Dean Fires Back at Rivals With New TV Ad

[MoonAndSun]

<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20040113/ap_on_el_pr/dean>


snip>>By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa - Democratic front-runner Howard Dean (news - web sites) fired back at his rivals, launching a new television ad Tuesday that assails their support for the Iraq (news - web sites) war as he sought to claim the Washington-outsider mantle in the closing days before Iowa's presidential caucuses.


The hard-hitting commercial comes as Dean went on the offensive, targeting several of his rivals and vowing to respond to any criticism. "I'm going after everybody because I'm tired of being the pin cushion here," he said.


In the ad — and on the campaign trail Monday — Dean singled out John Kerry (news - web sites), John Edwards and Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) by name for supporting President Bush (news - web sites) and his call for congressional authority to go to war against Iraq.








things are getting very hot in Iowa.

[Guaranteed]

1. Yeah Gep and Kerry were getting too close...

Dean decided to go back on the offensive- briefly, at least.

Then he'll probably go back to Mr. Nice Guy so that he'll still have their support once he gets the nomination.

[Sean Reynolds]

2. I love how the truth is an attack.

But hell if I were running the Dean campaign, I'd of started to attack Gephardt on his PAST quotes many months ago.

[Skwmom]

4. I'd love to see the truth exposed in an ad.

The truth about Dean's conflicting statements on the Iraq War. Dean when asked to clarify his position:

"He gets a deluge of phone calls from reporters asking him to clarify his position. Which is -- "as I've said about eight times today," he says, annoyed -- that Saddam must be disarmed, but with a multilateral force under the auspices of the United Nations. If the U.N. in the end chooses not to enforce its own resolutions, then the U.S. should give Saddam 30 to 60 days to disarm, and if he doesn't, unilateral action is a regrettable, but unavoidable, choice."

http://fordean.org/aa/issues/press_view.asp?ID=398

Plus we can't forget about Dean agreeing to a resolution which was basically the same thing as what passed.

[Chico Man]

6. Did Saddam not disarm?

Did we give him 30 to 60 days to disarm?

Where are those WMD anyways?

[worldgonekrazy]

24. Yeah, but Dean meant it

"He gets a deluge of phone calls from reporters asking him to clarify his position. Which is -- "as I've said about eight times today," he says, annoyed -- that Saddam must be disarmed, but with a multilateral force under the auspices of the United Nations. If the U.N. in the end chooses not to enforce its own resolutions, then the U.S. should give Saddam 30 to 60 days to disarm, and if he doesn't, unilateral action is a regrettable, but unavoidable, choice."

Dean meant it though. He wasn't just saying that for political cover like Kerry, Gephardt, Edwards, etc. The realit is that the Administration made no honest attempt whatsoever to disarm Hussein illegally. In fact, that was the last thing this administration wanted. Kerry, Edwards, Gept, etc. knew that AS DID DEAN, but the difference is they fucking voted for it ANYWAYS.

[demon67]

3. Dean is right -- it's too soon for the prevent defense

Like in any competition, going into the "prevent defense" -- being cautious, playing not to lose -- usually just allows your opponents to catch up. It is too early in the primary season to try to run out the clock. Dean has to play to win. Also, trying to be anyone other than yourself for a long period of time is a losing strategy, especially if you are by your very nature a straight shooter.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

5. God, What an Unlikeable Person

It's no wonder his negatives exceed his positives by 11% already, and that's before Bush has even started with his $200MM war chest.

DTH

[Chico Man]

7. He was pretty likable when I met him

He is our best shot.

[MoonAndSun]

8. My daughter met him at a rally and she really liked his manners.

I like him, too.

[Upfront]

9. Dean

Dr. Dean sure will make a great President though. The establishment is in full panic mode. Lol

[Kbick]

14. Gore and Bradly

Yes like Gore and Bradly.
To big outsiders.

[Chico Man]

15. You convinced me

Just kidding.

Now, can you offer me a better alternative?

And to spin the Gore and Bradley endorsements as a bad thing is confusing to me.

:crazy:

[Tracer]

10. Unlikeable?

This is the most likeable politician I've ever come across — and the only one in my 63 years that I've ever donated to.

On the likeability scale, compared to SmirkBoy, Dean is Mr. Rogers.

[Bluto]

18. Likeable??

What's too like about him? He's as arrogant and smug a man as I've ever encountered in all my years of politcian watching.

[Chico Man]

19. Who are you talking about?

George W. Bush? Dick Cheney? Don Rumsfeld?

Please elaborate.

[shanti]

11. you are one person out of many

so predictable...i find him quite likeable and on target.

[JaneQPublic]

12. Link, please, for poll showing Dean's positives and negatives (nt)

[0007]

16. Yeah, where's the poll ##

Go Dean go - you're doing it baby! Leave the field behind with their wine,
while you reach for
the highest winning line.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

20. Here's Your Poll, and Some Anecdotal Evidence

(Reformatted)

F. Former Vermont Governor, Howard Dean

Favorable Unfavorable Never heard of No opinion

28 39 17 16 (National Adults)

11 58 14 17 (GOP/GOP Leaners)

45 22 17 16 (Dem/Dem Leaners)

http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr040107.asp

--

But this year seems different. "I've done a cursory survey of my staff," says one campaign official. "None of them would go work for Dean. They hate the guy. His arrogance. The things he says. The way he insults us, like he's the only one who's a real Democrat."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8439-2004Jan11?language=printer

DTH

[0007]

21. Thank you kindly Sir - Those number sound a litte repukish

I trust you will vote for Dean if nominated, 'eh?
Peace

[progressivebydesign]

13. And a School of the Americas guy is just so lovable.

Clark people are what makes me not like Clark..besides his being in the biz of having people blown to bits and and lobbying for the weapons to do so. What a sweetie pie he sounds like.

[Voltaire99]

22. Much more likable than the ex-general

Dean is likable in a way Clark never was and never will be.

Dean never gave careless bombing orders that killed civilians. Dean never provoked a British general to say, "I'm not starting World War III for you." Dean never voted Republican. Dean didn't praise Bush's invasion of Iraq, or take money from CNN to do color commentary on the war. Dean didn't wait until the last third of his lifetime to figure out his politics. Dean doesn't go around applying ill-fitting military metaphors to public policy.

Add up those negatives of the old warhorse, and he places quite a few notches below Dean.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

25. *cough*

New Hampshire.

Favorable/Unfavorable @ 72/19



http://americanresearchgroup.com/nhpoll/dem/




Iow, Bullshit!

[TheDonkey]

17. STOP fighting fire with fire Dean!!!

Dean is mad at other blasting him so he turns around and blasts them back using rehashed arguments.

Can we PLEASE move on!!!

[worldgonekrazy]

23. As a Dean supporter, I am tired of him constantly disrespecting Kucinich

This is the one thing that bothers me. I don't really care about him firing back against other candidates, even though I deplore negative attacks, because I think he just has to. But he could at least recognize that Kucinich was against the war as well.

In actuality Kucinich has more of a claim to the throne of being Most Against the War because he actually voted against it and organized over a hundred other members of Congress to vote against it. Dean doesn't have to recognize that part because there are political considerations here, but he should at least say "other than Dennis Kucinich I was the only candidate opposed to the war" or something like that.

Edited for grammar