Dean Praises Kennedy Speech on Iraq

[Khephra]

Dean Praises Kennedy Speech on Iraq; Questions Why Other Candidates Fail To Stand Up To President Bush

NASHUA, NH--Governor Howard Dean praised Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy's speech on Iraq today, urging Democrats to follow his lead in "standing up for what they believe."

"Today, Senator Kennedy performed an important national service, standing up to George Bush and telling the truth about a war -- marketed for political gain -- that has put the state of our nation at risk.

"If only my opponents from Washington had demonstrated the foresight and courage that Senator Kennedy has in consistently standing up to say this was the wrong war at the wrong time--in his words, 'one of the worst blunders in more than two centuries of American foreign policy.'

"Senator Kennedy said that the war has made America more hated in the world and more vulnerable to attacks both here and overseas. I could not agree more.

"This Monday, Iowans have the opportunity to stand up against this misguided war and those who made it possible. Monday it is in their hands."

http://www.blogforamerica.com/

[slinkerwink]

1. this is why Dean is going to get the nomination---because he respects

the party elders like Kennedy, Clinton, and Gore.

[Goldmund]

5. I hope that's not the only reason

Otherwise, you're basically saying that the Dems are a good ol' boy club where loyalty is respected above anything... Kindalike the Pukes.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. also, Dean slammed the DLC as "Republican" the other day

so saying he's in good with Clinton better than any of the other Dems is a stretch.

[blm]

6. That's not true. He said last week Kennedy was coopted by Bush

on NCLB bill. He had to be talking about Kennedy because he was point man on the bill.

Thankfully, Kennedy supports Kerry knowing he is the best man for the job of president.

BTW....Dean was NOT antiIraqwar. He was FOR the Biden-Lugar use of force resolution.

Dean is demagoguing the IWR and incredibly the press lets him do it to keep the Dem party divided.

[beaconess]

7. Could you explain the difference between

a "party elder" and a "Washington Insider?"

After all, isn't Kennedy one of those "cockroaches" whom Dean attacked for voting for the Iraq resolution and No Child Left Behind? How did he suddenly earn the respect of Dr. Dean?

Just wondering.

[lastliberalintexas]

11. Kennedy did not vote for IWR

Sorry to have to point that out. And Kennedy was very mistaken in his vote for NCLB, just as some others were very mistaken for their IWR votes. I can forgive them all for making mistakes- though the IWR vote is more important since people are dying because of it.

Kennedy would not fall into the category of Washington politician that Dean said would scatter like cockroaches when light was shown upon them. Kennedy actually stands up for himself, the Dem party, and Dem ideals. The people of whom Dean were speaking are the roll over Dems who've done their darndest to make Shrub's life easy for the last 3 years. They know who they are, as do you. But it's much easier and more fun to criticize Dean than actually admit we may have some problems in our party, right?

[beaconess]

14. You're right. I meant the Patriot Act

[beaconess]

15. Who are they?

Dean loves to talk about the Washington Establishment, but refuses to name them. And the list of suspects gets smaller and smaller as Dean goes chasing around after their endorsements.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Dean's "Washington Establishment" list is akin to Joe McCarthy's rather fluid "list of x number of Communists in the State Department." McCarthy loved waving that list around, but the number grew or shrunk depending upon his mood and he never actually named anyone. He didn't need to since the the namecalling and demagoguing was much more effective without any details - and, of course, he didn't have any details.

Dean's list is much the same. He's always referring to it, but he never tells us who is actually on it. Of course, he implies that it includes those long-time Washington politicians who, as you say, "made Shrub's life easy for the last 3 years" and Ted Kennedy certainly fits that category - at least Dean seems to think so given his recent diatribe against those who voted against such "mindless" legislation as No Child Left Behind, which was drafted and driven by Kennedy himself. But, it's so much easier to make a blanket accusation and then allow observers to interpret it to include whomever the want.

Don't believe me? Just look at how Joe Trippi hemmed and hawed and dodged answering a simple question about who the members of the Washington Establishment actually are:


JOE TRIPPI: What I'm saying here is this is a different kind of candidacy. It's one that I think the establishment has to get used to. They don't like it, mostly because of what he's saying, and that is ...

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Who is the establishment?

JOE TRIPPI: Well, right now there's a pretty strong establishment in both parties that doesn't want a campaign based on hundreds of thousands of people who are demanding change carried into the White House.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: So who is the Democratic establishment?

JOE TRIPPI: The Democratic establishment or, is, it is a group think in Washington that doesn't, they don't believe that we can take the House and the Senate. We believe we can.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Who is the Democrat who doesn't believe that?

JOE TRIPPI: You can't find very many Democrats in Washington ...

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But when you talk about the establishment, are you talking about President Clinton, former President Clinton? Are you talking about Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton? Who are you talking about specifically? They're the leaders of the party, in the minds of a lot of Democrats.

JOE TRIPPI: I'm talking about Dick Gephardt, John Kerry and Joe Lieberman.

(This Week, December 21, 2003)

So, when pinned down, Trippi could only list three of his boss' opponents as members of the evil "establishment." Hmmm.

You claim that both they and I know who they are. Not hardly. Dean himself doesn't know who - or probably even care - who he's talking about.

[blm]

17. Trippi wants to say Kerry is "establishment" when it was Kerry

who was ostracized more than any other Dem for exposing the government corruption of BCCI and IranContra.

Kerry was shunned by establishment Dems (even by Al Gore) who were for the IranContra policy. They were furious that he shook up and exposed the Dem and GOP powerstructures who were hiding within BCCI.

I dare Trippi to argue that point.

Dean kissed energy corporation and GOP ass for 11 years as governor. Dean pushed energy deregulation for years. Dean arranged a cozy, lucrative deal for the BFEE Koch brothers to buy Vermont Yankee before he left office. Dean's campaign was SEEDED by utility donors.

Fuck you, Joe Trippi, lying, con artist extraordinaire.

[kerryistheanswer]

19. That's why he trashes No Child Left Behind

which was written by Kennedy - the "washington insider"

[CMT]

2. it will be interesting to see who Kennedy might endorse

should Kerry drop out. Given the Kennedy families distrust of military men I doubt it will be Clark--a former Republican.

[beaconess]

9. Since when do the Kennedys "mistrust military men?"

Considering Ted Kennedy's oldest brother was killed in action, another brother was a war hero and both he and his closest brother served in the military, where did you get this notion?

[blm]

13. The Kennedy's are very tight with and respectful of the military.

Kerry is on the Armed Services Committee because he LOVES and cares about the military and its issues.

[LuminousX]

3. Vindication feels good

[Hoppin_Mad]

4. Way to go Howard ! Great statement and very gracious to praise Ted -nt-

[FreakinDJ]

10. Kennedy's speach was AWSOME

[ThomWV]

12. As Well He Should

The speach was awe inspireing.

[zulchzulu]

16. Sorry Howard. Teddy endorsed Kerry a long time ago...

Ted knows a good man...

[cindyw]

18. Bet Dean wishes he hadn't burned that bridge back to Kennedy town.

Tomorrow's headline should say:

"Kennedy says to Dean: Cockroaches give pretty good speeches heah."