Dean Braces for Criticism in Dem Debate

[0007]

Democratic presidential candidates enter the fall campaign with a new front-runner, Howard Dean and eight contenders seeking to slow his monentum.

"I think there will be some fireworks," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat who
has not taken sides in the nine-way fight for the party's nomination.

H said Dems would be better off if candidates focus their ire on President Bush,
not each other, but he held out little hope for that.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20030904_180.html

more........

[CWebster]

1. They'll be zeroing in on Dean

Keep it together, Howard - and focus on the real opponent.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. Top dog ALWAYS draws the heat

it comes with the territory. We'll see if Howard's got what it takes.
I suspect all his recent flip flops won't make it easier. :shrug:

[jamesinca]

3. I know he has backed off on the Cuba thing

Has he changed his footing on anything else?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. what's the retirement age again?

[Sinistrous]

5. vis a vis Mr. Dean: A non-issue.

Been answered. Long buried. Fair-minded people saw it as a nit-picking quibble from the start.

If you must carp, don't try to beat Mr. Dean with eight year old statements.

[Mairead]

6. Really? How about with a one-month-old statement?

[Sinistrous]

11. Which was compared to an eight year old statement.

Anyway, this has always been a non-issue. Harping on this makes people look like political mosquitoes.

[JNelson6563]

7. wow, what a credible

criticism! Not.

Sad to see us eat our own.

Julie

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. can someone answer the question?

Puh-lease! :shrug:

[JaneQPublic]

10. Here's what the Social Security Admin says:

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/ageincrease.htm

Full retirement age (also called "normal retirement age") has been 65 for many years. However, beginning with people born in 1938 or later, that age will gradually increase until it reaches 67 for people born after 1959. The 1983 Social Security Amendments, signed by President Reagan, included a provision for raising the retirement age beginning with persons born in 1938 or later. The Congress cited improvements in the health of older people and increases in average life expectancy as primary reasons for increasing the normal retirement age.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

19. This:

MR. RUSSERT: In ’96 you told The Globe you would look at raising the retirement age. You—no?
SEN. KERRY: I would not—I said that was one of many options that were out there that people would put on the table. Back then we were talking about putting everything on the table. I would not do that, period.



Edit: add link http://stacks.msnbc.com/news/960385.asp

[NewYorkerfromMass]

30. Thanks for the firm answer. nt

[CWebster]

12. So what?

I admire a politician who can change their mind and evolve. At least they are trying to hone a policy rather than either covering all bases and committing to none- or stubbornly refusing to budge when they are wrong.

[Ripley]

15. What's that war resolution again Kerry?

Oh you "said" you were only for UN approval but gave Bush a blank check. Oh yeah.

Nobody died when Dean changed his mind (or clarified his position), but how many have died since Kerry and his fellow Congress buddies got bamboozled by the Bush/Cheney "truth tellers"?

[JaneQPublic]

9. Dean gave an excellent reply to Judy Woodruff...

...concerning altering his stand on Cuba or anything else:

"I'm not ashamed to change positions that I have if the facts dictate that they ought to be changed. The hallmark of this administration is, if you have a fact that contradicts your theory, you throw the fact out. I'm a doctor. I don't throw out facts, I throw out theories."

[kentuck]

13. Should he change his position on the middle-class portion of taxcut ?

I hope he re-considers and agrees with Kerry...

[hey2370]

16. Dean's not taking it away for nothing in return

He is promising basic universal health for the price to all taxpayers of returning the bribe that Bush gave us.

[StopTheMorans]

18. great quote

"I don't throw out facts, I throw out theories" Dean's the man!

[pansypoo53219]

14. Clinton

faced the same when he was running. let's keep the big bullets for the REAL enemy-Bush.

[0007]

24. I'll buy into that!

Go Dean go!!

[DemBones DemBones]

17. Why can't Howard's supporters answer a question?

This is a campaign and people want answers. Do you think people should vote for your man without knowing what he supports?

It IS an issue when any candidate says he would "entertain" the idea of raising the Social Security retirement age. Now, I'm well aware that, after denying that he favored raising the retirement age, Dean admitted the next day that he had "misspoken" when he made that denial.

But what is his stand now? Does he favor leaving it as it is (meaning it's at 67 for some)? Or would he favor rolling it back to 65, as Kucinich does? And will he pledge not to raise it?

If any of you know for sure where Howard stand on this, how about sharing the info?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. *****

[Sean Reynolds]

23. So we should make Kucinich's PRO-LIFE voting record an issue too, right?

This is a campaign, right? Shouldn't they all have the answers? Do you think people should vote for DK without knowing he was a pro-lifer?

I think it's an issue; I guess since you think something Dean said 8 years ago is an issue, this must be too.

[Eloriel]

27. i seriously doubt you'll find Dean making a "pledge"

about anything -- partly because he's NOT a panderer, and partly because he's smart enough to know that you cannot tell what the future will bring. Even *I* wouldn't say, for example, "No pre-emptive attacks ever," which someone or other tried to do to him not long ago. He won't say anything about the retirement age re SS, either -- or at least that's my bet.

For the most part, I like DK's politics. What I don't like about them are how unrealistic they can be. Pie in the sky, some of them: ending NAFTA, single-payer health insurance, and in all probability -- at least given the foreseeable future -- a SS retirement age of 65. You can promise ANYthing, if you know that it'll never happen anyway. I don't know if that's DK's intent, but if not, his lack of good judgment about realistic policies saddens me.

I also take exception to the notion, an underlying premise of your post, that a politician must lay out a position and stick with it forever more.

Dean has never "favored" raising the SS retirement age, at least not how I use and understand the term. He has said, back in 1995 I think it was, that that might need to be considered. Back then he used the age of as high as 70, IIRC. He has said more recently that there might come a time when raising the retirement age might be necessary -- which is NOT "favoring" or "supporting" -- and that what he'd vastly prefer if something needs to be done is raise the salary cap which is now at $86,000+.

Dean most certainly IS a straight talker. But that includes several things that apparently don't work for you. It means sometimes he's likely to say "I don't know," or "I haven't made up my mind," or "It depends," or even, "I've changed my mind."

He changed his mind slightly on Cuba -- as a result of NEW facts and dvelopments. He is still in favor of lifting trade embargoes, but he wouldn't do it right now, which would seem like rewarding Cuba for cracking down on dissidents.

Now, some of you call this waffling. I don't. I consider this approach to policies and governing mature, thoughtful, pragmatic, and sensible. I call it principled, as well, and courageous since he's not going to let the media and other detractors dictate the terms of debate and force him into positions, or into sticking with simplistic or outdated positions that are no longer appropriate.

Eloriel

Eloriel

[BiggJawn]

28. Retirement age is a "Dead Horse"...

65, 67, 76, hut one, hut two, it doesn't make a damn bit of diference WHERE it winds up at since a LOT of people's investments went far enough down the toilet that they will NEVER retire.

I'm one of them.
I could still retire at 65 (born in '57) but can I AFFORD to?
THAT is the question. Right now, the answer is "NO!"

Now if you kids wanna quibble about who said 65 and who said 67, go RIGHT AHEAD.
While you're fighting, be sure to wave at Jowly Joe while he cruises by into the nomination to give it all back to Bush.

[polpilot]

21. Attack Dean and his #'s go up!! Ignore Dean and his #'s go up!!

Go figure.

Dean '04...

[PAMod]

22. Amen.

Maybe the rest will understand by convention time.

[denverbill]

25. Much as I hate to see him attacked, it has to happen.

You know for damned sure the Bushies will hit him with everything they've got, so we need to know that Dean can take it. From what I've seen, he can.

[Rose Siding]

26. Good Dean I/P quotes:

snip>
His position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might cause some problems in the Jewish community, a key Democratic constituency. Dean told the crowd there are an "enormous number" of Israeli settlements that must go.

"It's not our place to take sides" in the conflict, he said.
end snip>

I'm encouraged to see this.

[StandWatie]

29. wierd..

guess he changed his mind :shrug:

[tinnypriv]

31. Nice

:thumbsup: !

[StandWatie]

32. I think he is bullshiting

I hope not, but that wasn't his position not too long ago.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

33. I am going to be so nervous

And I am mad because I have to work and can't watch it until later...the College Dems are having a debate watching party and I can't go :(. But in some ways I guess it is better...I can find out how it went first. This is a big night for Dean, and I really hope it goes okay.

[dArKeR]

34. Foes target Dean in first big debate - MSGOP

http://msnbc.com/news/961926.asp?0cv=CA01