one of the more progressive people in the (presidential) race while still being a moderate at home, because if you believe in a balanced budget, that automatically disqualifies you from being a progressive (in Vermont). And I think at the national level, that's not true.

Dean is right that being considered a moderate in Vermont--which he clearly was--probably puts you somewhere on the left side of the current Democratic presidential field (even if Dean's lefty reputation isn't entirely deserved). But there's more going on here than just that. The more important reason Dean was viewed as a moderate when he was governor but is viewed as a liberal now is that the country as a whole has shifted to the right--at least on certain key issues.

They go on to discuss Dean's fiscal conservatism and point out that "fiscal conservatism" is actually under fire from conservatives, thus making it a liberal position by implication.

apologies to all for the continued mixups with this post - I honestly DO know the diference between TNR and The Nation, though maybe just not this morning. where's my caffeine grog?

Continue reading/discuss Radio Nation interview & more tidbits ...

Thanks to reader Ken Manz for pointing out: http://dean2004.blogpsot.com - don't visit the URL, it just puts huge pop-ups all over your screen and tries to sell you bibles. But it's clear that Dean's candidacy (and the Dean Blog particularly) has attracted enough attention that it's now become worthy of parasitic typo-traffic.

With our candidate himself posting to this blog, we have verification that we have been an asset to Dean's campaign. We drive an immense amount of traffic to the campaign website, and especially to the online donations page (as Dean himself confirmed to Anna some weeks ago). In a way, this blog is a true partnership between politicians and the electorate, in a way that hasn't been possible since the early days of the Republic.

Remember what partnership means. Our self-organizing fundraising, war-room analysis, and real-time feedback is our responsibility to our candidate. Dean's reciprocal responsibility to us, is to represent us and act in our interests, and that of the nation. Therefore, it is important that we are given a chance to express ourselves, so that Dean is aware of what his supporters' issues and concerns are. And again, this blog can address that role.

So, I propose the first DeanBlog Interview. If you have a question for Dean, on an issue that he has not addressed in his stump speeches or on his campaign website, or a general question on other topics (be it personal, philosophical, - whatever) - post it in the comments thread of this post. Dean critics welcome! As Dean is running to be their president, too.

After we have collected a fair number of questions, we will make a new post asking readers to vote on the assembled questions, and then submit the 15 highest-rated ones to the campaign (and post them publicly).

During the NPR interview, Dean asked reporters, "it all going to be just Iraq, Iraq, Iraq?" but got no answer. I think we can do better, especially with a candidate that is so willing to actually ask.

Continue reading/discuss YOU interview Howard Dean ...

NPR Transcript of Dean Interview, March 11, 2003

BOB EDWARDS, host: The prospect of war has become a big issue for Democratic presidential candidates. Among those candidates well-organized in Iowa, only one, physician and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, is portraying himself as an opponent of the war. His position has given him some early momentum in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson traveled in Iowa with Dean this past weekend, and has this report.

MARA LIASSON reporting: The Iowa caucuses are just about 10 months away and Howard Dean is doing what you do in Iowa at this very early stage. He's traveling from one small town to another, meeting with small groups of committed Democrats, trying to get votes one at a time.

Former Governor HOWARD DEAN: Very nice to come.
Unidentified Woman: And this is Ray Miller(ph).
Mr. DEAN: So does Rosemary(ph) drag you to all the caucuses?
Unidentified Woman: Tries to.

LIASSON: Dean's trademark line is that he represents the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. It's a quote from the late Senator Paul Wellstone, and Dean is comfortable practicing Wellstone's brand of conviction politics.

Mr. DEAN: I think that for too long, Democrats have been afraid to take on the president. We're intimidated by the president's poll ratings. We're intimidated by the right-wing talk show hosts. We need to be very clear that there is nothing that we ought to be ashamed about, about A, being Democrats and B, standing up for the things that we believe in.

LIASSON: Democrats in Washington are making a big mistake, Dean says, when they assume they have to go along with the president's policies because George W. Bush is personally popular.

Mr. DEAN: Well, the war is an example. Here I am the only major Democratic candidate who did not support the president's Iraq resolution. And it's not because I'm afraid to use the power of the military. We have to. Every president has to be willing to do that. But I don't think that Iraq is a threat to the United States. I think it's a third-rate country. We've contained them for 12 years without going to war. But you know what is a threat? Al-Qaeda's a threat and North Korea's a threat.

LIASSON: While the other Democratic candidates in Iowa this weekend were met by anti-war protests and hammered with questions about their support for the president's policy, Dean got bigger-than-expected crowds and standing ovations. Joyce Kranz, who came to ask Dean some questions at the 218 Cafe in Vinton, was typical of Iowa Democrats who were against the war and deeply disturbed by the reaction of people around the world.

Ms. JOYCE KRANZ: They had a poll on TV showing the countries--how much the people are against us. Seventy percent was the lowest. That's too many people to be against us. I mean, nobody is for us. And in the East, do you have people that support the war? Because here in Iowa, I can't say I find very many people who do.

LIASSON: When it comes to foreign policy, Iowans have a long tradition of pacifism and isolationism. Current polls show 85 percent of Iowa Democrats against the war, and among the most committed Democrats, the ones who go to the caucuses, the number is probably even higher. There's not much of a military presence here, few bases
or defense plants. In 1991, Iowa's Charles Grassley was one of only two Republican senators to vote against the Gulf War resolution. So it's not surprising that Dean's anti-war stand is helping him win converts, particularly among young people, like Megan Scott(ph) and Brian Tibbetts(ph).

Mr. BRIAN TIBBETTS: Because he's the only person who's standing up for what I believe in, he's not afraid to stand up against everyone else and say what he believes in.

Ms. MEGAN SCOTT: This is the second time I've heard him. We heard him in Iowa City and we drove here to hear him again tonight because I was so impressed with what he had to say.

LIASSON: As for the rest of the Democratic field, Megan Scott says their votes for the war were disappointing.

Ms. SCOTT: I don't know. It just really upset me to see such blind support, which, to me, it seemed like. And so it means a lot that he's willing to stand up and stand up for his beliefs and he's willing to take a risk because it may not be a popular stance in certain parts of the country, but it doesn't seem like he's backing down.

LIASSON: Dean's opposition to the war has become a metaphor for his willingness to stand up to the president. The fact that he was a governor underscores his other theme: that he's an outsider fighting against the Washington establishment. Carol Jensen(ph), a retired nurse who came to here him in Amana, found that appealing.

Ms. CAROL JENSEN: Well, I think he is very straight shooting, but it doesn't hurt that he's outside the Beltway. I think that's a big factor. He hasn't got the political baggage that the other players have. He's basically above it. He's out of the politics of it. He can say these things because nobody's going to come down and take away his committee chairmanship or anything else for this.

LIASSON: Some of Dean's success is due to sheer persistence. This is his 23rd visit to Iowa. He was here 14 times before any other candidate campaigned here. In an interview, Dean acknowledged that the war has opened doors for him and made him a surprisingly viable dark horse in this race.

Mr. DEAN: I think it's given me enormous visibility among Democrats, and I think it's helped me hugely, particularly in Iowa. There are two groups of people who support me because of the war. One are the people who always oppose every war, and in the end I think I probably won't get all of those people. I'll get some of them, but not all of
them. But I think I'm going to get a lot of Democrats who appreciate the fact that I stood up early and said this war is the wrong war, and that other folks running shouldn't be supporting it, because they see that I'm also in favor of health insurance, in favor of balancing the budget, in favor of some core Democratic issues that nobody else will stand up for.

LIASSON: What happens if the war is short and successful and the Iraqis embrace their American liberators with open arms? Many analysts think if that happens, no Democrat who opposed the war could beat George W. Bush, let alone convince his party to nominate him. But Dean is not concerned.

Mr. DEAN: I think you almost always win when you stand up for what you believe and take principled stands, and I'm not the least bit apologetic that I think this president's making a mistake, and I think it's a mistake to go in there under almost any circumstances, unless Iraq becomes a direct threat to the United States. Then we have a right to defend ourselves.

LIASSON: Dean's defiance is also directed at those Democratic candidates who voted for the war but now are trying to convince voters they're against it. Steve Kranz, the Democratic chair in Benton County, says Dean's strong stand against the war is attracting many Democrats right now. But in the end, he says, the war will not be the issue that determines the winner of the Iowa caucuses.

Mr. STEVE KRANZ (Democratic Chairman, Benton County): Assuming that the war goes on and is concluded within three or four months, that may not be an issue down the road. So what I'm looking at more are his social policy issues, his domestic issues. Where does he stand on health care? Where does he stand on unemployment? And I think that's, behind the scenes, what more Democrats are looking for.

LIASSON: And many Democrats will be looking for a candidate they believe can win the nomination and the election. Once the war is over, Dean's electability will become more of an issue. Can a former governor from a tiny state who signed a bill granting gay couples the legal benefits of marriage make it to the White House? Dean certainly
thinks he can, but he says he is looking forward to getting more attention for his domestic policies, including his plan for universal health coverage. But at a press conference with local reporters in Des Moines this weekend, the questions were all foreign policy.

Mr. DEAN: Does anybody have any interest in talking about the fact that the jobless rate just went up and that I would like to have health insurance for everybody? Or is it all going to be just Iraq, Iraq, Iraq?

LIASSON: The reporters' silence gave Dean his answer. Until the war is over, there is only one issue. But in Iowa right now, that's not so bad for Howard Dean. Mara Liasson, NPR News, Des Moines.


**thanks to the ever-alert Christopher Curtis for the transcript

Continue reading/discuss NPR transcript of Dean interview from March 11 ...

You want flyers? We got flyers! Okay, well, one flyer, but it's a start! One of our readers sent in a flyer he's created (thanks, David!) so I made a directory on my personal web server. Feel free to click on the link above and grab David's flyer. I'm providing this space on my server for the forseeable future. If anyone has created a Dean flyer, poster, or card, email it to me and I'll add it to the directory. Feel free to pass the link around.

And remember folks, if you're attending one of the many anti-war rallies and vigils this weekend, print some flyers and pass them around. Also, if anyone is attending the California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento this weekend, remember to show up at 8:30AM to support Howard Dean, who'll be arriving at 8:45AM!

Continue reading/discuss Downloadable Dean flyers! ...

Salon.com urges the current crop of contenders to continue their war opposition even after the bombs start dropping:
Democrats have a brand-new dilemma over the looming Iraq invasion: What should they say -- especially the half-dozen or so camped out in Iowa right now, crusading for the '04 presidential nomination -- once war breaks out?
Even some antiwar Democrats are insisting they won't criticize the Bush administration once the fighting begins. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, who's staked out a complex pro-disarming Saddam, anti-unilateral-war approach to the mess, says he'll hit the mute button immediately. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a more unequivocal war opponent than Kerry, told the Boston Globe he's not sure he'll keep it up once the shooting starts. War critics like former Sen. Gary Hart and Florida Sen. Bob Graham may postpone official announcements of their candidacies if war begins, as expected, in the next couple of weeks. Only Rep. Dennis Kucinich and former Sen. Carol Mosely-Braun, who are not given much chance of winning the nomination, have had the courage to tell reporters that they'll stick with their antiwar message come war.
This timidity is Reason No. 392 for the political question vexing Democrats right now: Why is it that polls show President Bush losing the '04 election to an "Unnamed Democrat," but beating all the Democrats who are currently in the race? Everyone knows this president is supremely vulnerable. He's plundered the surplus and pushed an economic policy that has arguably worsened the recession. He's angered most of our allies and is now on the verge of a potentially disastrous war whose rationale changes every day. His poll numbers dip almost daily, too.
But Bush can still probably beat any of the Democrats lined up against him, because no one yet has shown the charisma or the courage to break out of the pack. And otherwise admirable candidates like Kerry and Dean seem to be faltering in this early test of political integrity.

Joan Walsh makes a few pretty good points. She states correctly that the Democrats lack of a platform cost them during last fall's elections, and proposes that by waffling on the anti-war message they may confirm to voters that they don't really "stand for anything". Walsh particularly takes Kerry to task for saying he'd zip it once the bombs start dropping:

"It's what you owe the troops," Kerry said in a prepared news statement. "I remember being one of those guys and reading news reports from home. If America is at war, I won't speak a word without measuring how it'll sound to the guys doing the fighting when they're listening to their radios in the desert." If only Kerry remembered how he felt once he got home from Vietnam, when his worst fears were confirmed that the war was a huge mistake. (It would also be nice if he remembered there are gals, not just guys, on the front lines today.) He seems to have forgotten the question he is most famous for, the one he asked a U.S. Senate committee in 1971, demanding they shut the Vietnam War down immediately: "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

She also contends that if the war is wrong today, it will be wrong once the bombing starts and on every day it continues. Walsh concludes that Democrats will suffer permanent damage if they look like they're waffling (or "backsliding") on their anti-war stance:
The Democrats' efforts to dodge the war politically didn't work last November -- and they paid with their political lives. The nation will pay for their timidity with real lives once the war starts.

It seems that people across the nation are very hesitant to go to war without UN backing. The last poll I checked has less than 40% support for war without the UN, and it appears as though the gravity of this situation is sinking in with the "everyman". Bush has trashed our allies, broken international treaties, and is charging full steam ahead in his obsession. And people are beginning to realise that the majority of the world's population is against this war. If we were to get UN backing, those numbers change drastically. People would support UN sanctioned action. But right now we are indeed isolated and plunging into unilateral war.

Since the momentum is certainly swinging against Bush, it might be wise for the contenders to keep the heat on. What are your opinions? How do you feel about the notion that the candidates might back off once the war starts? When would be an appropriate time for them to being speaing up again? I think that's the question floating around right now. Does anyone have the answer?

On a positive note, it's nice to see Salon treating Dean like the top tier candidate we know him to be.

**If you'd like to read the article in full, pop over to salon and get yourself a day pass. You may do so by clicking on the banner ad at the top. You need to watch a 10 second ad, then you may browse their content.

Continue reading/discuss Salon article urges Democratic contenders to continue with their opposition when we go to war ...

I know, I know, this isn't a Gephart blog. But I do think we need to keep our eyes on the rest of the field. Tonight, Dickie-G will be on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I watch that show religiously and think that Jon Stewart does a better job of covering the news than many "real news" outlets (and isn't it sad when a cable comedy show does that better?). Of course, it's just my opinion. But don't expect Jon to toss very many softballs in Dick's direction.

Anyone else up for a letter-writing campaign? mail@comedycentral.com is the only email address I found online. How about we all send them a note asking them to invite Dr Dean for a sit-down with Jon? Go!

Continue reading/discuss Gephart to appear on the Daily Show ...

“We cut taxes a lot in Vermont,” Dr. Dean said yesterday in a visit with editors of The New York Sun. Republicans these days, Dr. Dean complained, are operating on a basis of borrow and spend, borrow and spend... touting his “A” rating from the National Rifle Association.

Does Bush need to worry that his conservative base is about to swing into the Dean-for-President camp? Well, probably not yet. The Republican National Committee describes Dr. Dean as an “ultra-liberal on social issues.” His support for gay civil unions in Vermont is unlikely to go over well with the religious conservatives.

Those are Bush votes anyway. Remember the elections of 1992 and 1998, when the Republicans waged their "cultural war" theme? Dean, by boxing off the issues of fiscal conservatism and guns, brings out the worst in Republicans, for all the independents to see-- their social intolerance.

Continue reading/discuss Dean Sounding Unusual Notes: Boasts of cutting taxes, in an interview at the Sun ...

If ever there was a doubt in your mind that grassroots activism isn't appreciated, allow me to erase those doubts. I was scanning through the site comments this morning, and look what I found posted under the "Meetups Report" thread:

Thanks to all of you for your energy and your help. Raising money in small dollar amounts (all matchable from the FEDS) and getting the name and record out now is exactly what we need to be doing. I can't tell you how helpful this is. Many many thanks, Howard Dean
P.S. And a special thanks to all of you went to the New York meet-up last week. It truly was incredible. I'll try to get to another one in April.
Howard Dean | Email | 03.09.03 - 10:50 pm | #

A check of the IP address confirmed its authenticity. And in classic fashion, the Governor typoed his email address. Considering he posted that comment late at night, I think we can forgive him for that one. ;^)

My point in posting this is to encourage you to keep up the hard work. Your efforts are not going unnoticed, and in fact they are appreciated. With your help, we can continue to build on the positive media coverage and attract more donations. With your help, we can build a better Democratic Party, one that's not afraid to stand up for progressive values, and one that won't keel over and play Republican during the next election cycle. With your help, we can win this race and take back the White House. With your help, we can change the party, change America, and ensure a brighter future. My sincerest thanks go to the Dean blog community. I am so grateful that you've shown so much enthusiasm, and it helps me personally to know there are so many folks out there who feel the way I do: that we are heading in the wrong direction, and that it's not too late to change our path. Thank you so much, everyone!

Continue reading/discuss A Message from Gov. Dean to the Dean blog community ...

Many of you have written to us asking how Dean's fundraising efforts are going. Specifically, many people wanted to know if he's met the guidelines for federal matching funds. The answer is YES! I just got off the phone with one of the finance guys at Dean campaign headquarters (not sure if I can mention his name, so I won't), and he confirmed that Gov. Dean has indeed met the 20-state guideline. What does this mean? This means that from here on out, any contribution of $250 or less will be matched by the FEC. This means that your support is more valuable than ever because every time you donate up to $250, the campaign receives an equal amount from the FEC! He wanted me to remind Dean supporters of some of the donation guidelines, so here goes.

First of all, the donations must be accompanied by your occupation and employer information! These fields are included in both the online contribution form and the printable form (.pdf format). This information is required by the FEC, and if it is included the donation is matched. Second, an individual may donate up to $2000, all of which will be matched by the FEC if the required info is included and it is in increments of $250 or less.

He also confirmed that they're enthusiastic about the Million Dollar Meetup Challenge, and as a matter of fact, it was included in the mailout that was sent earlier today. Everyone at Dean HQ is very impressed by the internet support, and it is a real morale-booster around the office. They are grateful to everyone who's attended the meetups and helped organise the campaign at the grassroots level.

Continue reading/discuss Fundraising update: Dean eligible for matching funds! ...

I just received a mailing from the official Dean campaign list, in which they notified us of an appearance and speech by Gov. Dean tonight in Mesa, AZ. Since there was a bit of confusion over the appearance in Sacramento this weekend, I called the college to confirm the location, and it HAS CHANGED.

The mailing stated: "You're invited to see Governor Dean speak when he is in your city. On Tuesday, March 11th at 7 pm, Governor Dean will address the Young Democrats at Mesa Community College in Phoenix, Arizona (Social and Cultural Building Room 11E)."

THIS IS INCORRECT! They've had to move to a bigger room on campus due to interest, so here is the right location: 1833 West Southern Ave. Mesa, AZ 85202 Gov. Dean will be speaking in room LB145, which is adjacent to the main Library. This event is free and open to the public! Please show your support for the Governor by attending this speech, and don't forget to bring those prescription bottles filled with change!

The link above goes to a map of the location.

Continue reading/discuss Attention Arizona! Dean is in Mesa tonight and it's open to the public! ...

Welcome to the DeanBlog, MetaFilter readers! You're probably here to find out more about Howard Dean - to get started, be sure to read his issues statements on his campaign website. Next, there is an extensive list of links to transcripts, audio, and video in the left-sidebar, links to regional groups on the right, as well as the blog archives, a discussion forum, and more.

If you like what you see and want to join the Dean Democrats, start by donating to the campaign and then grab a bumper sticker or two!

Continue reading/discuss welcome, MetaFilter readers ...

Sounds like the hometown press is finally jumping on the Dean bandwagon. This is an op-ed peice which focuses on Dean's rise as a top-tier candidate based on his opposition to Bush's handling of Iraq.

It was a remarkable -- if not dumbfounding -- illustration of today's topsy-turvy politics. A heretofore obscure ex-governor who had recently spent most of his time wrestling with school finance and a budget shortfall and still might not know Basra from Bahrain was aggressively challenging the secretary of state and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on foreign and military matters. "Saddam in my view has been successfully contained for 12 years, at a relatively low cost," Dean said, adding that he thought North Korea was a greater threat to U.S. security than Iraq.

The article doesn't forget to mention that Dean has lots of experience with issues that matter to everyday Americans, such as health care, balancing budget, and the environment. But clearly the emphasis is on how Dean has managed to strike a chord with the majority of Americans who are insecure about Bush's handling (or lack thereof) of foreign affairs:

Dean filled a void among Democrats for an articulate opponent to the president's Iraq policies. He has given voice to many people who fear that the president is leading the country to disaster. In expressing doubts about the war, Vermont's former governor has also helped promote a vigorous discussion on Iraq -- a debate that is essential before America commits itself to combat and one that casts credit on Dean's presidential aspirations.

Continue reading/discuss Burlington Free Press says Dean "fills a void" ...

One of the email lists I subscribe to sent this note to me this morning. I don't have a url at the moment but will provide one as soon as I've got it. As it stands, I've linked to the meetup site (which BTW has over 5000 Dean supporters signed up!). updated: Replaced the meetup link with one pointing to the Convention website.

CALL TO ACTION FOR HOWARD DEAN MARCH 15th!!

Governor Dean will be addressing the California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento THIS SATURDAY MARCH 15th at 11:20 AM (updated the time, per California Dem Party office - Anna). The campaign is hoping to get hundreds of people to the convention in support of Howard Dean. This is your chance to show your support for Howard Dean to the press and the nation!

If you're upset with the direction in which this country is going, if you're upset with the impending war in Iraq, if you think that we can do better and that it's time the Democrats elected a real leader who will bring real change, then SHOW UP at the Sacramento Convention Center at 8:30 am on SATURDAY MARCH 15th to SUPPORT HOWARD DEAN. Organizers will be on hand in front of the convention center to distribute signs and materials. YOU CAN HELP by bringing hand-made signs in support of Howard Dean. Don't forget to bring empty prescription bottles filled with loose change to rattle in support of the Governor's message!

We need to show that HOWARD DEAN is leading a movement that will bring positive change to America. We need to get so many people to the Sacramento convention in support of Howard Dean that this becomes a NATIONAL STORY. PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. Post this in every discussion or internet group you belong to. Post this in your comment boards. Blog this. Print this up and post it in hallways. If you don't live in California, CALL anyone you know who does and get them to attend. If you're planning on going, bring as many friends as possible. Howard Dean's national momentum is building; let's accelerate it. Let's go do it, let's go get it, this SATURDAY MARCH 15th at 8:30 AM at the SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER let's take a major step toward ELECTING HOWARD DEAN THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

update: It just occured to me that this Saturday is also another day of scheduled anti-war protests. Since Dean seems to be making serious headway with the anti-war crowd, I think this would be a great opportunity for networking. If you are in Sacramento and planning on attending an anti-war protest, try to print up some Dean flyers to distribute. If anyone has already made flyers, please leave a link in the comments section. You might hit up your local copy shop. I know that the Kinkos in the Dallas area has pretty cheap rates for self-serve, black and white copies. Perhaps the same is true for other areas? Anyway, this is a primo opportunity for us to keep spreading the word, so let's take advantage of it!

update: I stand corrected! Thanks to one of our alert readers who thought the schedule conflicted, I called the Democratic Party in California. I've adjusted the above post to reflect the correct time of Dean's appearance. I am waiting to hear word from the organisers as to whether they want to adjust the rally time accordingly. In the meantime, please prepare to attend the rally at 8:30am.

FINAL CLARIFICATION: Okay folks, prepare to show up at 8:30AM Saturday, because Dean will be arriving at 8:45AM! This is the final word from the organisers and the campaign office. So c'mon California Deaners, get out there and make yourselves known!

Continue reading/discuss Dean will appear at California's Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento, CA ...

I offer this link without commentary because I missed the program and have not had the opportunity to listen to this audio clip (some of us do have day jobs, ya know). If anyone can provide a transcript, or would like to offer commentary, please do so!

Continue reading/discuss Dean on NPR's Morning Edition ...

Jerome has already mentioned this link, but I've been intending to blog it as a full entry. This is a piece by The New Republic's Ryan Lizza, who comes across as surprisingly unaware of Dean's positions given that TNR helped launch Dean's campaign with their piece, in .

Did you know, for instance, that Dean favors a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, the early-'90s fixation of Ross Perot and the Contract with America? I didn't. In addition to flirting with raising the retirement age for Social Security, Dean also wants to do something along the lines of what Clinton proposed in the late '90s for the program: allowing the government to invest funds from Social Security in private equities. (In another forum recently, Dean attacked Bush's Social Security plan essentially from the right, arguing that it would cost the government in the long run because retirees who lost their pensions thanks to their own bad decisions would undoubtedly demand a bailout from Uncle Sam.) For good measure, when asked today whether he agrees with NARAL's demand that the Senate filibuster any Supreme Court nominee who "does not affirm that the Constitution protects a woman's right to choose," Dean flatly said, "No."

On the war Dean finally spelled out a clear and intellectually honest position that doesn't always come across when he's talking to activists: Unless Iraq has nukes or is about to get them, Dean isn't convinced Saddam poses an imminent threat to the United States. And Dean argues that unless Iraq poses an imminent threat to the United States, we should act against the country only through the United Nations. Implicit in this position is that Dean would support invading Iraq unilaterally if he was convinced Saddam was about to get the bomb, and multilaterally if the United States somehow won a vote without a veto this week at the United Nations. Perhaps he arrived at this position because he knows neither of those war-triggering events is likely. But, regardless, Dean's not the pro-appeasement pacifist recently caricatured by people like Tom DeLay.

These two paragraphs are notable in that they encapsulate Dean's candidacy. And underlines his appeal, which is apparent even to those on the right - as seen by this comment on NRO's The Corner on Sunday (3/9/03):

DEAN SUNDAY [Stanley Kurtz]
I just saw Vermont Governor Howard Dean on Face the Nation, and he was superb. Was his position on the war incoherent? Sure. Dean won’t attack Saddam until Iraq’s at the point where North Korea is now. That’s absurd. And Dean thinks deterrence will work on Saddam in the way that it worked with the Soviet Union. That’s ignorant. (Read Kenneth Pollack.) And Dean wants to build up the U.N., even as its refusal to implement its own resolutions turns the institution into a joke. Nonetheless, Dean gave a masterful performance. He parried Russert’s jabs expertly. He came through as a real person, not an artificial persona. And he looked an acted presidential. Dean is breaking out, and that means the Democrats are in big trouble. The face of their party may soon be the dovish man who signed a civil unions bill in a state more liberal than Massachusetts.
Posted at 12:39 PM

Pollack, btw, has been ably refuted by Jim Henley. It's a curious contortion to suggest that Dean's broad appeal is somehow a danger to Democrats, but GOP infallibility is an a priori axiom at NRO. Dean is a real threat, because he has cross-party appeal. One of the readers on the ZonkBoard put it best, saying that Dean has been described as a "Rockefeller Republican" - but in this day and age, we should use the synonym, "Dean Democrat". I hope this phrase catches on - Meetup organizers, take note!

Continue reading/discuss Dean's List ...

The link goes to a Portsmouth, NH paper detailing some key labor endorsements in NH for Dean, from New Hampshire Labor Commissioner James Casey and former International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers benefits administrator Teresa Jones. Both cited health care as a priority issue in the race, saying former Gov. Dean would guarantee health insurance to all Americans if elected.

There's also a favorable review of Dean's MTP interview review on The New Republic today, Dean's List.

Continue reading/discuss State labor leaders in NH like all that Dean ...

Fox News has some coverage out on the success of meetup for Howard Dean:

Interest has been so overwhelming that even presidential hopeful Howard Dean attended a meeting of his backers last week in New York City. The former Vermont governor, one of nine Democratic contenders seeking their party's nod to run against President Bush in November 2004, made an appearance Wednesday night before a crowd of 550 at the Essex Club in Manhattan's Lower East Side.

"We need your help on the Internet and off the Internet - this is an extremely powerful tool," Dean told cheering fans who made it into
the club. Many more couldn't get inside and were wrapped around the block hoping to get a glimpse of their candidate. There's an enormous number of people all over the country who are putting out our message on the Internet," Dean said. "What you all can do is so incredibly powerful - you can change this country, just like my generation did [in Vietnam], with better tools at your
disposal."

Through the Internet, over 2,500 people in 79 cities total were able to participate in the meeting. Nationwide, over 4,200 people signed on to "meet up" with Dean and his supporters. Among them was Columbia University junior Brian Schaitkin, who heard about Meetup.com around campus, then went online and signed up for Wednesday's Dean rally. "I think it's the perfect way for candidates to build support, build a real organization and try to establish himself if he doesn't necessarily have a lot of name recognition and a lot of capital to work with," Schaitkin said.

David Nir went to his first "meetup" in February. At the time, 15 others showed up, but after checking out hordes of Dean Web logs and realizing there was enough support out there to form a group, he and other participants decided to make fliers, start an e-mail listserv and talk about what fundraising they could do to support their man. From that, the "New York for Dean" campaign was formed, and since then, Dean's campaign has asked them to organize a formal campaign in the city. "This whole enterprise could not have happened without the Internet," Nir said.

Of course, since it's Faux News, you get the spin too. Calling it a fringe phenomenon and unprofessional ("Meetup.com is at the edge of what's acceptable, at best," Cornfield said. That may be true. The day after Dean's rally, another event was held at a coffee shop in the Upper West Side for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and no one showed up).

Faux's rationale for Dean's Meetup success? Merely a bunch of anti-war protesters: Their commentator suspects when the anti-war movement loses its reason for being, both Meetup.com and the Dean campaign will see a slip in interest. "It's not the Internet that's powering it, it's the channel where people are not satisfied with the war are finding their way to these meetings," Cornfield said. "It's like a spider's web into campaigns."

Well, I can't speak for the other meetups, but in Portland, this invasion into Iraq was only one of a host of issue for why people were there, and the war certainly did not dominate the discussion-- this invasion into Iraq is merely another symptom, Bush is the disease that we are hooked on rooting out, and Dean is the one who understands this, Faux doesn't.

Continue reading/discuss Political Hopefuls Turn to Web Networking ...

This idea started out of the New York Meetup... There are now almost 5,000 members signed up at Meetup.com for Howard Dean. March 31st is the end of the 1st quarter for FEC reporting. As you know, Dean has been getting great press but good press alone won't win the election.

The challenge is for all of us Meetup.com enthusiasts and netroots fans of Dean to raise a million dollars for Dean's candidacy by March 31st. Achieving such a goal would help Dean gain traction on all the press he's been getting. Achieving such a goal would also help bring larger donors in to the Dean campaign, and would secure Dean's position as a top tier candidate for the Democratic nomination. And by adding a penny to each donation, we'd demonstrate to the FEC and the press the power of internet activism.

A million bucks, though? How do we reach that?

If every one of the 5,000 people who have signed up for Meetup or joined a Yahoo group for Howard Dean took it upon themselves to donate the cost of an average movie($10.00), and ensure that 10 friends do the same, then we will have raised $500,000 for the campaign. Since Federal campaign laws match every dollar raised under the $250.00 level, that's $1,000,000 right there.

I think we can do it. And we can demonstrate the power of grassroots internet activism by adding a penny for the internet. Go over to www.deanforamerica.com and make a $10.01 contribution today. Then forward this message on to 10 people and encourage them to to do the same. Or, print up some of the contribution forms and have your friends fill them out. Just be sure that your friends follow up by March 31st!

This could really work. But only if you do it! Please pass this message along, post it, print it up, hand it out. Take the Million Dollar Meetup Challenge for Dean!

Continue reading/discuss Take the Million Dollar Meetup Challenge for Dean! ...

(thanks to Noho-Missives for the original heads-up and transcript highlights, and reader Teddy Davis for the full transcript and link)


MR. RUSSERT: And we are back. Governor Dean, welcome.

MR. DEAN: Thanks for having me on, Tim.

MR. RUSSERT: In the clip we used of your speech, you talked about the president using a unilateral attack against Iraq. In fact, that’s inaccurate, isn’t it? It would not be unilateral. There are now more than 20 countries signed up with the U.S.

MR. DEAN: Well, I’m not so sure how inaccurate it is. Tom Friedman used that word to describe his actions today in The New York Times. And Tom Friedman knows a lot about foreign policy. So although technically it might not be unilateral, the truth is this is driven by the president of the United States, and the rest of them are pretty much along for the ride.

MR. RUSSERT: Tom DeLay, the Republican leader in the House, talked about you and your candidacy and that speech, and let me show you what he said.
“‘I saw his speech on C-SPAN, and I think it was outrageous,’ Mr. DeLay said. ‘He either doesn’t know what he’s talking about when he says we’re going to take unilateral action, or he’s seriously uninformed, or he’s just misleading the American people and his party.’ Dr. Dean disqualified himself for national leadership, Mr. DeLay said, by suggesting that the decision to go to war should be made by the United Nations. ‘If he wants to be president of the United States, but subject the United States to decisions by the U.N., he lacks the sound judgment needed for responsible national leadership,’ Mr. DeLay said.”

MR. DEAN: Well, I would leave it to the American people to choose between whether they prefer me in a national leadership role or Tom DeLay, and I think that would not be something I would be too worried about, the ultimate decision on that one. I do think that Mr. DeLay is not stating the case correctly, though. I have never said that the United States ought to defend itself based on what the United Nations wants to do. The case that I have made against the war is simply that this is the wrong war at the wrong time. Saddam, in my view, has been successfully contained for 12 years at a relatively low cost. We now have a huge problem in North Korea, which the president is claiming is a regional crisis. I think it’s an enormous world crisis which isn’t being paid enough attention to. We still have the question of al-Qaeda, despite the successful capture of the number-three guy this week, of being vulnerable, in my view, to terror, and I don’t think that this is the right investment of our international prestige or our troops. We can stop Saddam Hussein from doing anything for another 12 years if we have to without invading. And I think it sends the wrong signal to the world.

MR. RUSSERT: In an interview with Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, in January, you said this, “In a meeting...with ‘Roll Call’ editors and reporters, Dean said this if President Bush presented evidence that Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction, ‘Then I’d go back to the U.N. and get a new resolution that [Hussein] either disarms in 60 days or we go in.’”
Isn’t that exactly what the president did in November? He went to the United Nations, made the case, and it’s now been 120 days and Saddam Hussein is still not cooperating.

MR. DEAN: See, I don’t think the president has made the case. I think what the president has made a reasonable case for is that Saddam is moving weapons around in terms of biologicals and chemicals, perhaps. He has not made a case for the three things that I think require or enable us to invade unilaterally or pre-emptively or preventively, as we are now calling it. He has not made the case for Saddam possessing nuclear weapons. He has not made the case that he has any kind of a credible nuclear program. And he has not made the case that Saddam is giving weapons of mass destruction to the terrorists. If he were doing any of those things, I think we would have a right to defend ourselves, and
we should go in. That case has not been made, either by the president or Secretary Powell, and I don’t think that we ought to go in, if we don’t want to use the word unilaterally, than preventively or pre-emptively.

MR. RUSSERT: But you used the phrase “weapons of mass destruction.” And what 1441, the resolution before the council provided, is this: “Iraq has been and remains in material breach of its obligations...”; two, “...to afford Iraq...a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations...”; and, three, “...the Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violation of its obligations.”
That was passed unanimously. What we have now is the resolution that calls for full, complete cooperation, immediate, unrestricted access. Do you believe that Saddam has given full and complete cooperation?

MR. DEAN: No, I don’t. But I think we are making enormous progress right now. We are destroying missiles probably as we sit here. Every day that goes by we make Saddam weaker and weaker, and if we can make Saddam weaker and weaker and weaker, then I think we probably ought to stay on the course we are at.
Look, here’s my frustration. We just said weapons. What I believe Saddam does not have, and what the president hasn’t made his case for. The North Koreans have a nuclear program. They probably have nuclear weapons, and they have certainly sold missile technology to Pakistan, and perhaps others. We are doing nothing about that. We refuse to even talk to them directly about that. It worries me deeply that our priorities in foreign policy in this country are wrong and misplaced.

MR. RUSSERT: The president will say, “If you wait until Iraq has a nuclear program, then you’ve waited too long.”

MR. DEAN: But I’m not making the case that we should. I think if we—certainly he’s had nuclear programs in the past. The Israelis destroyed what they believed was a very credible nuclear program in 1981. I don’t think what the Israelis did was a bad thing. If Saddam possesses nuclear weapons, he clearly is a threat. If he is about to possess nuclear weapons, he clearly is a threat and I’ve said that many, many times. Then we have a right to defend ourselves. Right now, in my view, Saddam is a threat to nations in the the region. The United Nations’ job is to disarm Saddam so that he will not be a threat to nations in the region. It is our job to protect ourselves. Going into Iraq has very little do to with protecting the United States of America, and that’s why I think this is a job for the United Nations and not for the United States of America.

MR. RUSSERT: The president has said that it is a job for the United States of America because he believe he does threaten the national security of the United States. And they point Mr. Blix’s, the chief weapons inspector, report of just Friday where Blix addressed 29 unresolved disarmament issues saying, “There’s a strong presumption that Iraq failed to destroy 10,000 liters of anthrax that may still exist.” Ten thousand liters...

MR. DEAN: Sure.

MR. RUSSERT: ...of anthrax is a threat to the United States.

MR. DEAN: I’m not so sure that it is. He’s s had 10,000 liters of anthrax presumably for a long time, but in the same report, Hans Blix also said that we were making good progress, they were destroying missiles as we speak, and that we had made significant progress and that the Iraqis were cooperating more than they had before.
Look, I’m not making a case that Saddam Hussein is a terrific person. He’s dreadful. Going to war-if we don’t want to use the word unilaterally, which I think it really is, although technically that’s correct— going to war pre-emptively and preventively has a very high moral threshold. The other countries will look to us as an example of what is permissible, and we really have set the bar in terms of permissible conduct in this world in terms of international intervention for a while.
If we go to war preventively against Iraq, claiming that they make a case, which most of the world does not believe—most of the world does not believe that we have made the case that Iraq is an imminent danger to the United States, and I don’t believe it either—if we go to war under those circumstances, what is to prevent China some years down the road from saying, “Look what the United States did in Iraq. We’re justified in going and taking over Taiwan,” or some other country doing the same thing. It matters what we do here for the long-term implications. I have no doubt that if we go to war next week or the week after that we’re going to get rid of Saddam Hussein and have a regime change and that our military will succeed. My concern is what this is going to do to the cooperation and the bilateral institutions and multilateral institutions that we’ve built up in this world for the last 50 years.

MR. RUSSERT: Secretary Powell just said that the Iraqis had a very well-developed nuclear program in the mid-’90s which no one could find until Saddam’s son-in-law defected and was enticed to come back
to Iraq and was shot. David Kay, the lead weapons inspector in the mid-’90s, on this program two months ago said that if we had not been lucky to discover that nuclear development program, Saddam would have 20 nuclear bombs today. How are you so certain that he doesn’t have a nuclear program?

MR. DEAN: I’m not certain. All I can tell you is that even the United States has not made a credible case that Saddam has a nuclear program, and if the best we can do is have this disagreement with ElBaradei about what the meaning of the aluminum tubes is, that is, I don’t think, a credible case. Let’s triple the inspectors. Let’s continue to put the pressure on. Let’s continue to demand cooperation and push and push and push. I just think that that ought to be something that we go through with the United Nations and not as a preventive or—I’m trying not to use the word unilateral even though I think it really
is a unilateral war.

MR. RUSSERT: But Iraq is a state the size of California. You could have thousands of inspectors and he could still hide weapons of mass destruction.

MR. DEAN: You know, making a nuclear bomb is not the same as being able to move 10,000 gallons of anthrax around which could be done in a few tanker trailers or semis. Making a nuclear bomb does require some fixed facilities and it does require some, I think, significant storage capacity. I just find it difficult to believe that with very intense scrutiny that we could miss, with all the intelligence that we’ve got, a nuclear bomb factory.

MR. RUSSERT: In 1999, the inspectors left Iraq. They compiled this report, and it is replete with intelligence data about what Saddam possesses. The Council on Foreign Relations did an analysis of this report. And let me show you. “Does Iraq have weapons of mass destruction?” “Yes.” And then you were asked the same question by the Roll Call people. “I would be surprised if [Hussein] didn’t have [chemical and biological weapons.]” So you would agree that he probably does.

MR. DEAN: Oh, yeah, I think that’s likely.

MR. RUSSERT: OK. Let me go back to the Council on Foreign Relations. “Iraq has admitted that it produced 3,859 tons of chemical weapons in the 1980s, including mustard gas and lethal nerve agents such as sarin, tabun, and VX. When Iraq expelled the inspectors in 1998, it allegedly retained 6,000 chemical bombs, as well as 550 artillery shells filled with mustard gas and some amount of VX.”
That is devastating evidence. With that kind of arsenal, why would you want Saddam Hussein to stay in power with control over those weapons of mass destruction?

MR. DEAN: I don’t want Saddam to stay in power with control over those weapons of mass destruction. I want him to be disarmed. We’re talking about whether the United Nations goes it alone or essentially alone or whether—excuse me, whether the United States goes it alone or essentially alone or whether the United Nations does its duty and disarms Saddam. I would prefer to work through the United Nations.

MR. RUSSERT: But if the United Nations says no and you have said that he has biological and chemical weapons, what would you do? You’d do nothing?

MR. DEAN: See, here’s what I—no. Here’s what I think is going on. The United Nations is looking at a significant amount of progress. Every day that goes by, we destroy more of Saddam’s weapons or the inspectors do. My attitude is this has been going on for 12 years. The former Soviet Union were not run by nice people either. They did certainly frightful things to their own folks. We contained them essentially for 50 years, and they were a far more powerful nation than Iraq.
What we’re arguing about here is not whether Saddam is a good person or whether he has these horrible mustard gas weapons. We’re arguing about whether he’s an imminent threat to the United States. I don’t think that if a country is not an imminent threat, that we ought to pre-emptively strike against it. That is the job of the United Nations. I think Iraq is automatically an imminent threat to the countries that surround it because of the possession of these weapons. That is the job of the United Nations to make sure that they are disarmed.

MR. RUSSERT: But if the president has concluded and reached a different judgment that the mustard gas, the VX, the sarin, the anthrax is a threat to the United States, is he not constitutionally bound to do something about it?

MR. DEAN: Let’s just suppose that I were the president and I—just for example—and that I came to the conclusion that it was an immediate threat, yes, the president is constitutionally bound to do something about it. The problem is that the president has not convinced the majority of the American people that that’s the case. If you look at polls which I’ve looked at for the last week or so, most Americans actually agree with my position, which I frankly found surprising. I thought I was in a minority. But I think as more and more guards—people get mobilized and people’s grandchildren and children are sent off to Iraq, folks are thinking about this a lot more seriously. The most serious burden of any president is to send our kids to war knowing that some of them won’t come back. Then you’ve got to be able to explain to the American people why this is a matter of defense for the United States of America. I don’t think the president has made that case.
Look, I’m not arguing that the president is dishonest or is a person who’s doing something that is unconstitutional. I’m just saying I don’t agree with the president. My own evaluation is different than the president’s, and I think the evaluation of most Americans is different than the president’s.

MR. RUSSERT: On Tuesday or Wednesday, nine countries vote in support of the United States. The French veto it. What should the president do?

MR. DEAN: Well, of course, I don’t think that we ought to be going to war anyway in Iraq if the United Nations says no. So I would say that the president should not go into Iraq.

MR. RUSSERT: What should we do with the 250,000 troops that are there?

MR. DEAN: Well, if I were the president—I don’t like to answer hypothetical questions because you always get in trouble doing it.

MR. RUSSERT: Well, this is a real question.

MR. DEAN: No, no, no, I understand that and I’m going to answer this hypothetical question. Let’s just suppose that, for whatever reason, I became president tomorrow, I would not withdraw the troops immediately. I think that would be viewed as a sign of weakness by Saddam. What I would do is lower the rhetoric and begin to talk in a more constructive way with the United Nations and the members of the Security Council and insist that the inspections go forward and maybe take the advice of some of our, at this time, antagonists in the Security Council and triple the number of inspectors and keep pushing. Our goal is to disarm Hussein. I have no difference with the president on this issue. But the question is what is the means and is it worth what I think may be a fairly substantial shift in the entire way the world relates to each other—the world’s countries relate to each other if we do this in a unilateral or a pre-emptive, if you prefer, way?

MR. RUSSERT: And how long would President Dean leave the 250,000 troops there?

MR. DEAN: You can’t tell that. That depends on circumstances. But certainly, we don’t want to ever send a signal to Saddam that we are weak or give him any opportunity to think that we are weak.

MR. RUSSERT: If he hadn’t disarmed within a year, would that be too long?

MR. DEAN: Well, again, Tim, I prefer very strongly that the United Nations make this decision about disarming Saddam. I said to Mort Kondracke, I think we can get a resolution, and I hope we will get a resolution that says 60 days, but it’s the United Nations resolution that’s important here.

MR. RUSSERT: Are you giving the United Nations and, in effect, the French a veto over the security of the United States?

MR. DEAN: Never. Never will I do that. And that would be wrong to ever do that.

MR. RUSSERT: But isn’t that what you’re doing, in effect?

MR. DEAN: No. No, because the argument here is: Is the security of the United States affected by what’s going on in Iraq today? And I don’t believe it is. I do believe that the security of the United States is being affected by what’s going on in North Korea, and I am deeply disturbed that we’re not paying more attention to that. For the president to dismiss that as a regional conflict, I thought, was a terrible mistake.

MR. RUSSERT: You would negotiate unilaterally, bilaterally with the North Koreans?

MR. DEAN: Yes. We’re doing half of the right thing in North Korea. We are in an alliance with the Japanese and the Russians, the South Koreans and the Chinese, trying to get them to disarm. It’s not been very effective yet, but I don’t think that’s our fault. But the North Koreans have asked for bilateral talks. I’m very happy to do that. My proposal would be that we will enter into bilateral talks, that they will agree to freeze their program now with verifiable inspection on the grounds. We will agree in writing not to attack them and then we will begin the negotiation process, both sides agreeing not to alter their status, the status of the non-aggression and the freezing of the nuclear program until bilateral negotiations have concluded.

MR. RUSSERT: But if the North Koreans did covertly continue to develop their nuclear program, producing nuclear bombs, even putting them on the market, would you then commence military action?

MR. DEAN: That would be—I would never say when I would and would not, as president, commence military action. But that would be an enormous threat to the United States, and the reason I’m so deeply concerned about it is that if we don’t act now and begin the negotiation process, we may be forced into a position where we might have to make a choice like that. That would be a very, very difficult thing. Taking on North Korea is not the same as taking on a third-rate military power like Iraq. They’re armed.
They have a million people within 40 miles of the capital city of one of our most important allies. North Korea is a very serious problem and I think it’s not getting the attention it needs to.

MR. RUSSERT: If, in fact, the French veto the U.N. resolution, the president commences military action next week or the week after, what will Howard Dean do? How will you comport yourself? What will you say?

MR. DEAN: Well, I can’t tell you all the answers to that because I don’t know. The one thing I will definitely do is support the troops. I went down to Parris Island a few weeks ago; I met with some of the troops, had lunch with some of the Vermonters who are Marines. You always have to support American troops where they’re in the field, and I certainly would. What else I would say I can’t tell you because it hasn’t happened yet and I haven’t gotten that far.

MR. RUSSERT: But you would withhold any objections about the president’s policy?

MR. DEAN: No, I might not withhold objections, but again, I haven’t thought that far ahead. And that’s one of the dangers of answering too many hypotheticals, is that there’ll be a situation, it’ll be different than what we imagined it might be, ‘cause it always is, and then you have to react to it. But I can tell you right now that I will support American troops, wherever they are, because they didn’t send themselves there and we need to support our kids.

MR. RUSSERT: We’re going to take a quick break and come back and talk about some domestic issues with Governor Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont—he’s a Democratic presidential candidate— right after this.

(Announcements)

MR. RUSSERT: And we are back. A couple domestic issues, Governor. Let me show you a report from the comptroller general of the General Accounting Office last week about Social Security:
“Social Security benefit cuts, tax increases, a higher retirement age or a combination of those steps will be needed to fund the system in the long term...said Comptroller General David M. Walker, head of the General Accounting Office. ...Social Security, a pay-as-you-go system, is expected to start paying more in benefits than it collects in taxes by 2017. That is because baby boomers will start retiring and the work force keeping the system afloat through payroll taxes will dwindle.”
Would you be in favor of increasing the retirement age for Social Security?

MR. DEAN: Well, we already did that. And I think I get to retire at 66 1/2, and shortly after that it goes to 67. I think that’s a good thing.

MR. RUSSERT: How about moving it to 70?

MR. DEAN: I would want to think about that and look at some numbers first. Seventy is, you know, a long way up there. Let me just briefly try to tell you what I would do in 25 words or less about Social Security. First, I think you’ve really got to stop this incredible profligate spending. I mean, no Republican has balanced the budget in 34 years in this country. We’ve got to do better than we are doing. What I thought you were going to say when you read that clip is the CBO has just come up and upped the deficit to $2.7 trillion if the president gets his programs. We shouldn’t be talking about tax cuts at the same time we are talking about a war that nobody knows how to fund, with the record largest
deficit in the history of the country.

MR. RUSSERT: Are you still for a constitutional amendment to balance the budget?

MR. DEAN: You know, I actually think that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

MR. RUSSERT: Where would you find the $400 billion in cuts?

MR. DEAN: Well, you can’t do it right away. You can’t do it right now. You’ve got to—we’re in this really, really deep hole, and it’s going to take some time. You know, when I was governor, I did this for—I was lucky enough to be in both Bush recessions, not just one of them. And what we did was we actually paid down a quarter of our debt to get ourselves in shape for the second recession, which I knew would come sooner or later.

MR. RUSSERT: But if you had a constitutional amendment to balance the budget, where would you cut? Where would you find $400 billion?

MR. DEAN: Well, you couldn’t balance the budget this year or next year or the year after. What I would do is I would repeal the president’s tax cuts for people that make more than $300,000, with a few exceptions, which we may have talked about the last time I was on.

MR. RUSSERT: Yeah, but you said you would use that for health care.

MR. DEAN: Well, I would use some of it for health care. You don’t need all of it for health care. My health-care plan just basically expands the existing system.

MR. RUSSERT: And you would use that to reduce the deficit?

MR. DEAN: I would use the rest of it to reduce the deficit.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me go back to Social Security because I had a chance to review some of the comments you have made over the years. And this was an interesting discussion that you had on CNN with Senator Bob Packwood and let me show you it.

MR. DEAN: This is an old tape.

MR. RUSSERT: “I think we should raise the retirement age about the year 2015—raise it by that time to about age 70.” And then Governor Dean said, “I absolutely agree we need to increase the retirement age. There will be cuts and losses of some benefits, but I believe that Senator Packwood is exactly on the right track, and we need to deal with the Social Security retirement age.”

MR. DEAN: Well, we’ve—I mean, we have done that partly. We’ve raised it to 67. Now, can we raise it more? I am not going to rule it out. But I think before I signed up for that, I’d like to look at the...

MR. RUSSERT: Well, Packwood said 70. And you said you agreed with him.

MR. DEAN: OK, but, you know, how long ago was that?

MR. RUSSERT: Oh, a couple years, but that’s all right.

MR. DEAN: Yeah, a couple years. How long has it been since Bob Packwood was in the Senate?

MR. RUSSERT: But that’s...

MR. DEAN: Was I even governor then?

MR. RUSSERT: But if you changed your mind, why would you change your mind?

MR. DEAN: Because I am older and wiser and I know that you don’t say things like that without looking at the numbers first.

MR. RUSSERT: And maybe running for president.

MR. DEAN: No. I mean, look, you’re going to get to know me pretty well over the course of this campaign. You’re going to find out that I, to my detriment and my credit, I don’t often think about the political consequences of what I say, which is probably just as well. But the one thing I think that does make sense is I think we ought to treat Social Security more like a pension plan. It should not be privatized the way the president is talking about it. But I think investing some of the money into private investments does make some sense, as a pension fund, the way we run the states’ pension funds.

MR. RUSSERT: But you could look at retirement age?

MR. DEAN: Yeah, I’ll look at retirement age. I’ll look at all the things that you have to look at, but I don’t want to commit to retirement age without knowing what the costs are going to be and what the benefits are going to be.

MR. RUSSERT: You and the other Democratic candidates appeared before the National Abortion Rights Action League Conference a few weeks ago, and Kate Michelman, head of it, stood up and said this. And let me show you that tape:

(Videotape, January 21):

MS. KATE MICHELMAN: When President Bush sends a Supreme Court nominee to the Senate for confirmation, I fully expect pro-choice senators to filibuster any nominee that does not affirm that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to choose.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: Do you agree with that?

MR. DEAN: No. I have appointed more judges than anybody in this race, including President Bush, the majority of the Vermont bench. I don’t believe in litmus tests. Now, I can’t imagine any circumstances that I would appoint a judge who is against Roe vs. Wade but not because I would ever ask him that question. I never asked them that question in the 20 or 30 judges that I appointed.

MR. RUSSERT: How would you know?

MR. DEAN: Because you ask a series of questions designed to look at their judicial temperament and their view of the Constitution. And, believe me, right-wing ideologues soon disqualify themselves under those—you can tell that they’re ideologically more interested in a particular point of view without ever asking how they would rule on a future case very, very quickly. I really want people to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and I have some deep concerns about some of the people that the
president is nominating to put on the bench.

MR. RUSSERT: But if someone said that they believe that Roe v. Wade was not decided correctly, and they were nominated to the Supreme Court, you would not...

MR. DEAN: Oh, I would be very likely to vote against them if I were in the Senate.

MR. RUSSERT: But you wouldn’t filibuster?

MR. DEAN: Oh, I might filibuster. I fully approve of the filibuster against Miguel Estrada because he has not given the information that they’ve asked for. You know, when you appoint a Supreme Court justice, you get enormous amounts of information about their past writings, their past opinions if they’ve been on the bench; in the case of Miguel Estrada’s case, briefings, internal memos. He gave none of that to the Senate. I would have as president the opportunity to review all of that. I would never have to ask
those questions about specific litmus tests and I wouldn’t. And I never have. I have...

MR. RUSSERT: That’s confusing, ‘cause that’s what you told the Brattleboro Reformer in January. Let me show you. “‘I’ve never asked and I’ve appointed 60 percent of the judiciary in this state-what party people are a member of and what their views are when I’ve appointed them as judge.’”

MR. DEAN: No, not what their views—perhaps, that had to do with Roe vs. Wade or pending cases and I don’t ask that. I certainly ask them what their views are. What I do is I pose hypothetical questions about constitutional issues. And there are two ways you get disqualified. One is if you pander to what my well-known prejudices are and the other is if you clearly are outside the mainstream and have an ideological bent. I want people who will enforce the law. I think this president is appointing people in this Federalist Society which I consider to be pretty far right, and that becomes a litmus test.
Look, I don’t agree with Kate, and I was asked at the NARAL meeting, “Would you have a litmus test?” and the answer is no. But I can assure you that because of the screening process that I use, it would be incredibly unlikely that I’d ever nominate somebody who didn’t support Roe vs. Wade.

MR. RUSSERT: That sounds like a litmus test.

MR. DEAN: It’s not a litmus test. It’s a package that you look at. I don’t ask about specific issues, but I do look for judicial temperament, opinions, things people have written, and it all goes into one package. I don’t want right-wing ideologues on the bench.

MR. RUSSERT: In that same speech, you said this, “‘The president of the United States and nine old folks on the Supreme Court—five of who are so far to the right that we can’t see them anymore...what in the world can they be thinking...?’”

MR. DEAN: Well, there’s only really three of them that are that far to the right. I was a little unfair to Justice O’Connor and Justice Kennedy, but I really do think that Justice Rehnquist, Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas are very, very far to the right. And I—that’s exactly the kind of person that I would never appoint to the Supreme Court.

MR. RUSSERT: But nine old folks?

MR. DEAN: Well, that was a little rhetorical hyperbole which I’ll have to curve as this campaign goes along.

MR. RUSSERT: Civil unions for gay couples.

MR. DEAN: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe the American people will accept that even though...

MR. DEAN: Sure.

MR. RUSSERT: ...they may be morally opposed to accepting homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle?

MR. DEAN: I think that—well, first of all, I’m not sure you can say homosexuality is an alternative lifestyle. I think most evidence is that homosexuality is genetic. So people don’t choose a lifestyle.
Secondly, I think most people believe in equal rights under the law. What civil unions does is it says marriages between a man and a woman but same-sex couples may enter into a civil union and have all the same legal rights as people who get married—hospital visitation, insurance, inheritance. Vermont is the only state in the country where everyone is equal under the law and I think that’s a good thing and I think most Americans believe that’s a good thing.
The more important part in some ways is even if you disagree with me—I signed that bill six months before my fifth re-election with 35 percent of the people supporting me. Now, if I am willing to do that, that means that what I value in my political career is doing the right thing as I see it and change and not just being re-elected and re-elected and re-elected. I think that’s one of the selling points for me in this election is going to be that I am not politics as usual, that I am going to do what I think is right and sometimes the American people will disagree with me, but I think I did the right thing in that instance.

MR. RUSSERT: Governor Howard Dean, we’ll be watching you on the campaign trail and be safe.

MR. DEAN: Thanks very much, Tim.

Continue reading/discuss transcript: Meet the Press, 3/9/03 ...