Friday, October 31, 2003
Southwest Voter Express http://www.southwestvoterexpress.com/
All aboard the Southwest Voter Express! Dean National Phillip de Vellis sends us this link and asks us to help plug this site. We're glad to be of help, Phillip. The Southwest Voter Express is being arranged by a group of California Deaniacs who were inspired by the Texas Rangers' trips to Iowa and New Hampshire. From the site:
If you can't go to Iowa (or if you're put off by the cold), perhaps a trip to New Mexico or Arizona would be up your alley. Pop over to the site and sign up for their mailing list. Feet on the street, remember?
The Southwest Voter Express is being organized by California Dean volunteers in conjuction with campaign officials in Arizona and New Mexico. You don't need to be from California to come along. Dean supporters from Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Texas and anywhere else are welcome to hop on board. Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with free travel to these locations, but our local hosts will give us a place to stay and a warm welcome once we get there. The state directors have purchased voter databases for us to target frequent Democratic voters in each precinct we visit. This is very important activity that consistently produces positive results on election day.
Several car and bus caravans are being organized for Arizona. You might also consider flying to Phoenix on a discount airline. New Mexico is at least a 1 day drive, so most of us will be flying to Albuquerque on Southwest (approx. $220 round trip from Los Angeles). More people will probably go to Arizona for financial reasons, but we strongly encourage those of you who can afford a trip to New Mexico to do so. A Dean victory there would signal his campaign can successfully broaden its base into the growing Hispanic electorate. Gore won New Mexico by only 366 votes in 2000 and lost Arizona by 6 points.
If you can't go to Iowa (or if you're put off by the cold), perhaps a trip to New Mexico or Arizona would be up your alley. Pop over to the site and sign up for their mailing list. Feet on the street, remember?
Congressman Maurice Hinchey Endorses Dean for America
From Dean for America...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2003
Congressman Maurice Hinchey Endorses Dean for President
NEW YORK -- U.S. Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today became the 11th Member of Congress to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Said Congressman Hinchey: "Howard Dean is the candidate who can energize Democratic voters and win back the White House. He has forcefully and eloquently opposed President Bush's policies, while offering clear alternatives. He was among the first to see through the Bush Administration's deceit in leading us into war with Iraq and he has consistently pointed out the failures of the Bush economic agenda.
"Governor Dean knows the importance of investing in our nation's infrastructure, protecting our natural resources and guaranteeing affordable health care for all Americans. I enthusiastically endorse his candidacy and will be working hard to make him our next president."
Said Governor Dean: "I am proud to have the support of Congressman Maurice Hinchey. Representing an area of New York State that has struggled economically under the policies of President Bush, Congressman Hinchey has fought hard for the economic security of working families.
"He has been an outspoken and articulate opponent of the administration's failed policy in Iraq. Maurice is a national leader on issues of workers' rights and environmental protection and he's currently leading the fight in the House against greater media consolidation. He has been a staunch proponent of Democratic values for more than three decades. It means a great deal to me to have the endorsement of someone with such outstanding credentials."
Maurice Hinchey represents the 22nd District of New York, which includes portions of the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, the Southern Tier and the Finger Lakes regions. He was first elected to Congress in 1992 after serving 18 years in the State Assembly. In 1998 he was elected to the House Appropriations Committee. He serves on the Interior and Agriculture subcommittees. He is a Regional Whip for New York State, responsible for developing legislative strategy with the House Democratic leadership.
He joins Reps. Neil Abercrombie, Bob Filner, Raúl Grijalva, Zoe Lofgren, Jim McDermott, Jerrold Nadler, Major Owens, Frank Pallone, and Tim Ryan, in addition to Vermont Senator Patrick J. Leahy, who have already endorsed Governor Dean.
-- 30 --
Backbone Award: Nominations Open
Okay, okay, I haven't posted Dean Nation's Backbone Award in a couple of weeks, but there are some pretty good potential nominees out there right now! Here are your comments from the last nomination session -- they will all be considered. So, who showed some Back recently? What did they do? Why was it awesome? How did it affect things? And, who should get the Spineless Jellyroll? When possible, please post appropriate blog or news links with your nominees. By the way, Anna will soon be updating the Backbone Award links section in the left sidebar, hopefully by Monday when the winners (and losers) face the music. Have a great weekend Dean Nationals!
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Video Exclusive: A Vermont Labor Leader For Dean
As pointed out by Anna and Aziz, the early endorsements by labor are incredibly important. Dean needs to show the others that he's picking up traditional Democratic organizing support as well as running an incredible tech savvy grass roots movement. IUPAT, CTA, and the SEIU are listening to their members. We have to make sure the bigger union leaders hear what their people are saying about Dean despite their long history with the other guy(s).
I thought these were some good talking points from Bob Hooper, Past President of the State Employees Association, on how Dean worked with Labor in Vermont as Governor.
After you catch THE BAT, check out what Hooper has to say about how Dean went out of his way for labor.
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(Cross posted at DeanTV.org)
Burlington Sheraton Rally (10/24/03)
I thought these were some good talking points from Bob Hooper, Past President of the State Employees Association, on how Dean worked with Labor in Vermont as Governor.
After you catch THE BAT, check out what Hooper has to say about how Dean went out of his way for labor.
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(Cross posted at DeanTV.org)
Burlington Sheraton Rally (10/24/03)
The "bat" is back http://www.deanforamerica.com/deannation
The bat is back! actually a whole swarm of bats - as the campaign launches the Bush Frightens Me fundraising drive! The goal is $310,000 and the first 10,000 contributors who donate $31 or more will get a complimentary Bush Frightens Me button!
Go and frighten Bush back - and send a shiver down his spine by donating to Dean. And the collective power of Dean Nation surely scares Bush the most... BWAHAHAHA!
Dean is a metrosexual. No, he's not http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~64~1729382,00.html
Deans goofy side has been on display recently - we all recall how Dean took a physical leap onto a moving truck... now he's engaging in leaps of a more verbal nature:
Maybe I'm just drinking the Kool Aid, but I find this kind of thing hysterically cool. Garance Franke-Ruta, the Dean-sympathetic Senior Editor over at TAPPED, couldn't resist poking fun at the Governor's hipster side:
And exactly why we love him :)
Dean declared himself a "metrosexual," the buzz phrase for straight men in touch with their feminine sides, as he touted his accomplishments in "equal justice" for gay and lesbian couples.
But then he waffled.
"I'm a square," Dean declared, after professing his metrosexuality to a Boulder breakfast audience with an anecdote about being called handsome by a gay man. "I like (rapper) Wyclef Jean and everybody thinks I'm very hip, but I am really a square, as my kids will tell you. I don't even get to watch television. I've heard the term (metrosexual), but I don't know what it means."
Maybe I'm just drinking the Kool Aid, but I find this kind of thing hysterically cool. Garance Franke-Ruta, the Dean-sympathetic Senior Editor over at TAPPED, couldn't resist poking fun at the Governor's hipster side:
For the record, no man who "has been known to stuff pretzels into his pockets," goes anywhere with "shaving nicks on his neck, uneven fingernails and wrinkles from a hanger creasing his suit at the knees" (as has been documented in The Washington Post) and still wears a 20-year-old suit he bought for $125 at J.C. Penny's (as Dean claimed on The Tonight Show that he does) can call himself a metrosexual.
...
Everyone following Dean closely on the campaign trail knows two things. First, the man is an unrepentant cheapskate -- during the weekend before the last debate, while most other campaign staffers stayed in a Detroit skyscraper, Team Dean slept at a budget hotel. And second, he wears very old clothes.
"Everybody thinks I'm very hip, but I am really a square," Dean told the Denver Post today, backpedaling from his intitial claim.
And that, alas, is the verifiable truth.
And exactly why we love him :)
open thread
Zonkboard etiquette
I hate to play Nanny around here. Dean Nation is a community and I don't consider myself as the resident Net Mom - we have built this site together by virtue of our ideas and our debates and I am proud to be one of the crowd.
But with admin power comes some responsibility, and given that the ZonkBoard has almost become unusable recently, I'm afraid that I must insist that certain rules be implemented henceforth. I've received a number of emails to this effect as well as many offhand comments in threads.
The ZonkBoard is designed to be a social place - a way to share quick links, to say hello, to share ideas, and welcome newbies. It is NOT for long essays, broken up into chunks of max-char-limit, nor is it a place for dumping piles of links in quick succession. And, above all, DO NOT FEED TROLLS. Please limit ZB entries to quick bites, a link and title, or other **short** content, and please do not submit 5-10 posts in quick succession.
Part of the decay on the ZB is my fault, since I have not been diligent in making open threads avilable. I would like to ask my fellow DeanBloggers to help make sure that we have an Open Thread at least twice a week, not counting topic-specific discussion threads. Hopefully that wuill relieve some of the pressure on the ZB and give people an outlet for their more thoughtful and lengthy ideas and analyses.
For the time being, I am exposing IPs of posts to the ZB. I will also be more diligent in deleting posts that violate these rules, regardless of whether they are from trolls or from dean supporters. I am extremely reluctant to ban anyone at this stage, but will do so if there is significant gross abuse. Please consider this a discussion thread for your ideas on how best to use and admin the ZB and feedback.
But with admin power comes some responsibility, and given that the ZonkBoard has almost become unusable recently, I'm afraid that I must insist that certain rules be implemented henceforth. I've received a number of emails to this effect as well as many offhand comments in threads.
The ZonkBoard is designed to be a social place - a way to share quick links, to say hello, to share ideas, and welcome newbies. It is NOT for long essays, broken up into chunks of max-char-limit, nor is it a place for dumping piles of links in quick succession. And, above all, DO NOT FEED TROLLS. Please limit ZB entries to quick bites, a link and title, or other **short** content, and please do not submit 5-10 posts in quick succession.
Part of the decay on the ZB is my fault, since I have not been diligent in making open threads avilable. I would like to ask my fellow DeanBloggers to help make sure that we have an Open Thread at least twice a week, not counting topic-specific discussion threads. Hopefully that wuill relieve some of the pressure on the ZB and give people an outlet for their more thoughtful and lengthy ideas and analyses.
For the time being, I am exposing IPs of posts to the ZB. I will also be more diligent in deleting posts that violate these rules, regardless of whether they are from trolls or from dean supporters. I am extremely reluctant to ban anyone at this stage, but will do so if there is significant gross abuse. Please consider this a discussion thread for your ideas on how best to use and admin the ZB and feedback.
More feet on the street: SEIU to endorse Dean http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/oct2003/nf20031030_6991_db016.htm
This is huge. Business Week has learned that the AFL-CIO's largest union is going to endorse Howard Dean on November 6. This comes on the heels of the IUPAT and CTA endorsements.
This latest endorsement is certainly representative in a shift in our campaign. As the article states, these endorsements go a long way towards dispelling the notion that Dean supporters are white liberal elitists. This must also make Gephardt a bit more nervous, as he's fighting for his life in Iowa (a do-or-die state for his campaign). Mark my words, Gephardt will strike against us even harder than before in an effort to sway the AFSCME his way. With that in mind:
Dean for America now has the backing of over 1,775,000 union members nationwide. Add that to the 481,000 online supporters and what do you have? 2,256,000 Americans for Dean.
UPDATE (Aziz) - Kos had the rumor that SEIU would endorse Dean last week - and also made a prediction that the AFSCME would wait a while yet:
The SEIU's action, coming shortly after Dean won pledges from two small unions, the International Union of Painters and the California Teachers Assn., goes a long way toward completing the transformation of the former Vermont governor from a niche candidate backed by limousine liberals, antiwar activists, and tech-savvy young people into a mainstream candidate who can also connect with blue-collar America. Says SEIU President Andy Stern: "It's clear that Dean has gained the most support amongst our members and local leaders." The SEIU's move would effectively kill AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney's efforts to gather labor behind Dean rival Representative Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.).
This latest endorsement is certainly representative in a shift in our campaign. As the article states, these endorsements go a long way towards dispelling the notion that Dean supporters are white liberal elitists. This must also make Gephardt a bit more nervous, as he's fighting for his life in Iowa (a do-or-die state for his campaign). Mark my words, Gephardt will strike against us even harder than before in an effort to sway the AFSCME his way. With that in mind:
He could get an even bigger boost if the 1.3-million member American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees swings behind him. AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee considered backing Senator John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), then flirted with retired General Wesley Clark. But insiders say Clark's early missteps soured McEntee, who was the first major union leader to back Bill Clinton in 1992 and who wants to play kingmaker again. McEntee was miffed when Clark decided not to campaign actively in Iowa, where AFSCME's 28,000 members spread across all 99 counties could make a crucial difference in the Jan. 19 caucuses. Now, AFSCME is seriously considering Dean, as are several other unions, including the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, insiders say.
Dean for America now has the backing of over 1,775,000 union members nationwide. Add that to the 481,000 online supporters and what do you have? 2,256,000 Americans for Dean.
UPDATE (Aziz) - Kos had the rumor that SEIU would endorse Dean last week - and also made a prediction that the AFSCME would wait a while yet:
AFSCME is a tougher case to figure at this point--except that they will certainly do something different from SEIU, given the rivalry between these two giants. McEntee wants a "winner" and has always thought that the war hero credential would be crucial in this cycle. He is also not impressed with Dean. But both Kerry and Clark continue to stumble. Kerry numbers have not picked up in New Hampshire, except for that one anomalous poll--I think he's about out of time with AFSCME. I think AFSCME will delay their endorsement as long as possible, to give Clark more time to get his act together, but I don't think he has done enough to close the sale anytime soon. I could be wrong, but I'm thinking that SEIU endorses Dean in two weeks, but AFSCME waits things out for a bit, perhaps until the end of the year.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
MEMO: Openly Gay Dean Staffer Harassed at Gephardt Event
From Dean for America...
MEMORANDUM
To: Media
From: Dean for America Press Office
Date: October 29, 2003
Re: Openly Gay Dean Staffer Harassed at Gephardt Event
Yesterday, an openly gay Dean for America staffer who attended an event for Congressman Dick Gephardt in Iowa (as is common practice among campaigns) was pushed and grabbed by Gephardt staffers, one of whom derided him as a "faggot."
In response, Dean for America campaign manager Joe Trippi wrote a letter to Gephardt for President campaign manager Steve Murphy, calling upon him to find the staffer responsible for this egregious behavior and fire him.
Governor Dean, who signed the nation's first civil unions law in Vermont, is a strong supporter of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. Congressman Gephardt has also spoken out against anti-gay harassment. Joe Trippi's letter is below.
October 28, 2003
Steve Murphy, Campaign Manager
Gephardt For President
P.O. Box 34607
Washington, DC 20043
Dear Steve:
I would like to raise with you a very troubling episode which occurred on the campaign trail today.
At one of Congressman Gephardt's events in Iowa this afternoon, members of your staff - including your Iowa state director -- accosted a Dean for America staffer who was recording Gephardt's remarks. The Dean staffer was pushed and grabbed, and a member of Congressman Gephardt's staff went so far as to call the Dean staffer a "faggot."
You and I have known each other for quite some time, and we both have a long history with Dick Gephardt. This behavior from a campaign staff member is beyond the pale.
Democrats, including Congressman Gephardt, are fighting this sort of bigotry in the hearts and minds of Americans, as well as in our laws. The fact that the Congressman's own staff member would use a slur like this goes directly against the values and goals of our Party.
I urge you to find the staff member responsible and fire him, and send a strong signal to the rest of your staff that behavior of this kind will not be tolerated in a campaign for the Presidency. I trust you'll do the right thing.
Sincerely,
Joe Trippi
-- 30 --
It's About Leadership, Stupid http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2003/10/29/opinion/myers.html
I have argued for a long time that the appeal of Howard Dean is a combination of message, medium and man.
The message, that we can't be Bush-lite resonated with Democrats. The medium, the one you're using right now, allows a level of interaction that was not possible before.
Then there is the man himself.
Dennis Myers of the Pahrump Valley Times in Nevada managed to nail it down today. "Dean's strongest asset is not liberal views but his willingness to lead at a time when the Democratic Party is starved for leadership."
Myers illustrates this, not by talking about the Civil Unions bill, but how Dean took on the surround of the issue, the cultural conservatives who invaded the state of Vermont with money, and whose hate-filled campaign forced Dean himself to wear a bullet-proof vest, in 1999 and 2000.
Writes Myers:
Dean responded by standing up to them, campaigning against what he called the "cultural right." He won reelection, the gay unions and progressive property tax were retained, and the new social conservatives in the state lost influence.
Imagine if political leaders in other states had stood up to their cultural conservatives. Here in Nevada the small band of right wingers who used a minority vote to hold the legislature hostage might never have gained office if state leaders had taken them on instead of cowering before them.
America is sick of being bullied by far-right goon squads. Americans want a leader who will take on bigotry of all kinds.
Howard Dean has done that, not just in this campaign, but throughout his political career. It's a unique record, one that is not dimmed by nit-picking or buzzwords from any side.
Howard Dean is a leader. That's what we need in our President.
The message, that we can't be Bush-lite resonated with Democrats. The medium, the one you're using right now, allows a level of interaction that was not possible before.
Then there is the man himself.
Dennis Myers of the Pahrump Valley Times in Nevada managed to nail it down today. "Dean's strongest asset is not liberal views but his willingness to lead at a time when the Democratic Party is starved for leadership."
Myers illustrates this, not by talking about the Civil Unions bill, but how Dean took on the surround of the issue, the cultural conservatives who invaded the state of Vermont with money, and whose hate-filled campaign forced Dean himself to wear a bullet-proof vest, in 1999 and 2000.
Writes Myers:
Dean responded by standing up to them, campaigning against what he called the "cultural right." He won reelection, the gay unions and progressive property tax were retained, and the new social conservatives in the state lost influence.
Imagine if political leaders in other states had stood up to their cultural conservatives. Here in Nevada the small band of right wingers who used a minority vote to hold the legislature hostage might never have gained office if state leaders had taken them on instead of cowering before them.
America is sick of being bullied by far-right goon squads. Americans want a leader who will take on bigotry of all kinds.
Howard Dean has done that, not just in this campaign, but throughout his political career. It's a unique record, one that is not dimmed by nit-picking or buzzwords from any side.
Howard Dean is a leader. That's what we need in our President.
Great Googly-Moogly http://news.google.com/
Over at Google News, the lower-right corner of the top screen runs a continuing interactive survey.
Labeled "In The News," the box carries the 10 keywords people have been searching for on the site, over the last several minutes.
Over the last week, while the press' attentions have been focused on a supposed "surge" by Kerry, or Gephardt's attacks, or even the futile attempts by Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich to get noticed, there has been one fairly constant factor in that box -- the name of Howard Dean.
Dean's name is in the box more often than George Bush or Saddam Hussein. It's not foolproof. Sometimes you still have to input the name (use howard-dean so you don't get stories about Howard University or Dean Howard from "Animal House") but not often.
It's the best proof of the Governor's standing I can think of. The people are voting with their mice.
Labeled "In The News," the box carries the 10 keywords people have been searching for on the site, over the last several minutes.
Over the last week, while the press' attentions have been focused on a supposed "surge" by Kerry, or Gephardt's attacks, or even the futile attempts by Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich to get noticed, there has been one fairly constant factor in that box -- the name of Howard Dean.
Dean's name is in the box more often than George Bush or Saddam Hussein. It's not foolproof. Sometimes you still have to input the name (use howard-dean so you don't get stories about Howard University or Dean Howard from "Animal House") but not often.
It's the best proof of the Governor's standing I can think of. The people are voting with their mice.
Tweety Mathews picks Dean *shudder* http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10419899&BRD=1712&PAG=461&dept_id=478996&rfi=6
Chris Mathews: Love him or hate him? Usually it's a combination of both. I'm either impressed with Tweety's ability to spin like a top, or I'm tossing a shoe at my television because he's popped off and said something stupid. I guess there's no middle ground with that guy. Anyway, he spoke at Brown University yesterday and had some interesting things to say about our man Howard Dean:
See, sometimes he's pretty good. But then he opens his mouth again:
*Anna banging her head against a wall* But when he's on, he's on:
Should we be grateful, scared, simply puzzled, or something else?
Matthews acknowledged that his personal favorite in the race is Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor who many see as the Democratic front-runner. "He came out of Vermont, a small state, with no foreign policy experience and with sheer guts he believed in one big idea and that big idea was: 'It was wrong to go around to the other side of the world to fight a war.'"
See, sometimes he's pretty good. But then he opens his mouth again:
The problem for Dean, the former aide to House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill of Massachusetts, Matthews said, is the American people have to decide, "do you put a lefty in at a time of crisis?"
*Anna banging her head against a wall* But when he's on, he's on:
"Cheney is behind it all. The whole neo-conservative power vortex, it all goes through his office. He has become the chief executive. He's not the chief operating officer, he's running the place. It's scary.... The ideologues started circling around the president. They saw a man who never read any books, who didn't think too deeply and they gave him something to think about for the first time in his life. This thing called pre-emption, the Bush Doctrine. They put it in his head and said 'Iraq, Iraq, Iraq.'"
Should we be grateful, scared, simply puzzled, or something else?
Sharpton looks to kick another donkey...namely Howard Dean http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31895-2003Oct28.html
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I have completely learned to appreciate Rev. Al Sharpton's presense in the race. He's been witty and engaging, and has brokered peace between the candidates on several occassions. That being said, methinks he needs to take his own advice to heart:
First of all, I am not sure where Al gets his assertion that Dean is against affirmative action. From CSU-Long Beach for Dean's website:
From the same site, here's Dean on racial profiling:
Those were two quick examples, and I can google up some more if need be. But what Sharpton fails to mention is Dean's longstanging support of affirmative action.
In regards to the death penalty, Dean didn't support that until after 9-11, which he states made him think more broadly about the issue. He supports the death penalty for cop killers, terrorists, and people who commit violent crimes against children. Now, I'm not a death penalty supporter either, and I disagree with Dean on this issue, but Sharpton insinuates that Dean has a long recorded history of DP support without putting it into context. Dean also doesn't support the NRA's agenda. Rather, the NRA gave Dean an A rating. Dean supports the existing federal gun laws (including the Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban), would close the gun show loophole, and would allow states to further regulate guns if need be. To claim Dean supports the NRA is quite a leap of logic.
Rep. Jesse Jackson jr has jumped to Dean's defense:
Rep. Major Owens, another CBC member who's been onboard for quite some time, also defends Dean:
The remark that set Sharpton off was - as was the pattern with the Gephardt attacks - older than dirt. In 1995, Dean said in regards to affirmative action, "You know, I think we ought to look at affirmative action programs based, not on race, but on class and opportunities to participate." Today, he expanded on those old remarks:
Dean has certainly been consistent on issues of race throughout this campaign, so I think this is a non-issue. I'm sorry Al thought he had to go there - and I'm sure he had the best of intentions - but the accusations are simply false.
"Howard Dean's opposition to affirmative action, his current support for the death penalty and historic support of the NRA's [National Rifle Association's] agenda amounts to an anti-black agenda that will not sell in communities of color in this country... Any so-called African American leader that would endorse Dean despite his anti-black record is mortgaging the future of our struggle for civil rights and social justice."
First of all, I am not sure where Al gets his assertion that Dean is against affirmative action. From CSU-Long Beach for Dean's website:
The University of Michigan does not have a quota system, it never did have a quota system. The word quota is designed foster racial divisiveness and to encourage people to be fearful that other folks are going to take their jobs. That is a disgrace for the President of the United States to ever use that word. And if this were an isolated incident, you might say it was mistaken, but it wasn’t two weeks before that that he renominated Charles Pickering the United States Court of Appeals, who was turned down by the previous Democratic Senate because of his racial insensitivities. Let us not make a mistake about which party it is that wants inclusiveness and diversity in this country.
From the same site, here's Dean on racial profiling:
Let's start calling racial profiling what it is--discrimination based upon race. This is a civil rights issue, and that makes it a federal issue. Racial discrimination is illegal in hiring, housing, and voting. It should be illegal as a law enforcement technique as well. Condemning racial profiling is not enough.... As President, I will direct my Attorney General to use regulatory authority under existing anti-discrimination laws--the 1964 Civil Rights Act--to define racial profiling as discrimination, and to withhold federal funds from departments that violate those regulations.
Those were two quick examples, and I can google up some more if need be. But what Sharpton fails to mention is Dean's longstanging support of affirmative action.
In regards to the death penalty, Dean didn't support that until after 9-11, which he states made him think more broadly about the issue. He supports the death penalty for cop killers, terrorists, and people who commit violent crimes against children. Now, I'm not a death penalty supporter either, and I disagree with Dean on this issue, but Sharpton insinuates that Dean has a long recorded history of DP support without putting it into context. Dean also doesn't support the NRA's agenda. Rather, the NRA gave Dean an A rating. Dean supports the existing federal gun laws (including the Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban), would close the gun show loophole, and would allow states to further regulate guns if need be. To claim Dean supports the NRA is quite a leap of logic.
Rep. Jesse Jackson jr has jumped to Dean's defense:
"I also don't understand Rev. Sharpton's attempt to introduce 'race' into the campaign by using such rhetoric as 'anti-black' with respect to Gov. Dean. I challenge all of the other candidates to urge Rev. Sharpton to resist using such inflammatory rhetoric... Clearly, Gov. Dean is not anti-black and it is ridiculous for Rev. Sharpton to compare him to President George Bush in that regard. When it comes to addressing issues that directly affect African Americans, and indirectly affects all Americans, Gov. Dean clearly has good record. Up until this point -- until I indicated my intention to endorse Gov. Dean - the Democratic campaign has been free of such racial rhetoric. I would recommend that it remain so. Such rhetoric will not contribute to defeating George W. Bush in 2004. Indeed, it will insure his re-election."
Rep. Major Owens, another CBC member who's been onboard for quite some time, also defends Dean:
"To achieve our common ground goal of a Democrat in the White House, Howard Dean is the only candidate with a clear enough vision combined with toughness and independence. With respect to African American concerns, Dean starts with an evolving slate. The "doors of his church" are wide open to a broad spectrum of African American leadership. After his election, Howard Dean can be expected to bring into his circle of new national leadership more Black leaders than any of the other candidates. He has this flexibility because he doesn't owe the establishment any dues."
The remark that set Sharpton off was - as was the pattern with the Gephardt attacks - older than dirt. In 1995, Dean said in regards to affirmative action, "You know, I think we ought to look at affirmative action programs based, not on race, but on class and opportunities to participate." Today, he expanded on those old remarks:
Dean called himself a ``vigorous supporter'' of affirmative action and explained the 1995 remark to reporters while in Las Vegas for two private fund-raisers. "That's about help for people who don't have any money, and I think we should do that. But I also think affirmative action has to be about race, and I've said that all throughout this campaign,'' Dean said.
Dean has certainly been consistent on issues of race throughout this campaign, so I think this is a non-issue. I'm sorry Al thought he had to go there - and I'm sure he had the best of intentions - but the accusations are simply false.
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Remember New Hampshire
Meet Dean's Communications Director in New Hampshire--Dorie Clark. She's a big part of the reason why the Dean Team has been consistently communicating a winning message in New Hampshire. Let's not forget, as the winter hits the north, that Dean can use all the help he can get to reach the independent thinking people of New Hampshire.
Dorie's one of those people that makes politics a lot of fun.
DeanTV.org caught up with her after a rousing Dean Rally in Walpole, NH.
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To join Dorie and the hard working gang in New Hampshire check out deanfornewhampshire.com
Dorie's one of those people that makes politics a lot of fun.
DeanTV.org caught up with her after a rousing Dean Rally in Walpole, NH.
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To join Dorie and the hard working gang in New Hampshire check out deanfornewhampshire.com
Action Heroes or Abbott and Costello? http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-na-outlook27oct27,1,7871515.column?coll=la-news-politics-california
Ron Brownstein writing in today's Los Angeles Times predicts slapstick ahead for Ah-Nold and Dub-ya. In fact, as I've been saying, Ah-nold seems to have more in common with the Dems -- and if you add in campaign themes and styles -- particularly Howard Dean:
However, Bush will try to drape himself in Ah-nold's "cloak" where it's handy, and then make a sharp turn right when he's out of sight. Adding to the hilarity, Arnold's conservative GOP team will almost certainly be butting heads with the Dems on his team, and even worse in California, their moderate-GOP rivals. We can't let Bush have it both ways -- yet another reason to support Dean. In crisp, clear language Dean can explain this disconnect directly to voters. And if Ah-nold is smart, he may find that is no more fun for him to stump for Bush than it was for Dean to stump Davis. Who said irony was dead? Not with these two "action heroes" buttin' heads! Send in the clowns!
But, inevitably, Schwarzenegger's top priority in Washington has to be federal help to close the state's budget deficit. Bush has consistently resisted large-scale federal assistance to the states.Right out of the gate, Arnold may very well become a liability for Bush, and vice-versa. Such stark differences on these issues -- and note in the main article there is another section on immigration that is key -- present a number of lion-training opportunities for the Democratic nominee -- with Bush and Arnold playing the clowns. I can see the thirty-second spots already, but first, this one is a biggie, too:
This year, Bush reluctantly accepted a temporary $20-billion state aid package as the price of winning the last two Senate votes for his tax cut plan. But Bush has shown no interest in expanding or extending that aid. Meanwhile, Democratic presidential contenders such as retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean are promoting plans to funnel $40 billion or more to the cash-starved states over the next two years.
On health care there's a similar convergence. Schwarzenegger said he wanted to reduce the state's huge number of uninsured by expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program, a state-federal partnership. Bush hasn't proposed any funding increase for the program. But Democratic contenders such as Dean and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina want to provide enough federal money to significantly broaden eligibility for CHIP without requiring states to contribute any more dollars.
One of Schwarzenegger's top educational priorities is expanding after-school programs, an idea Democrats favor too. Bush, though, this year proposed cutting federal assistance for such programs by 40%. [...]
On energy and the environment, the pattern is even more dramatic. Schwarzenegger says he wants to require utilities to produce 20% of California's electricity from renewable sources like solar energy by 2010, and 33% by 2020.So, just when you thought the circus was over -- not yet! Bush has the most to lose, and is the one most likely to lose from these differences of opinion.
Meeting that goal would be easier if Washington required utilities nationwide to increase their reliance on renewable energy. That would enlarge the market for renewables, accelerating technological breakthroughs. Democratic presidential hopefuls such as [Howard] Dean, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts support such a federal standard; Bush opposes it.
Schwarzenegger also said he would defend in court the law Davis signed last year requiring cars to reduce the emissions associated with global warming -- a mandate automakers could probably meet only by significantly improving mileage. In a related case, the Bush administration has already signaled it might challenge that law as an infringement on Washington's authority to set fuel economy standards.
Similarly, Schwarzenegger indicated he wanted to renegotiate the expensive long-term electricity contracts Davis signed with utilities during the state's energy crisis. But last June, two Bush appointees on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said the contracts could stand.
On all of those fronts, the Democratic candidates would seem likely to appoint officials more open to the state's arguments. [...]
These potential conflicts with Bush -- not to mention Schwarzenegger's support for renewing the federal ban on assault weapons, which the administration appears willing to let die in Congress -- will test the new governor's political skills. He clearly wants to remain close to Bush, a hero to California Republicans. But Schwarzenegger has committed himself to a program much more centrist than Bush's. If Schwarzenegger truly means to advance the agenda he ran on, he may have no choice but to regularly bang heads with his buddy in the Oval Office.
However, Bush will try to drape himself in Ah-nold's "cloak" where it's handy, and then make a sharp turn right when he's out of sight. Adding to the hilarity, Arnold's conservative GOP team will almost certainly be butting heads with the Dems on his team, and even worse in California, their moderate-GOP rivals. We can't let Bush have it both ways -- yet another reason to support Dean. In crisp, clear language Dean can explain this disconnect directly to voters. And if Ah-nold is smart, he may find that is no more fun for him to stump for Bush than it was for Dean to stump Davis. Who said irony was dead? Not with these two "action heroes" buttin' heads! Send in the clowns!
Big Fat Plug http://bushfog.blogs.com/demdebate/
Dean supporter Ray Minchew of Washington4Dean has created what he hopes will be a safe haven for supporters of the Democratic candidates. Ray writes:
Bingo. We're all going to have to come together when the primaries are over. I think that's a sentiment that's been expressed in the various communities from time to time (I've definitely seen it in my lurkings on the Kerry and Graham blogs in particular), but because of the somewhat insular nature of our respective candidate's sites it can be difficult to engage in dialogues with each other.
Perhaps Ray's experiment will foster some good will between the camps. I know there have been times where I've had to bite my fingertips to keep myself from posting over at the Clark or Edwards blogs. So go say hi to Ray, introduce yourself to everyone, and let's play nice.
Allright kiddies, enough nastiness! This blog has been created to give the various candidates' bloggers a place to come and hash out their differences. As you all know, we're seeing trolls of all sorts these days. Kerry and Clark people getting trolled by supposed Dean supporters, Dean blogs being trolled by Kerry and Clark people, Kerry getting trolled by Dean and Clark folks...even some Edwards trolls popping up as he picks up steam. I think we've begun to realize that these trolls are the same people, just breeding contempt in our ranks, but too many of us are really beginning to hate one another....
Once we have a nominee, whoever doesn't win is going to need to combine forces, take the organizations they've built and transfer them to the winner. And we're going to need to not hate one another for that to happen. And it's going to start here, on the internet. The bloggers have led the charge this year, and will continue to do so. In all the campaigns, bloggers have moved offline and into Democratic meetings, activist groups and leadership roles. When we have one campaign, the bloggers will still be providing bedrock for electoral activity. If that bedrock's fractured, we're lost. So come in, sit down, hash out your differences of opinion. Remember that you may not like John Kerry as a person, but he's got lots of wonderful, hard-working intelligent supporters who do like him. They're not John Kerry, or Howard Dean, or whoever else you're opposing. They're enthusiastic supporters like you.
Bingo. We're all going to have to come together when the primaries are over. I think that's a sentiment that's been expressed in the various communities from time to time (I've definitely seen it in my lurkings on the Kerry and Graham blogs in particular), but because of the somewhat insular nature of our respective candidate's sites it can be difficult to engage in dialogues with each other.
Perhaps Ray's experiment will foster some good will between the camps. I know there have been times where I've had to bite my fingertips to keep myself from posting over at the Clark or Edwards blogs. So go say hi to Ray, introduce yourself to everyone, and let's play nice.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr to endorse Dean; and let's talk about voting rights http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/28/politics/campaigns/28DEAN.html?ex=1067922000&en=891970444288e0cc&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE
We'll have to wait 7-14 days for the official announcement, but....
Rep. Jackson is well-respected in his community, and we're grateful that he's decided to join the movement. He brings with him a record of integrity and honor, as well as hundreds of thousands of supporters across the country.
Slowly but surely, we are making inroads in the African-American community. I know that many of us have expressed our frustration with the perception that we're a mostly-white campaign, and Dean volunteers across the country have been engaged in outreach efforts with the specific intent to broaden our base of support. It's nice to see these efforts beginning to pay off. We see it at the rallies, we see it at the meetups, and we're beginning to see it in the endorsements and donations. But we cannot take these communities for granted and we must continue to reach out to all of our brothers and sisters and make sure they know that we welcome and need their support. We must address their issues and be sincere in our efforts to bring them into the movement. And we must make clear that Dean will not pull a George Bush and never attend the CBC.
One thing that caught my eye in the article above was that during a Q&A session, Dean stated that he'd seek a federal law allowing felons to vote (in Vermont, prisoners retain their right to vote). When I consider this issue, it's personal because my father was disenfranchised courtesy of the state of Florida after he was convicted of a felony in the early 1980s. So I empathise with the communities of color, and they've been disproportionately effected. According to this disturbing report from CBS News, one in eight black men of voting age are ineligible to vote due to felony convictions. Overall, 2% of Americans - nearly 4 million people nationwide - have lost their right to vote. And remember Florida in 2000? Let us not forget that nearly 173,000 voters (more than half were AA) were scrubbed from Florida's rolls because their names were phonetically similar to a list of felons. And let us also remember that 94,000 of those voters are still scrubbed. With a federal law ensuring the right to vote, Florida 2000/2002 would likely never have happened (this is taking into account that 94% of FL's AA population voted for Gore). And all this stuff is just scratching the surface. I'm a strong believer in the right to vote no matter who you are, no matter what crime you may have committed, etc etc. We are all Americans and we all have the right to participate in our democracy. Participation is what keep our process healthy, and to deny millions the right to vote because of a past mistake is a travesty. As Rev. Jesse Jackson says, disenfranchisement is "taxation without representation". It's that simple. For more on this issue, check out this post over at the Naked Emperor. It's time to ensure voting rights for all Americans. Anything less is unacceptable.
Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr. said Monday that he would soon endorse Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination, telling a mostly black audience on the South Side of Chicago that Dr. Dean had "the best chance to be the next president of the United States."..."I'm not wasting my time with any more non-straight-talking candidates"..."I've seen him stand up for health care. I've seen him stand up for students. I've seen him stand up for ordinary Americans. I'm asking you to stand up for Howard Dean."
Rep. Jackson is well-respected in his community, and we're grateful that he's decided to join the movement. He brings with him a record of integrity and honor, as well as hundreds of thousands of supporters across the country.
Slowly but surely, we are making inroads in the African-American community. I know that many of us have expressed our frustration with the perception that we're a mostly-white campaign, and Dean volunteers across the country have been engaged in outreach efforts with the specific intent to broaden our base of support. It's nice to see these efforts beginning to pay off. We see it at the rallies, we see it at the meetups, and we're beginning to see it in the endorsements and donations. But we cannot take these communities for granted and we must continue to reach out to all of our brothers and sisters and make sure they know that we welcome and need their support. We must address their issues and be sincere in our efforts to bring them into the movement. And we must make clear that Dean will not pull a George Bush and never attend the CBC.
One thing that caught my eye in the article above was that during a Q&A session, Dean stated that he'd seek a federal law allowing felons to vote (in Vermont, prisoners retain their right to vote). When I consider this issue, it's personal because my father was disenfranchised courtesy of the state of Florida after he was convicted of a felony in the early 1980s. So I empathise with the communities of color, and they've been disproportionately effected. According to this disturbing report from CBS News, one in eight black men of voting age are ineligible to vote due to felony convictions. Overall, 2% of Americans - nearly 4 million people nationwide - have lost their right to vote. And remember Florida in 2000? Let us not forget that nearly 173,000 voters (more than half were AA) were scrubbed from Florida's rolls because their names were phonetically similar to a list of felons. And let us also remember that 94,000 of those voters are still scrubbed. With a federal law ensuring the right to vote, Florida 2000/2002 would likely never have happened (this is taking into account that 94% of FL's AA population voted for Gore). And all this stuff is just scratching the surface. I'm a strong believer in the right to vote no matter who you are, no matter what crime you may have committed, etc etc. We are all Americans and we all have the right to participate in our democracy. Participation is what keep our process healthy, and to deny millions the right to vote because of a past mistake is a travesty. As Rev. Jesse Jackson says, disenfranchisement is "taxation without representation". It's that simple. For more on this issue, check out this post over at the Naked Emperor. It's time to ensure voting rights for all Americans. Anything less is unacceptable.
Feet on the Street http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/002014.html
The Army of Black and Gold - the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) - became the first international organisation to endorse Governor Dean yesterday. According to and article I googled up, IUPAT is known for being a true army on the ground. They are very organised, hard-working, and have quickly built a reputation as a political force to be reckoned with:
IUPAT has about 3000 members in Iowa who'll soon be hitting the streets in support of Dean, and over 140,000 members nationally. There's also a nice photo gallery from the endorsement event over on the official site.
Niner tipped us last night to this gallery from October 16, in which Dean met with the Hotel & Restaraunt Workers Local 25 in Washington DC. They were actually the first union to endorse Dean, and they are part of the AFL-CIO and represent over 7000 members in the DC metro area.
In addition, the NY Daily News reported last week that Local 1199/SEIU is almost ready to officially endorse Dean (it's President, Michael Rivera, has already done extensive fundraising for Dean). Getting the endorsement of the entire SEIU would be quite a coup for Dean, as the SEIU plans to spend nearly $35 million to beat Bush:
Let us also acknowledge the recent endorsement from the California Teacher's Association, which is 335,000 members strong.
"Feet on the street" is what we need right now, and these union members - many of whom are regular caucus-goers - will be a valuable asset in this grassroots movement. Dean's got the backing of nearly 500,000 union members at this time, which nearly doubles the growing Dean Army. Think about it for a minute. We are already halfway towards our goal of having 2 million supporters. Let's keep the momentum going.
update: In the comments of this post, niner suggested that we try and do some outreach to our local SEIU chapters. This SEIU tool can be used to find your local chapter. Also, check out the SEIU's Election 2004 site. It's chock-full of great info, including personal testimonials from SEIU members who've pledged to put their feet on the street next year.
"I vowed upon taking office to listen to my members on picket lines, job sites and union halls and what I heard was they liked Governor Dean's message," Williams said at a rally to announce the endorsement.
Dean told about 100 union members that while the campaign's focus has been on the war in Iraq, he plans to stress the issues of health care and jobs in the next few months. "This is a fight for working people in this country," Dean said.
IUPAT has about 3000 members in Iowa who'll soon be hitting the streets in support of Dean, and over 140,000 members nationally. There's also a nice photo gallery from the endorsement event over on the official site.
Niner tipped us last night to this gallery from October 16, in which Dean met with the Hotel & Restaraunt Workers Local 25 in Washington DC. They were actually the first union to endorse Dean, and they are part of the AFL-CIO and represent over 7000 members in the DC metro area.
In addition, the NY Daily News reported last week that Local 1199/SEIU is almost ready to officially endorse Dean (it's President, Michael Rivera, has already done extensive fundraising for Dean). Getting the endorsement of the entire SEIU would be quite a coup for Dean, as the SEIU plans to spend nearly $35 million to beat Bush:
Neither 1199 nor its parent union, the Service Employees International Union, has yet endorsed a Democratic candidate. But after this weekend's conference, it's pretty evident how 1199 members are leaning.
"They mobbed Dean and cheered him wildly from the moment he walked into the back of the hall," said a union shop steward in attendance.
As part of the anti-Bush campaign, union President Dennis Rivera has recruited 1,000 rank-and-file members and staff to fan out across the country beginning next month to get an early start organizing get-out-the-vote operations in more than a dozen "battleground" states.
Those states, including Florida, Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Ohio, are considered key for Democrats to regain the White House.
Each of Rivera's 1,000 volunteers will take a one-year leave of absence from his or her regular job - something permitted by many 1199 labor contracts - with the union paying regular salary and travel costs.
"No one in the labor movement has ever tried anything as ambitious as Dennis and 1199 are planning," a top AFL-CIO official said yesterday.
Rivera's union, with nearly 240,000 members in New York State, has been a political powerhouse for years. It boasts an enormous war chest and its members are experienced campaigners. Nearly half of them contribute to the union's political fund through a special monthly voluntary dues checkoff.
Let us also acknowledge the recent endorsement from the California Teacher's Association, which is 335,000 members strong.
"Feet on the street" is what we need right now, and these union members - many of whom are regular caucus-goers - will be a valuable asset in this grassroots movement. Dean's got the backing of nearly 500,000 union members at this time, which nearly doubles the growing Dean Army. Think about it for a minute. We are already halfway towards our goal of having 2 million supporters. Let's keep the momentum going.
update: In the comments of this post, niner suggested that we try and do some outreach to our local SEIU chapters. This SEIU tool can be used to find your local chapter. Also, check out the SEIU's Election 2004 site. It's chock-full of great info, including personal testimonials from SEIU members who've pledged to put their feet on the street next year.
What Can We Do About Iraq? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3216359.stm
Forty were killed yesterday, six more today. Iraq has become unspinnable.
But that is even true for us.
Today Americans still believe Iraq is better off without Saddam Hussein. But as the casualties mount, even that is coming into question.
Cher (yes, Cher) visited Walter Reed Hospital this week and came away horrified by the number of soldiers she saw without limbs. Modern medicine keeps the vast majority of casualties from death but over 2,000 coalition forces have now been wounded, and that does not count the thousands more who may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a life-long reaction to horror that leaves no visible scars, only broken lives.
The U.S. election is still 12 months away, inauguration nearly 15 months off. The situation on-the-ground discussed by candidates on Sunday may be irrelevant when Iowa votes, let alone America.
The fact is that the Cradle of Civilization today is a Killing Field. It was an oppressive, brutal dictatorship, ruled by fear, but now it is increasingly anarchic and ruled by the gun. Right now there is nothing we can do about that.
Or is there?
What Howard Dean offers is a different attitude toward the world. It’s tolerance rather than contempt. It’s negotiation rather than bombing. It’s another chance to try another approach.
It calls for a different attitude from us as well. Talk to your Republican neighbors today, listen to them instead of arguing, let them vent. They have a lot to get out before they surrender and admit that their beliefs haven’t worked in practice. That’s a hard admission to make, when you’ve lived with the assumption that might-makes-right for a lifetime.
The Great American Conversation can become the Great American Healing, because we are 500,000 strong. That is makes this campaign different from anything that has come before, anywhere. Let the healing begin, and let it begin with us.
But that is even true for us.
Today Americans still believe Iraq is better off without Saddam Hussein. But as the casualties mount, even that is coming into question.
Cher (yes, Cher) visited Walter Reed Hospital this week and came away horrified by the number of soldiers she saw without limbs. Modern medicine keeps the vast majority of casualties from death but over 2,000 coalition forces have now been wounded, and that does not count the thousands more who may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a life-long reaction to horror that leaves no visible scars, only broken lives.
The U.S. election is still 12 months away, inauguration nearly 15 months off. The situation on-the-ground discussed by candidates on Sunday may be irrelevant when Iowa votes, let alone America.
The fact is that the Cradle of Civilization today is a Killing Field. It was an oppressive, brutal dictatorship, ruled by fear, but now it is increasingly anarchic and ruled by the gun. Right now there is nothing we can do about that.
Or is there?
What Howard Dean offers is a different attitude toward the world. It’s tolerance rather than contempt. It’s negotiation rather than bombing. It’s another chance to try another approach.
It calls for a different attitude from us as well. Talk to your Republican neighbors today, listen to them instead of arguing, let them vent. They have a lot to get out before they surrender and admit that their beliefs haven’t worked in practice. That’s a hard admission to make, when you’ve lived with the assumption that might-makes-right for a lifetime.
The Great American Conversation can become the Great American Healing, because we are 500,000 strong. That is makes this campaign different from anything that has come before, anywhere. Let the healing begin, and let it begin with us.
Waste, Chaos and Cronyism http://www.msnbc.com/news/985284.asp?
I was just remarking to a friend that these Republican anti-Bush defections are becoming awfully common, and along comes Howard Fineman with this excellent Newsweek cover story that may not be surprising to many of us, but is certain to take some of the Free-Roaming GOP by surprise: HILARY CLEVELAND of New London, N.H., goes way back with the Bush family. Her late husband, James Colgate (Jimmy) Cleveland, was a Republican in Congress, where his paddle-ball partner in the House gym was George H.W. Bush. Hilary served on the Andover board with Barbara Bush and was finance chair of Bush's primary campaign in New Hampshire in 1980. She organized locally for George W. in 2000. But the other day, upset over the war in Iraq, she left the Republican Party, changing her registration to "undeclared" so she could vote for Dr. Howard Dean in the Democratic primary in January. "You don't go to war without valid reason," she said, "or international support." Bush's call for $87 billion in new spending on Iraq offended her Yankee sense of thrift: "I believe in fiscal integrity and balanced budgets, and spending so much doesn't seem sound."But hey, read the whole article...
IF PRESIDENCIES are destined to crumble, the cracks tend to appear first in the Granite State, where independents flock to one party's primary or another to presage the attitude -- and anger -- that centrist "swing voters" will express nationwide months later. Bush remains personally well liked in New Hampshire -- and nationally. According to the newest NEWSWEEK Poll, his job-approval rating is holding at 51 percent. But the human and financial costs of the war -- symbolized by death-a-day news reports and the $87 billion funding request -- have made Dean a power in the state, and are beginning to worry administration insiders. "If we don't get Iraq right in time," fretted one National Security Council official, "we could lose the election."
Monday, October 27, 2003
The Conscience of an (ex-)Conservative http://www.lawandpolitics.com/minnesota/default.asp?section=ARTICLES&module=ITEM&id=156
When this article by Washington state-based writer Philip Gold first came out during the pre-TIME/Newsweek cover days of Howard Dean, it struck me as courageous. After all, the whisper at the time was that it was unpatriotic--if not treasonous--to question the actions or motives of the Bush administration. This guy was actually turning his back on a life time of work for the conservative movement!
Originally published in the Minnesota Journal of Law and Politics, Gold leads his article with this:
Leaving an organization can be hard. Leaving a movement, harder. And leaving an idea — unless you realize that the movement has deserted the idea, and that it’s time to say so — traumatic.
Given the deep interest some conservatives seem to have in the Dean Movement (as indicated by the many inquiring minds visiting this site), Gold's reasoning could be helpful to some of the more disillusioned Republicans who pulled the lever for Bush in 2000 but feel like they got something they didn't bargain for. Gold did a lifetime of research and came up with the conclusion that,
For all the blather about the “war of ideas,” 20th-century conservatism produced virtually nothing of lasting value.
Many of our friends turned Republican for Bush in 2000 because they thought he was a regular guy that would "restore integrity" to the White House. Turns out Bush sadly is a regular guy with a White House that wants to restore their version of integrity to the world. At least, those neo-conservatives who are in charge of his White House do.
Say's Gold,
After 30 years, I realized why. Deep down, these people — these people who can be so gracious and so decent in their personal lives — believe that they’ve been deprived of their proper place at the center of the universe. Deep down, they know that, were the world right, everyone would be like them, or at least aspire, or pretend to aspire, to be like them.
Sounds familiar doesn't it?
(Cross-posted at DeanTV.org)
Originally published in the Minnesota Journal of Law and Politics, Gold leads his article with this:
Leaving an organization can be hard. Leaving a movement, harder. And leaving an idea — unless you realize that the movement has deserted the idea, and that it’s time to say so — traumatic.
Given the deep interest some conservatives seem to have in the Dean Movement (as indicated by the many inquiring minds visiting this site), Gold's reasoning could be helpful to some of the more disillusioned Republicans who pulled the lever for Bush in 2000 but feel like they got something they didn't bargain for. Gold did a lifetime of research and came up with the conclusion that,
For all the blather about the “war of ideas,” 20th-century conservatism produced virtually nothing of lasting value.
Many of our friends turned Republican for Bush in 2000 because they thought he was a regular guy that would "restore integrity" to the White House. Turns out Bush sadly is a regular guy with a White House that wants to restore their version of integrity to the world. At least, those neo-conservatives who are in charge of his White House do.
Say's Gold,
After 30 years, I realized why. Deep down, these people — these people who can be so gracious and so decent in their personal lives — believe that they’ve been deprived of their proper place at the center of the universe. Deep down, they know that, were the world right, everyone would be like them, or at least aspire, or pretend to aspire, to be like them.
Sounds familiar doesn't it?
(Cross-posted at DeanTV.org)
Haliburton and Dean: A Love Story http://boomshock.blogspot.com/2003_10_26_boomshock_archive.html#106726398436961925
To Sum Up:
Vice President Cheney, formerly head of Haliburton, and still receiving income from the company, is one of the architects of the war on Iraq which has resulted in billions of dollars of reconstruction contracts to the firm, which uses cheap imported labor from Asia rather than local Iraqis as it makes wildly overpriced estimates for basic tasks like building bridges or gasoline.
Howard Dean may or may not have received a $2000 campaign contribution from someone with the same name as a retired member of the Haliburton board of directors.
Yeah. That's exactly the same thing. And I have a bridge to sell you... built by Haliburton! in the Arizona desert!
im getting some irate emails from the sarcasm-impaired. Let me be explicit. Dean's "ties" to Haliburton are NONEXISTENT. The comparison to the ACTUAL conflict of interest between the Bush Administration and Haliburton makes the absurdity of the allegation clear.
Vice President Cheney, formerly head of Haliburton, and still receiving income from the company, is one of the architects of the war on Iraq which has resulted in billions of dollars of reconstruction contracts to the firm, which uses cheap imported labor from Asia rather than local Iraqis as it makes wildly overpriced estimates for basic tasks like building bridges or gasoline.
Howard Dean may or may not have received a $2000 campaign contribution from someone with the same name as a retired member of the Haliburton board of directors.
Yeah. That's exactly the same thing. And I have a bridge to sell you... built by Haliburton! in the Arizona desert!
im getting some irate emails from the sarcasm-impaired. Let me be explicit. Dean's "ties" to Haliburton are NONEXISTENT. The comparison to the ACTUAL conflict of interest between the Bush Administration and Haliburton makes the absurdity of the allegation clear.
Sunday, October 26, 2003
California Teachers Association Endorses Dean for America
From Dean for America...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2003
California Teachers Association Endorses Howard Dean in March Primary
LOS ANGELES--Impressed by his strong commitment to public education and teachers, the top governing body of the 335,000-member California Teachers Association voted overwhelmingly today to endorse Howard Dean in the March presidential primary election.
"This primary election is too important to ignore," said CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. "Our voices must be heard in this critical race. Howard Dean has a long history of supporting public schools and children, and he understands the dangers we face from the federal government's growing influence over our classrooms and how we teach."
The vote was taken by the CTA State Council of Education, comprised of nearly 800 democratically elected teacher representatives from across the state, at the Council's regular quarterly meeting in Los Angeles. Dean addressed the CTA Council on June 1 and received an enthusiastic response.
Kerr noted that Dean shares California teachers' concerns about President Bush's so-called No Child Left Behind Act and the unfunded mandates it imposes on public schools across the nation. He opposes the law's rigid and unrealistic penalties, and will work with teachers to overturn its reliance on standardized tests. He also supports full funding of the federal government's commitment to special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and believes all children have a right to health care.
As governor of Vermont, Dean showed his leadership and created a program that provided health care for every child under the age of 18. He wants to launch a similar program nationally.
"Dean understands the challenges teachers are facing in schools," Kerr said. "He believes that education excellence starts with teachers and he shares our priorities."
# # #
The CTA is affiliated with the 2.7 million-member National Education Association.
What Do These People Have in Common?
From Dean for America...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2003
DETROIT --
George Bush
Dick Cheney
Donald Rumsfeld
Paul Wolfowitz
Condoleezza Rice
Colin Powell
John Kerry
What do these people have in common?
Their bad judgment led them to decide that war in Iraq was the correct course of action.
From his vantage point as Governor of Vermont, Howard Dean's judgment led him to a different conclusion -- he opposed the war because he did not believe that Iraq posed an imminent threat to America.
-- 30 --
Open Thread: CBC/Fox News Debate
Go nuts.
Solving Dean's Iraq Problem (Oh, Canada) http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/weekly/newsnat-26oct2003-35.htm
As events in Iraq continue to spin out of control, is Howard Dean developing an Iraq problem?
The latest Newsweek poll shows a sharp rise in the number of Americans who want the troops home now, especially among Democrats, women and young people.
Dean's position here is clear. He was against getting in. But now that we're in we can't bug out. Dean wants to internatoinalize the effort, but that grows harder as the task gets larger.
How do we keep anti-war Democrats from deserting the anti-war Democrat? Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich are both encouraging it.
Bushies, meanwhile, are waiting to see Dean go hat-in-hand to France, to beg terms of Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder. That fantasy will be spun regardless -- truth is no object in Republican politics.
But there is a piece of jiu jitsu I think Dean might use to turn the whole issue around.
Go to Canada. Speak about American-Canadian friendship in Toronto. Get an audience to talk trade and Iraq with the Canadian Prime Minister. The dialogue would be healthy. Canada's position on Iraq is also closer to France' than to our own government's. A trip up north would help point that out.
Sure, rank-and-file Republicans will point to Canada's drug laws, its embrace of gay marriage, and its health care system to discredit the whole idea. Let them. Canada can defend itself, and most Canadians will enjoy the attention. Dean will also get an opportunity to prove that, on the Canadian political spectrum, he is pretty conservative.
The way out of the Iraq problem may lie through Ottawa.
The latest Newsweek poll shows a sharp rise in the number of Americans who want the troops home now, especially among Democrats, women and young people.
Dean's position here is clear. He was against getting in. But now that we're in we can't bug out. Dean wants to internatoinalize the effort, but that grows harder as the task gets larger.
How do we keep anti-war Democrats from deserting the anti-war Democrat? Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich are both encouraging it.
Bushies, meanwhile, are waiting to see Dean go hat-in-hand to France, to beg terms of Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder. That fantasy will be spun regardless -- truth is no object in Republican politics.
But there is a piece of jiu jitsu I think Dean might use to turn the whole issue around.
Go to Canada. Speak about American-Canadian friendship in Toronto. Get an audience to talk trade and Iraq with the Canadian Prime Minister. The dialogue would be healthy. Canada's position on Iraq is also closer to France' than to our own government's. A trip up north would help point that out.
Sure, rank-and-file Republicans will point to Canada's drug laws, its embrace of gay marriage, and its health care system to discredit the whole idea. Let them. Canada can defend itself, and most Canadians will enjoy the attention. Dean will also get an opportunity to prove that, on the Canadian political spectrum, he is pretty conservative.
The way out of the Iraq problem may lie through Ottawa.
Dean Personally Thanks YOU! http://deantv.typepad.com/deantv/DeanBurlington.JPG
Ah, yes, another Sunday morning bursting with our favorite TV talk shows and pundits making predictions about our guy. So far the campaign's been enjoying the advantage of getting plugged and covered more because Dean has been such a formidable candidate from the start. The other candidates are all being forced to measure up against "Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean..."
Amazingly enough, Dean is still enjoying the benefits of being perceived as an underdog. You know Dean's brand is on top when a single digit competitor, like Kucinich, fires empty charges and makes false demands just to keep his brand positioned visibly next to Dean's. How transparent.
Washington insiders, like Donna Brazile, are finally admitting that Dean's got a movement on his hands and not just a campaign. Despite a brutal schedule, Dean doesn't forget where it all started. He dropped everything after Friday night's Burlington Sheraton rally just to quickly say how much he appreciates what you are doing.
Here's the short but sweet Video message:
QuickTime 56K
QuickTime 100K
(video via the DeanTV.org Vault Burlington Sheraton 10-24-03).
Amazingly enough, Dean is still enjoying the benefits of being perceived as an underdog. You know Dean's brand is on top when a single digit competitor, like Kucinich, fires empty charges and makes false demands just to keep his brand positioned visibly next to Dean's. How transparent.
Washington insiders, like Donna Brazile, are finally admitting that Dean's got a movement on his hands and not just a campaign. Despite a brutal schedule, Dean doesn't forget where it all started. He dropped everything after Friday night's Burlington Sheraton rally just to quickly say how much he appreciates what you are doing.
Here's the short but sweet Video message:
QuickTime 56K
QuickTime 100K
(video via the DeanTV.org Vault Burlington Sheraton 10-24-03).
Saturday, October 25, 2003
Keeping UpThe Pressure Together
A little success can be misleading. First because it’s little. Second because it’s success.
It’s important we put the size of the Dean campaign’s success so far in perspective. We are now nearly a half-million strong. But this is a nation of nearly 300 million. To win the 2004 election we must scale by a factor of 100, and beyond. That’s the goal. Next to it our mountain is a molehill.
But we do have success. We have more troops in the field than our Democratic rivals combined. Our troops are well-funded. We can go on TV. When the press (because it seems like a better story) or other Democrats (because they must do it to win) seek to take someone down, it’s our guy they’re talking about.
The question becomes one of maintaining momentum. Obsessing on the extremists or extremism of the other side won’t do it. The only way through is a positive motivation. Our challenge is to find it.
And here’s why I really like Howard Dean. Because he has already found it. He delivered it in his announcement speech, and repeated it in Boston. We’ve just been obsessed with our own issues – Iraq, the economy, the Gropenfuhrer –we missed it. Fortunately Garance Franke-Ruta found it, and reminded me of it last week.
"We shall be as one. We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together."
It’s a vision older than America itself. It’s from John Winthrop, first Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1630.
Here is what it means, and why it is so powerful.
America isn’t I. America is US, all of us. This was our vision, it’s why we came here, why people suffer to come here still. There’s a big, dangerous world out there. It can’t be won through division. It can only be won when we are “as one.”
The implication of this vision cuts across every single issue we face, as Democrats, Republicans, Americans. What must each of us sacrifice so that all of us can unite? What must we let go of in order to win the War on Terror?
Well, we must let go of our terror. We must let go of our hate. We must let go of our contempt for one another. We must let go of our selfishness. We must all let go of our small, individual agendas to find a common cause worth dying for.
See the power? Bush can’t respond to it. The election becomes a battle between two visions, one of division, the other of unity. And guess which one America will choose? The one America has always chosen.
"We shall be as one. We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together."
Together.
It’s important we put the size of the Dean campaign’s success so far in perspective. We are now nearly a half-million strong. But this is a nation of nearly 300 million. To win the 2004 election we must scale by a factor of 100, and beyond. That’s the goal. Next to it our mountain is a molehill.
But we do have success. We have more troops in the field than our Democratic rivals combined. Our troops are well-funded. We can go on TV. When the press (because it seems like a better story) or other Democrats (because they must do it to win) seek to take someone down, it’s our guy they’re talking about.
The question becomes one of maintaining momentum. Obsessing on the extremists or extremism of the other side won’t do it. The only way through is a positive motivation. Our challenge is to find it.
And here’s why I really like Howard Dean. Because he has already found it. He delivered it in his announcement speech, and repeated it in Boston. We’ve just been obsessed with our own issues – Iraq, the economy, the Gropenfuhrer –we missed it. Fortunately Garance Franke-Ruta found it, and reminded me of it last week.
"We shall be as one. We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together."
It’s a vision older than America itself. It’s from John Winthrop, first Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1630.
Here is what it means, and why it is so powerful.
America isn’t I. America is US, all of us. This was our vision, it’s why we came here, why people suffer to come here still. There’s a big, dangerous world out there. It can’t be won through division. It can only be won when we are “as one.”
The implication of this vision cuts across every single issue we face, as Democrats, Republicans, Americans. What must each of us sacrifice so that all of us can unite? What must we let go of in order to win the War on Terror?
Well, we must let go of our terror. We must let go of our hate. We must let go of our contempt for one another. We must let go of our selfishness. We must all let go of our small, individual agendas to find a common cause worth dying for.
See the power? Bush can’t respond to it. The election becomes a battle between two visions, one of division, the other of unity. And guess which one America will choose? The one America has always chosen.
"We shall be as one. We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together."
Together.
Howard Dean Presents Renewable Energy Plan http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=5383
Dean has presented his plan for renewable energy:
There are six specific points (from official press release):
Governor Dean proposes creating a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), requiring more American biofuels, boosting wind energy transmission, creating a solar power tax credit, extending the production tax credit (PTC), and investing in renewable energy and efficiency as part of the Fund to Restore America. The Dean campaign said their plan would create 15,000 new energy related jobs in Iowa and US$126 billion in new local property tax revenue by 2020.
There are six specific points (from official press release):
* Create a Renewable Portfolio Standard 20% by 2020. Despite a bipartisan plea from 53 Senators, the GOP leadership in Congress, buckled under to oil and gas interests and rejected calls to require that our nation generate 10% of its electricity from renewable sources. Governor Dean will put the interests of Americans ahead of special interests and require that our nation generate 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. To ensure efficient and flexible implementation, Dean will create a renewable energy credit trading system.
* Require More American Biofuels. Governor Dean will require that every gallon of the US, on average, contain 10% American biofuels like ethanol and soy-diesel. As with the renewable energy requirement, Dean will implement a biofuels credit trading system to allow the market to determine where biofuels can be most efficiently used.
* Boost Wind Energy Transmission. To tap this massive wind energy potential of the Plains, Governor Dean will work with state and local governments, renewable generators and transmission utilities to breakdown regulatory barriers, eliminate transmission capacity deficiencies and identify possible transmission investments that could jumpstart new renewable generation
* Create a Solar Power Tax Credit. Governor Dean will boost demand for solar technology in the near-and long-terms by implementing a consumer tax credit for residential solar power and increasing federal support for R&D into solar technologies to reduce the cost of solar cells.
* Extend the Production Tax Credit for More Renewables. Governor Dean will extend the Production Tax Credit, which expires at the end of the year. Dean will also expand the tax credit to cover more types of renewable power generation including geothermal, solar and biomass.
* Invest in Renewable Energy and Efficiency as Part of the F