David Corn: Dean right, Dean wrong

[Martin Eden]

Dean Right, Dean Wrong

David Corn, Washington editor of The Nation, is the author of The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception Crown Publishers).

A few days ago, Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign deployed yet another missive against former Gov. Howard Dean, the presumed frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination. In a press release headlined "Dean Flubs Another Foreign Policy Question," the Kerry crew charged, "Yesterday Howard Dean admitted what many of us have been saying for months—when it comes to foreign policy he has a huge gap in his resume." The Kerry attack added that the Democrats need a nominee "who has the experience, temperament and judgment to be president, not someone who requires on-the-job training."

Kerry and his lieutenants were once again pushing the main criticism hurled at Dean: he too often shoots off his mouth, says whatever it takes, and commits gaffes that reveal his lack of experience. Dean's opponents in the race (and his foes in the media) have been sticking to this line of attack for months. Yet it has not had a noticeable effect as of this writing. Dean remains the doctor to beat, and the Iowa caucuses are now less than a month away. Deaniacs dismiss the charge as weak brew concocted by jealous and desperate rivals, hailing their man's frank and give-it-to-'em-straight bedside manner. Beyond the political impact of this back-and-forth—as if there is any impact other than the political one—who's right? Both sides are. And who's wrong? Both sides are.

Let's look at the cause of the Kerry camp's recent fury; then let's review other Deanisms that have drawn fire. On Dec. 21, Dean told a New Hampshire audience "the only way to have a Jewish democracy is to get out of the West Bank at some point because otherwise, you have a democracy; it's not a Jewish state. It's a Jewish state, it's not a democracy." The Kerry campaign claimed this was another "in a string of misstatements" that demonstrates Dean's "ignorance and lack of commitment to a U.S.-Israel relationship." But Dean was merely noting what even Likud hardliners in Israel have come to realize: if Israel retains control of the West Bank—with its growing population of Arabs—it may soon become a country where Arabs outnumber Jewish Israelis. At that time, it will be tough for Israel to be a democracy and maintain a Jewish identity. Though Dean’s expression was inartful, his point was clear. This was no "misstatement" or anti-Israel comment. Kerry's hit men were out of line.
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On Medicare and gun control, Dean has tried to shuffle past the attacks of his opponents who have lambasted him for his previous position on these issues. On the campaign trail, he has said he supports the federal assault weapons ban without noting that he opposed it in 1992 when he answered a National Rifle Association questionnaire. And when his competitors—most notably Rep. Dick Gephardt—whacked him in September for having supported a GOP plan in 1995 to restructure and squeeze $270 billion out of Medicare, Dean sidestepped questions about his past view. His campaign then did claim he had only endorsed slowing the rate of growth in Medicare spending. But in 1995 he had also said he favored more cost-sharing and managed care for Medicare recipients.
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