Dean says he stands up to Bush when rivals won't

[stickdog]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-01-13-dean-polls_x.htm

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean, pounded by opponents in recent debates and ads, fought back Monday with sharp criticism of his rivals for showing what he called a lack of backbone against President Bush.

"I stood up when John Edwards and John Kerry and Dick Gephardt wouldn't stand up," Dean said at a rally in Pella, Iowa, criticizing the others for voting to authorize the war with Iraq. "They want to say they are all against the establishment. They are the establishment."

At a stop later in Sigourney, Iowa, he said he was tired of enduring two months of criticism from "the establishment candidates from Washington." He said, "We're not going to put up with it anymore."

Dean's words were reminiscent of the fiery attacks early in the race that fueled his rise from long shot to front-runner. With the Iowa caucuses — the first nominating contest of the Democratic presidential race — a week away, he was aiming to fire up his supporters and hold on to his lead.

[corporatewhore]

1. what about kucinich why cant he get any recoginition

Dean is the establishment too imho

[CTLawGuy]

8. its Dennis' own fault he can't get any recognition..

he and Dean both started in the same place, no name ID, no money, and an anti-war message. Dean was able to turn those resources into success. If Dennis can't, it's his own fault. Dean proved it can be done.

[BayCityProgressive]

2. I honestly

still don't know who I will vote for in the primary. I will decide after Iowa and New Hampshire. I live in Michigan. Dean should attack the others for their records, not this establishment crap. he is just as much establishment as they are. Attack them for their war vote, Clark's flip flopping, Gephardt missing so many votes in congress ect. I am not all that excited by Dean's Prison/Industrial record as governor, but he did provide healthcare for all, balance the budget, and pass civil unions (this is very important to me) so I am leaning in his direction. The Iraq war vote also turns me off from the other candidates.

[shance]

6. I disagree. He is not as establishment as they are.

I think they are all great people. But I also think what we are seeing here is a wonderful opportunity to see how Washington D.C. and the system conditions otherwise great committed candidates by emerging them in a structure that essentially demands they conform or lose their next election. We truly do have a government now run by Special Interests and lobbyists and our elected officials are becoming more and more enslaved and even beholden to this hierarchy of classism and wealth.

I think Kerry, Gephardt and Edwards and even Lieberman are all essentially good, caring people. However I also believe that they have been stepfordized so to speak by a system that demands conformity.

This is why Dean is different and I believe has had quite an awakening while running for president being that he has gotten an earful and eyeful of candidates who in a freer society would be railing against what is going on in Washington. Instead they fall pretty silent, with moments of truth here and there, but then seem to quickly retreat to their rightful place (and safe place) when they see the gavel coming.

This is actually a very pivotal, defining and great time in America if we can save it. We just have to listen to those who are willing to confront a broken, dysfunctional system that is the Titanic headed for the iceberg. I pray all of the candidates will be able to find and keep their eye on the bigger picture, which in my opinion is the survival of the USA. I have a hard time thinking that Gephardt, Lieberman, Kerry and/or Edwards (although I have more hope for him than the others)will be strong enough to pull against the force of Washington D.C.. And that would definitely include Clark as well. Hes been an insider for a long time as well. He knows the players just as well.

Dean has been on the outside and yet knows the inside and has been raised in that environment, although that will it will probably never be where his heart is, BECAUSE HE HAS NOTHING TO PROVE.

Unfortunately I cannot say the same for the rest. I think they feel they have more to prove to themselves and others and that is their defining goal. I could be wrong, but that is my instinct.

Howard Deans goal seems to be from what I have read and what I have seen to ultimately make this planet a better place and sustainable so that his children and our heirs will not inherit an appocalypse. I understand and agree with that philosophy as many here do, because it the main thing that propels us. Its his driving force as well, and that is why I support him.

Because of an essentially non-pretentious drive, I think it gives Dean the advantage, and more importantly, a perspective to be able to blend, understand and inspire individuals and leaders who are probably fearful of any type of change in Washington.

Im sure its like any of us: when we have a good thing going, even though it may be killing us and everyone around us, how many of us really want to change?

Change must occur however, if we are to survive what could translate into a pretty horrific future. I think Dean is the one at this point that would be able to create change without devastating the pendulum.

He has the conservative and liberal instincts and insight to be pragmatic, he knows his shortcomings, which I cannot say for the majority of the candidates, and that in and of itself shows me an individual who is capable of being a great leader.

[PATRICK]

7. all candidates are getting somewhat simplistic

trying to distinguish themselves and that is the ordinary rough and tumble. In fact all candidates have bemade devastating attacks against Bush. Except for the war vote issue(Dean had no vote)it has been a question of campaign style in face of the fact that the people are heavily propagandized by a pro-Bush media. Dean confronts it head-on, which might fail but simply has to be done by someone. The others are soft on the people, not on Bush.

I guess hammering away at the war vote does not have the danger of driving support to Kucinich who owns the trophy on credibility. As for ganging up and labeling that the "establishment" that has large amount of truth even if it really is normal politics in action, not just an ideological wing war.

Does anyone have the impression that early on, when Dean, like Cuomo and others, met with the tribal elders and muckamucks of the DNC and DLC, they tried to tell him no, even though he was the only governor candidate? Cuomo folded in face of their doomed wisdom. If Dean had backed down our chances of winning even with a great candidate would be almost zero.

[PartyPooper]

3. Well, kudos to mosely-braun, sharpton, and kucinich on this issue, too.

They've all stood up to Junior.

:kick:

[Don_G]

4. Anybody But Bush

What worries me most is that the RNC has delayed their Convention to September and Bush/Cheny will blow the primary and election matching millions in the space of two-and-a-half months in their re-selection bid.

[eileen from OH]

5. I understand what he's saying

and he's right. I still remember him at the CA Dem convention doing his "What I want to know is. . ." speech and being positively electrified and thinking "FINALLY!" I was so damned demoralized by the 2002 elections and all the major players rolling over and then getting rolled over by the Republicans and then there was this guy saying EXACTLY what I felt. And I wasn't alone.

That was, if I remember correctly, before Sharpton or Braun got in the race. I know they weren't at that convention. Kucinich also said it, but - sorry - he didn't make the same impression or give the same resonance to it.

It was only after Dean really took after Bush and caught on and started getting noticed for it that the others started ratcheting up their rhetoric. Check out press reports of that convention if you doubt me.

All that being said, I don't think this "establishment" stuff is needed now. The point isn't that the other guys followed his lead, that's obvious. The point is that, instead of hammering on being FIRST, he needs to pound on why he's the BEST one to take it to Bush.

eileen from OH

[sendero]

9. well....

... frankly, I think Dean would have let that rhetoric fall by the wayside, but since the attacks become more frequent and more shrill every day, he has no choice but to respond.

If he let Bush* that that sh*t to him, he would have no chance of getting elected. He can't let the other Dems do it indefinitely either.