"Let's show Howard Dean He's Wrong" - Dick Gephardt

[rabid_nerd]

From Gephardt's Campaign, FYI.... I'll emphasize the parts that someone didn't pay attention to. I think I'll do this with every email from every campaign, given I'm on every list as a party official.
----------------------
Dear Herb,

The presidential campaign is now hitting full stride – and so am I! The latest CNN/USA Today poll shows me in first place with 16 percent of the vote, ahead of Howard Dean, John Kerry, and Joe Lieberman.

And general election polling shows that I am the best candidate to beat George W. Bush. In the latest Zogby poll I trailed Bush by only five percent, and I was the only Democratic candidate who led among independents.

I am winning this race because I am focusing on issues that matter most to Democrats, like getting rid of the failed Bush tax cuts and providing health care for all, jobs, and protecting Social Security and Medicare. And I am telling voters exactly how I differ from my opponents on each of these issues.

Last week I spoke about my differences with Howard Dean on Social Security and Medicare.

In 1995, I fought with Bill Clinton against Newt Gingrich's attempt to cut Medicare by $270 billion. That fight led to the government shutdown, and we won. But it was a tough fight, and many thought we would not prevail.

Howard Dean was one of the very few Democrats who actually supported the Republican plan to cut Medicare. He specifically endorsed the Republican Senate Budget that cut Medicare by $282 billion.

Howard Dean also said that we should cut Social Security and Medicare to balance the budget in 1995. I disagreed. I led the fight to pass the Clinton Economic Plan in 1993 that quickly led to a balanced budget and the greatest period of economic growth this country has ever seen.

This campaign is about real differences and who really represents the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. And I intend to continue the battle all the way to the Convention in Boston and the Democratic nomination.

But I can't do it without your help. We are on the air now in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, with more states soon to come. Every week of advertising costs at least $200,000 – and that amount will only get bigger. I need your on-line contribution now.

Howard Dean says he's the only real Democrat and he's the only candidate who can raise money on the internet. Let's show him he's wrong.

Please make your contribution today. Your donation of $25, $50, $100 or even $250 will be put to immediate use to buy television ads in the early states and hire more staff to get out the vote.

Please click here and make your on-line contribution now. Together we can beat George W. Bush.

Gratefully,
Dick Gephardt

P.S. The latest poll in Iowa shows Howard Dean and me in a dead heat at 19 percent. With your help we can win in Iowa and never look back!

Contributions to Gephardt for President, Inc. are not tax-deductible.
Paid for by Gephardt for President, Inc.
S. Lee Kling, Treasurer, P.O. Box 34607, Washington, DC 20043.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the web address below and urge your friends and family to help you show Howard Dean that he's the only candidate who can raise money on the internet.
Tell-a-friend!

[trumad]

1. Sure Dick..whatever....

[babzilla]

2. to quote Kerry

"Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean"

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Geppy thinks he's winning?

And Zebras ride rice-burners!




Oops!

[renie408]

4. Is it just me??

Or is this guy not quite right?

[rabid_nerd]

5. Look at the closing line...

"Visit the web address below and urge your friends and family to help you show Howard Dean that he's the only candidate who can raise money on the internet. "

[renie408]

8. To clarify...

I was talking about Gephardt. It's something we say down here, "He ain't quite right." If you say it with the southern accent, it's even better.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

10. Now that's just hilarious! Thanks Dick!

Did they fix it yet?

[babzilla]

14. they can't fix it

it was an email. The only way to fix it is to resend a proofread version.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

17. Please disregard previous email

"Dear Supporters,

Um, please note that we meant that we want you to show people that Howard Dean is NOT the only candidate who can raise money on the internet." We meant NOT. NOT. NOT. NOT.

Thank you for your support,

Dick Gephardt
www.deanforamerica.com/contribute"

[babzilla]

18. rapid response in action

that should do it.

[babzilla]

19. and another thing

when exactly did Dean say this?

Howard Dean says he's the only real Democrat and he's the only candidate who can raise money on the internet. Let's show him he's wrong.

I must have missed that speech.

[renie408]

20. I represent the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party....

Ring a bell?

Did Dean actually say that, or was it just attributed to him? And what about all that stuff now about 'the new Democratic party'?? Sounds to me like Dean or his staff is implying that he is the REAL Democrat in the bunch.

[babzilla]

22. ding ding ding

"I represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic party" yes that rings a bell because he did say that.

It was a powerful message in the face of the fact that the party had spent the last 2 years cowering when faced with having to confront the policies of the "popular president".

He said it to encourage us to stand up to the type that would criticize the Wellstone memorial as a political rally.

To encourage us to stand up to those Dems that would try to compromise with the the uncompromising republicans, to tell them be proud to be a Democrat no matter how unpopular the pollsters try to tell you it is.

He wasn't implying that he is the only real Dem, he was embracing the power of the Democratic ideal in the face of fearmongers.

It needed to be said.

He is not the only one able to raise money from the internet, but the most successful so far. I'm sure the other candidates are thankful that he blazed the trail on that front. They must all be benefiting from it now.

[renie408]

24. Relax, you can put down your bat

You asked when he had implied/said that he was the most democratic or whatever. I was explaining.

[babzilla]

25. I won't relax or put down my bat

until the shrub is out.

I know you won't either because you too felt the power of taking your country back at Edward's announcement speech. That was a great report BTW, thanks for posting it.

[renie408]

26. Your Welcome

and I agree 200%.

I just wanted to let you know that I wasn't taking a shot at Dean.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

29. Renie...

You are a great example to other posters on this board. I've never seen you bash anyone -- you may raise questions, but that's what we're here for.

And your frequent posts about Edwards have caused me and probably others to take another look at him. He'd be a fine president, and I will support him enthusiastically if he gets the nom.

This board, particularly this P&C area, needs more people like you. :)

[JeniB]

31. Excuse me

But did you read response #4 and #8 above. I think not bashing would apply to all candidates. Maybe he doesn't bash your candidate, but he just bashed mine!

[renie408]

35. He's a she

And I guess I did bash your President. I think that somebody that goes out of their way to create a website to undermine another candidate is wrong. Gephardt is obviously scared of Dean, but instead of fighting the good fight, he is playing dirty. You might admire it or shrug it off as politics, but I can't. I think it is ugly.
It's one thing to address the comments of another candidate as they relate to you or to specific issues. But to create a whole website that goes back for years pulling up anything and everything that Dean has said that could be controversial...that seems mean (in the sense of small) to me.
What do you think about this website whose sole purpose is to denigrate Dean? And would Gephardt stand up to this kind of scrutiny?

[JeniB]

38. Sorry about the gender problem.

Sometimes it's hard to tell by a name.
You know, I've spent some time talking to Gep. He is the most sincere man I've met. He truly wants to help everyone who is downtrodden. It may seem like a nasty thing to do, but Gep has to win Iowa and Dean is the only one in his way. After spending time on here talking to Dean supporters I feel like screaming. One day one of my former friends, who is a Dean supporter gave me the finger because I have a Gep bumpersticker in my car. She didn't know it was me until after, but what a way to treat a fellow Dem. If Gep gets half of this crap from Dean supporters I can understand him feeling like this. I doubt the website was his idea though. It's doesn't sound like him. Somebody probably said "look if you want to win you must..."
Anyway, he was sucker punched on the war thing. He made some deals with Bush concerning helping get Dem support in return for going to the UN. Gep kept up his part of the deal, Bush did not. Because he is an honorable man, he would never have thought someone would screw him like Bush did. But then, who knew he was dealing with a child.

[renie408]

41. I DEFINITELY understand

the frustration of feeling like you are supporting an excellent candidate and not making any headway. I also understand your frustration with some supporters of other candidates. I think that's why we all get a little obnoxious around here occasionally. We believe in our guy and his message and his ability to straighten things out.

As for your former friend...eh. What a cow. Or if it is a guy, what a moron. Women can get away with giving strangers the finger a lot easier than a man can. You can hold the vision of him flipping off the wrong Gep supporter and getting the amoral snot beat out of him for solace. I think we should all remember that these are all good guys. Yes, even Dean. He is scrappy and pugnacious (please, Dean people, don't ask me for a link for that) so he has attracted some scrappy people to his camp. Whether we like it or not, he does resonate with a really fed up sector of voters. And that's a good thing, right? For all Democrats. Cause it means that there are some pissed off people out there. And pissed off people VOTE.

[renie408]

36. Thanks, but she's right...

I have taken the occasional shot and probably will again. Especially if I get angry. I try to play nice, but I have a pretty warped sense of humor and an equally iffy temper. But thanks, and maybe your praise will inspire me to play even nicer. :)

[RevolutionStartsNow]

21. According to deanfacts.com

he said it in 1989. Heh.

[JeniB]

30. It doesn't say he said it.

It is talked about a lot by his supporters though. You misread and then misquoted it too. I guess we all make mistakes!!

[babzilla]

34. but it does say he says it

Howard Dean says he's the only real Democrat and he's the only candidate who can raise money on the internet. Let's show him he's wrong.

It doesn't say he said it, but it does say he says it, and that's what I asked in my post "when exactly did he say this?".

How did I misquote it? I cut & pasted the entire paragraph.

[JeniB]

39. Sorry I though you were referring to the line at the end.

But I have heard Dean say he's the only one of the nine that's a real democrat and he talks often of how much money he's raised as a sign of how well his campaign is going. I think they were just paraphrasing. it's a moot point. We all know how much he's raised, the candidates are often reminded in interviews. It's a fair point. If you asked Howard Dean to say it, he probably would. There's no argument here.

[Demobrat]

6. When did this campaign become all about Dean?

I guess it's kind of flattering to him, but it makes the others look desperate. Oh well, maybe they are.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. The writing is on the wall.

[renie408]

9. Sorry to talk about Edwards again

But he doesn't say anything about Dean. He did make one very oblique reference (it was so oblique that I am not even sure that it WAS a reference) to Dean's comments about being the only white to talk race blah blah blah in his announcement in Robbins Tuesday. Edwards said (paraphrasing here): "And now I am going to talk about civil rights and racial problems because I talk about these issues in front of just about every audience I speak to." But that's about it for Edwards talking about Dean or anybody else. He made that one set of comments to the reporter the day after the debate and that was it. And I don't think anybody can really blame him for his response.

[Mass_Liberal]

37. I think Edwards would be a great president

He is also an excellent senator. But a question for you, renie, do you think that if Edwards loses the nomination he can win his senate seat back again?

[sugarcookie]

40. Hi Renie

Im made time to watch Edwards announcement and I'd like to say he made a good impression on me. He impressed me even more the next day when he appeared with Judy Woodruff on CNN. She was baiting him to say something negative about the others but he didn't budge.

[jburton]

11. lol

"Visit the web address below and urge your friends and family to help you show Howard Dean that he's the only candidate who can raise money on the internet.
Tell-a-friend!"

Hah! Is HD also the only candidate with proofreaders?

[RevolutionStartsNow]

12. Well...

he does have a point. :)

[quinnox]

13. Good news

Gephardt is coming on strong, I didn't know about that new CNN poll. I still think he will be in the final two, with Kerry or Dean or Edwards (long shot) as the other one.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

15. What about Clark? (nt)

[quinnox]

16. Wild card

I lean towards the view Clark is a long shot, but it could change.

[indigo32]

23. I would have agreed up to this week

that it'll come down to Dean and Gep or possibly Edwards (we'll see)
I like all three btw.
With Clark in... I don't know what'll happen, I think alot of big money will go his way (he doesn't have any right now). Gep will still have the unions and Dean will still have a strong base. What fun this will be to see.

[DrFunkenstein]

27. Does Anyone Else Read This With Gep's Accent?

Is that just me, or do actually hear him saying this, with the raising of the voice in the right places? Can anyone else hear him thinking to himself "ok, raise your voice now" when that happens?

Maybe this is unfair, perhaps just insane, but I'm being honest.

<>

[LuminousX]

28. Freudian Slip

Gep must be peeing himself at the thought there is a chance Dean can pull in $40 million.

[genius]

32. Good for you, Dick.

Most of the polls people keep citing are of conservative Democrats. The more inclusive polls tend to lean to the more liberal candidates. In a poll done by a 12 year old girl of 410 people, Kucinich came out first and Dean was only fourth.

[Upfront]

33. Union Man

All my life. Not this time, go Dean!!!!!!!