Dean and the hispanic woman @ the debate last night

[no name no slogan]

Apologies ahead of time if this is a dupe, but IMHO it's an important issue that displays a lot about a candidate's background and perspective on the rest of the country.

Did anybody else out there catch the comment that Dean made to the hispanic woman last night during the debate? He was addressing her question about what he'd do for her as a hispanic business owner.

EDIT: She was the one who asked her question in Spanish, via a male interpreter.

Dean talked about his health care plan, which would cover people "like her" in her income group.

First of all, how the hell does Dean even KNOW what her income level is? Why did he automatically assume that she was "low income"? Was it because she was a woman? Or because she is hispanic? :WTF:

This concerns me greatly, as this man stands a good chance of getting our nomination. Do we really want somebody with such a patricianly world view representing the party of the working people in America?

I am seriosly having doubts about the ability of this man to represent anybody but the limousine liberal wing of the Democratic Party. Hell, even Lieberman is starting to look better after last night, IMHO, and I'm about as liberal a Dem as they get.

[WhosNext]

1. Dean poops molassess

dontcha know?

[Cha]

8. No ...it's Maple Syrup!

[Cha]

2. snarf.

[dsc]

3. because she talked about her income

and having difficulties making ends meet in her question. Also it should be noted Kerry assumed her income was less than 40k in his answer. Maybe because she told them she had financial difficulties. I am glad you aren't running since you chose not to listen.

[boxster]

30. Where? It says nothing about her income or "making ends meet".

As a Latin woman, one of my concerns is what's going to happen with the Spanish economy, and that's my worry right now. Because most of the businesses, Spanish businesses, are having a very slow economy right now, and that's causing a lot of problems.

Before you chastise other people for their postings, you should probably bother to know the material yourself. It says nothing about her income. It is a general question about economy and businesses.

Geez.

[dsc]

46. If her business is

having a slow economy just what do you think her income is?

[ModerateMiddle]

63. Well, you're just flat our wrong on this one

and I am actually defending Dean on this thread. But your statement demonstrates your lack of regard for the truth in your assertions. Dean was speaking about (and indirectly to) the woman who was talking about her income and her rx drug bill. The lady who had the stroke so young.

And she didn't talk about her income (the hispanic woman), she talked about what a hard time hispanic businesses were having because the hispanic economy was "so slow".

[wryter2000]

4. Um

Maybe he was making an assumption about her income level based on the fact that she's a businesswoman. In a group like that, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume she's a small businesswoman rather than a fat cat. So, I would guess the assumption would be that she was middle income.

You'd better take a look at your own assumptions before you start bashing one of the candidates.

[hedda_foil]

5. I believe you're talking about a response of Gephardt's -- not Dean.

[w4rma]

9. Yup. It was Rep. Gephardt who responded to that question. (n/t)

[mandyky]

34. Yeah, Dean addressed helping

small businesses. I was yelling at Gephardt thru the TV, "Answer her question!!" last night.

[roughsatori]

6. I think what he meant was "middle-class business owners"

She informed him she was a business owner. Most economists agree it is the middle-class that must be stimulated to cause the economy to grow. But that we now continually stimulate the top 1% in the hope of trickle down idiocy.


I support Kucinich but perhaps you dislike Dean and mis-interpreted him out of that dislike. :shrug:

[no name no slogan]

11. Thanks for the clarification

I was watching the debate last night in an auditorium with a group of 200+ Young Democrats at the University of Minnesota last night (where I took place in a post-debate Q&A session w/ reps from the Liebermann, Kerry, Dean and Clark campaigns), and it's entirely possible I may have misheard what he said.

I genuinely wanted feedback from Dean-ites and others to see if they heard/interpreted it, because I was not alone last night in my assumption. There were others that heard what Dean said (supporters and non-supporters alike), and they got the same impression.

I have also been a small business owner in the past, and have had to forego medical insurance because I could not afford even the state-sponsored plan that Minnesota offers for so-called "uninsurables" like me (I have a pre-existing condition). However, I know a number of middle-class small business owners for whom this is not a problem, and who have medical coverage.

I just think it's a faulty assumption to make that about a business owner of whom you know little.

[Cha]

Well, now we know it wasn't Dean who said it.

[no name no slogan]

13. We don't know that for sure, yet....

I'm waiting on a transcript of the debate to be sure-- a lot of people have misidentified the woman I am talking about. I'm talking about the one who spoke through an interpreter. Dean was directly addressing her, because he had visible eyebrows (unlike the Geph :D)

[eyesroll]

16. I admit I did a double-take at the "income level" comment by Dean.

I suppose it's possible they were given background ahead of time. Also, the woman did indicate she was concerned about the economy in the Latino community (at least that's what I got out of it), so maybe it was an awkward extrapolation on Dean's part.

Disclosure: I am a Dean supporter, and I was working on my computer during the debate so I didn't listen intently to all of it. But you're right; it struck me as odd and a bit presumptive.

[soleft]

7. he did what mosts politicians do which drives me nuts

Even Clinton was guilty of this to a point, but not as bad.

They never answer questions. They have preprogrammed statements which they use to respond to any question by either rephrasing the question or going off a tangent. The reason he came back with, people like you, was because it wanted it to appear as tho he was addressing concerns, while what he was doing was fitting in his agenda of the points he wanted to make.

[Supply Side Jesus]

no brains no attention span no memory

.

[Demobrat]

10. He wasn't talking to the Hispanic lady.

He was talking to the stroke survivor who had mentioned that her disability income was $800 and something.

[no name no slogan]

12. No, it wasn't her

It was the woman who asked her question in Spanish, via the interpreter. She said she was a hispanic business owner and wanted to know what Dean would do to help hispanic businesses.

[KaraokeKarlton]

15. Yes, he talked after her question, but he said he was answering the other

woman's question because he had wanted to answer it and wasn't given a chance to. He said that, but it seems like you must have missed that part. He didn't actually get to answer the Hispanic woman's question because that's when Kerry's dirty campaign people gave that ridiculous fax to the moderator and caused the disrutption. So, even though Dean did speak after the Hispanic woman asked her question, Dean said he was responding to the stroke victim first. He never got to answer the other question because of the interruption. Hope this clears it up for you.

[pruner]

42. can you please elaborate…

I haven't had a chance to watch the debate yet (I have it saved on Tivo) and I'm wondering what your comment regarding Kerry's campaign giving the moderator a fax is all about.

what did it say?

what was the context in which it was presented?

thanks.

[KaraokeKarlton]

43. It was the lowest, most detestable thing imaginable

Dean was answering the question a stroke victim had posed earlier, telling her about the health care programs in Vermont when one of Kerry's campaign people delivered a fax to the moderator claiming that Dean had made "deep cuts" in Vermont's budget that was harmful to people like the woman Dean was talking to. The moderator read it out loud. Dean took a few seconds to explain what had really happened. He was battling with the Republican controlled House to get a cigarette tax that they didn't want to pass. Dean made up a draft budget that showed the House exactly what the budget would have to look like if they didn't do what he asked. Dean knew that if he made this threat that they would do the right thing because if they didn't, they would end up being voted out of office for taking benefits from people. Dean was doing something he often did to get results, and it was an effective way to protect those people that Kerry's campaign was implying he was trying to harm. After Dean gave his explanation, Kerry stood up and lied through his teeth, implying that Dean's explanation meant nothing. He was a total asshole. After this he sat on the stage with this smug, self-satisfied look on his face. It was so obvious his campaign planned it and that he knew about it in advance. I've never seen such a pathetic sense of entitlement and willingness to resort to such filthy, dirty tactics as I've seen from the Kerry and Gephardt campaigns. It's just disgusting the way they lie and mangle the facts. Everyone in Vermont knows about that cigarette tax battle, it's common knowledge. Those campaigns (Kerry's in this case) that sent people to do the research HAD to have learned the whole story, but they chose to lie instead. If you get a chance to see a re-play, you should watch it and see for yourself. The only people Kerry impressed with such disgusting behavior was his own supporters. Between Kerry's immature "Waffle House" antics while Dean and his supporters were out collecting food for striking workers and this latest stunt he's become a real embarassment to the Democratic Party. Totally Juvenile. My 3 year old acts more mature than Kerry has been.

[Andromeda]

52. pruner, CNN is showing the debate again...

Sunday, Oct 12 at 9:30 ET.

[KaraokeKarlton]

14. You've got the hispanic woman confused with the stroke victim

The Hispanic woman wasn't asking about Health Care, she was asking about Hispanic Businesses and the cultural economy. The reason Dean was able to answer the other woman's question about health care so accurately was because she told the audience what her monthly income was.

Dean wasn't making assumptions, you were just confused about who he was talking to.

[killbotfactory]

17. Transcript now available

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0310/09/se.03.html

I didn't watch so I have no idea what this is all about.

[no name no slogan]

18. Thanks!

And didn't the used to call it the "Army"? ;)

[killbotfactory]

24. Well, yes...

But I prefer the more alarmist name. :)

[sfecap]

19. Here's the transcript...

He was responding to two questions:

The first...

(snip)

WOODRUFF: All right, thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

I want to turn to Karen Dickinson. Karen, you are, you and I spoke a few minutes ago. Where are you? Right here. Please. Stand up, and do we have a microphone?

You are, I'm told, a stroke survivor ...

QUESTION: Yes.

WOODRUFF: ... and you have concerns about health care, specifically about prescription drugs.

QUESTION: Yes. Forgive me for having to read this.

I am a stroke survivor, I am disabled and on a fixed income. For seven months I went without prescription medication because we cannot afford supplemental insurance to my Medicare.

I chose food over medicine. How can you assure me and the many other voters -- there's millions like me -- that you empathize with my hardship and as president you will make certain this won't happen to any other American? Thank you.

WOODRUFF: Who has -- Senator Edwards?

EDWARDS: Thank you.

Karen, how long have you been without any kind of coverage for your prescription drugs?

QUESTION: It's been over a year.

EDWARDS: Over a year. And how much...

QUESTION: We moved from Massachusetts...

EDWARDS: And how much...

(LAUGHTER)

It's not because you don't like Massachusetts, I'm sure. And how much...

KERRY: Wait until the Red Sox win the World Series.

(LAUGHTER)

EDWARDS: How much do your prescription drugs cost?

QUESTION: I went on a Pfizer program, and that's why I can do it, I can afford it now. And they're $51 that I pay. Before that it was 400 and some dollars a month.

EDWARDS: Which is just crippling, crippling for you, isn't it?

QUESTION: I get $800 -- and I don't care who knows it -- I get $830 a month from my Social Security because I had to take it at such a young age.

EDWARDS: And you and your family are in the same situation that millions of families are...

(Edwards continued his answer)



The second:


WOODRUFF: There's someone in our audience who has experienced the American dream. Would you stand? She's Ernestina Escobar.

And I know that you will be speaking in Spanish, but you ask your question, please, for any one of the candidates, and then we have a translator who is going to speak.

QUESTION (through translator): As a Latin woman, one of my concerns is what's going to happen with the Spanish economy, and that's my worry right now. Because most of the businesses, Spanish businesses, are having a very slow economy right now, and that's causing a lot of problems.

WOODRUFF: Governor Dean?

DEAN: That gives me actually an opportunity to answer two questions. One was the prescription question as well.

We have got to stop in this country trying to stimulate the economy by giving help to enormous corporations, which then move their jobs to other countries. The way to help this country's economy is to invest in small businesses, allow them to have health insurance and help them pay for health insurance, and get them capital.

Banks will lend small businesses capital as soon as they don't need it, and we need to get capital in when businesses want to grow. Small businesses create more jobs than big businesses do, and they do not move their jobs to other countries.

In my state, everybody has health insurance under 18. You would have prescription benefits if you moved to Vermont, because a third of all our people, especially at your income level, are eligible for prescription benefits without help from the federal government.

What I want is a country that will start valuing ordinary human beings again, whether they're Latino, African-American, Asian American, Native American. No matter who they are, we are all in this together.

It was the dream of Martin Luther King when I was 21 years old at the end of the civil rights movement that if one of us was left behind, then this country was not as good as it could be or as it should be.

And what my campaign is about, something else that Martin Luther King said, which is that, "our lives begin to end when we stop speaking up for the things that matter." That's how we are going to change America.

We're going to invest in small businesses, not just in the Latino community, but in every community. We're going to invest in people who need help. We're the only industrialized world -- country in the world that doesn't have a universal health care system that includes every single person. We can do that and we can do all these things if we're all in this together.

(snip)

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0310/09/se.03.html

[no name no slogan]

20. BETTER READ THIS FOLKS...

This is taken directly from the CNN transcript posted at http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0310/09/se.03.html

WOODRUFF: There's someone in our audience who has experienced the American dream. Would you stand? She's Ernestina Escobar.

And I know that you will be speaking in Spanish, but you ask your question, please, for any one of the candidates, and then we have a translator who is going to speak.

QUESTION (through translator): As a Latin woman, one of my concerns is what's going to happen with the Spanish economy, and that's my worry right now. Because most of the businesses, Spanish businesses, are having a very slow economy right now, and that's causing a lot of problems.

WOODRUFF: Governor Dean?

DEAN: That gives me actually an opportunity to answer two questions. One was the prescription question as well.

We have got to stop in this country trying to stimulate the economy by giving help to enormous corporations, which then move their jobs to other countries. The way to help this country's economy is to invest in small businesses, allow them to have health insurance and help them pay for health insurance, and get them capital.

Banks will lend small businesses capital as soon as they don't need it, and we need to get capital in when businesses want to grow. Small businesses create more jobs than big businesses do, and they do not move their jobs to other countries.

In my state, everybody has health insurance under 18. You would have prescription benefits if you moved to Vermont, because a third of all our people, especially at your income level, are eligible for prescription benefits without help from the federal government.

==================================================================

I dunno folks.....I'd go to the video tape if I were you. Yes, he addresses the prescription drug benefit, but he's not addressing the person who asked him about the prescription benefit.

[KaraokeKarlton]

22. Okay, he did answer the first question

Not sure how I missed that one. However, I distinctly remember when he was talking about the woman qualifying in Vermont, he was looking right at the stroke victim who was sort of straight ahead of him a little to the right while the Hispanic woman was off to the left. I knew exactly who he was talking to, and I'm pretty sure they showed the woman who had the stroke during his answer. On top of that, when Kerry got up after the fax, he went right back to that same exact woman who had the stroke.

[DemDogs]

56. No, he was looking at the businesswoman

The businesswoman was directly in front of him and standing. The stroke victim was straight behind where Woodruff was standing. Dean was locked on the businesswoman, which explains why he talks about small business, then prescription drugs, then small business again, because he was only talking to one person. I watched the replay this morning for the purpose of checking this one thing out. He was making an assumption of poverty about the Latino businesswoman.

[sfecap]

23. Actually he is.

Perhaps you are just wanting to start some shit here.

Gov. Dean addressed both people. They were standing fairly close to each other. He was addressing the woman who asked about the prescription drug benefits, and he addressed the woman who asked about business in the Spanish community..

Now, if you are just trying to portray Dean as a racist unthinking idiot who publically humiliates low income people, I understand perfectly. It's done here all of the time.

Nice try, better luck next time.

[no name no slogan]

26. Bullshit. I was NOT the only person who saw this, and

I am truly concerned about what the Dr. said. IF he wins the nomination, I will have to vote for him. I DO NOT WANT a candidate who makes ill-considered statements at the top of the ticket for my party.

Gov. Dean addressed both people. They were standing fairly close to each other. He was addressing the woman who asked about the prescription drug benefits, and he addressed the woman who asked about business in the Spanish community..

Then you could obviosly see that it would be possible to confuse the direction of his remarks, if both people were standing close to each other. Just because 9/10 of the party doesn't see through your Dean-colored glasses doesn't mean you should flame them for asking a question about his performance.

Dean's "whiny liberal" comment was also out of line, especially when you are running to represent the "liberal" party in the Presidential Election. The other progressives and liberals in this party put up with enough sh!t from Clinton in the 90s-- we sure as hell don't want another President who talks like Humphrey but governs like Nixon.

[sfecap]

28. Are you clear on it now?

Two questions, two answers, to separate people who were standing in close proximity.

There was no ill considered statements, no impropriety. Just two answers to two questions.

[DemDogs]

58. Not clear -- not standing, not "in close proximity"

The previous questioner was NOT standing and was straight behind Woodruff when Dean addressed his WHOLE answer to the Latino businesswoman.

[boxster]

32. I agree - I thought that it was very obvious that he

was talking to the Hispanic woman when he made the income comment.

[artr2]

51. Fine then don't fucking vote for him

I thought the answer was fine

[ModerateMiddle]

65. I agree it was clear

that he was talking to both people in his response. Clumsy, but probably not the faux pas folks are making it out to be.

[Andromeda]

53. I think you nailed it, sfecap...

when I read this post I couldn't figure out what he was talking about.

[boxster]

31. Yes, I thought the same thing when he said that - that she

didn't say anything about her income.

It seemed pretty obvious at the time, so I'm not sure why there's so much debate about it in this thread.

[Sean Reynolds]

33. Dude, two different questions.

If Dean truly was talking the Hispanic woman, WHY on earth would he be talking about prescription benefits? That wasn't even the BASE of her question so only logic tells that the reply was in fact to the stroke victim - NOT the Hispanic.

[no name no slogan]

35. You know how these debates work...

Given the fact that Judy was interrupting everybody last night, you try to squeeze in as much info as you can in your response. I am not alone in wondering about this-- there were a number of people where I was last night (an auditorium of 200+ people, more Dean supporters and undecideds than any other candidate) who were wondering the same thing.

If indeed he was answering the first question, AND was looking at the woman who asked it, then I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. However, many people last night thought he was talking to the second woman when he gave this answer.

Two different questions, two different answers, but directed to only one questioner? :shrug:

[Sean Reynolds]

37. They weren't because.........

Because at the start he stated he wanted to also talk about the medical question. Also he LOOKED right at the woman that had the stroke, I even believe the camera PANNED to her, when he said that. You yourself said they crunch a lot of talk into their time. Maybe Dean should have stated which person he was talking to, but since he was short on time, maybe he couldn't. :shrug:

[DemDogs]

61. You are dreaming

He did not turn to her. He sure didn't "LOOK" right at her. He was standing right in front of the woman and her translator.
You wish he had. That would make the excuses make sense, but he did not turn at all. He was locked on this one woman. Sorry.

And in response to a previous post, maybe I won't . . . vote for him.

[Sean Reynolds]

69. Riiiiight

God knows Dean was talking about health care to Hispanic lady even though her question had nothing to do with health care. C'mon give m break! Stop trying to smear Dean with this crap.

FACT:

The Hispanic lady asked about businesses and the economy in South America.

FACT:

Dean answered her question about businesses and the economy in South America.

FACT:

The stroke lady asked about health care because she didn't have money to buy her drugs.

FACT:

Dean stated the woman would be COVERED in Vermont.

Again, tell me WHY Dean would state anything about health care to the Hispanic lady? Her question wasn't even REMOTELY about health care. Looks like you're grasping at straws here.

[diamondsoul]

45. Funny, I had a different niggling irritation over that

response. I don't recall now who he was looking at while answering, but I knew there was something about that that just didn't sit well with me. In reading over the transcript, I think I may have put my finger on it- I noticed nobody else attempted to respond to two questions when called on to answer, and that strikes me as rude and inconsiderate.

Yes, I know, I'm known for not liking Dean, and I've considered whether that was a factor. I don't think it is, it just stood out because he was the only one to do it. I thought it was damned rude to the other candidates, but it was even more rude to the Hispanic lady asking the question he was called to answer. I'd have said the same no matter who it was that had done it.

[sandnsea]

38. No, this is to the disabled lady

I remember this and this response wasn't directed to the Spanish woman, it was to the disabled lady with the prescription drug problem. It looks bad in the transcript, but that's not the way it happened.

[gully]

40. Well...

QUESTION (through translator): "As a Latin woman, one of my concerns is what's going to happen with the Spanish economy, and that's my worry right now. Because most of the businesses, Spanish businesses, are having a very slow economy right now, and that's causing a lot of problems."

I gather she's hurting financially from this statement...?

Also, as a Governor he has information/statistics on businesses of all sorts. I think he made an 'educated guess'?

[Romberry]

50. Actually, you should probably read your own post...

...and bold the part where Dean makes it clear he is answering two questions.

DEAN: That gives me actually an opportunity to answer two questions. One was the prescription question as well.

Did you miss that on purpose or what?

[stickdog]

71. Short answer. If she were rich, she'd have been at a Bush fundraiser. (NT)

[searchingforlight]

21. On search it is obvious that you have not liked Dean all along.

That is your right but you do us a diservice when you try to sell the fact that you are just coming to that conclusion. It misrepresents the thinking process that brought you to your concluding sentence.

[no name no slogan]

25. Nice try at sliming me,...

But I have publicly stated that at one time, I was a Dean supporter, primarily because of the Iraq fiasco. Once I heard more about Kucinich's views, I found them more in line with mine, and I switched allegience. However, Dean was still my SECOND choice, until fairly recently, when I REALLY began to investigate his record, and question his poor-explained changes of positions on issues.

So please, let's not jump to any conclusions, shall we? Thanks in advance. :eyes:

[searchingforlight]

29. I really didn't mean it as a slime,

I just went back and reviewed your other posts to see if this was a new stance.

I believe in voting your conscience and the fact that you are here and attend forums, etc. in what must be a busy schedule tells me that you are at least a thinking voter. (Too bad you don't live in CA. They could use some more thinkers.)

My read of your post was that last nights statement had brought you to a recent conclusion that even Joe Lieberman would be better than Dean. From your other posts I can see that you have not been too keen on Dean for a time.

[Cocoa]

55. the conclusion doesn't ring true

I agree, like a lot of these "I can no longer support candidate X" arguments, I think this is disingenuous.

[genius]

27. Dean's not too bright and mouths off before he thinks

This was a racist assumption on his part. The worst part is that the guy doesn't even realize that he's a racist. His hardline position against criminal defendants, not taking account of the fact that most victims of the criminal justice system are minorities, is extremely racist.

[w4rma]

36. Genius is parroting a lie and isn't talking about something Dean said(n/t)

[Cha]

39. genius is such a "genius".

[gully]

41. Racist.??? She said she's concerned about the economy.

i.e Mula/Cash flow... It didn't take a 'genius' to decifer she is financially burdened in the Bush economy.

Clue: There are not that many non-english speaking women who own spanish businesses in the US, who are concerned with money ... that are actually uhm wealthy. :eyes:

[dsc]

47. So Kerry is a racist too, right

His answer also assumed her income was pretty low (40k or under). BTW the lady said her business was having a bad economy (Geeze I wish they had gotten a decent translator).

[genius]

49. Kerry doesn't want to lock and execute black people

Kerry is okay. Dean is not.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DemDogs]

64. Don't worry about the personal attacks, Genius

It's the way Dean people respond to criticism of their candidate.

[Zynx]

44. This is a weak line of attack.

It is also very damaging that we are developing a hatred of candidates that are not our own within our own party. If you start calling Dean a racist and other candidates a variety of other untrue things I have heard on this forum, we are bound to be mopped by George. Please, ONLY CRITICIZE ON SUBSTANCE and not on these pathetic wierd twistings of candidates words and assuming that they mean something that they didn't. I could write a massive essay criticizing this topic, but I will refrain.

[LiberalTexan]

48. I agree

I think this whole thread is ridiculous. I don't even know why I read the whole thing-- maybe because I'm avoiding my homework?

I can't believe even after reading the transcript and seeing in black and white (no pun intended! Don't jump on ME now!) that the error was in the way the debate was viewed and NOT the actual intentions of the candidate, that this thread has continued with people insisting that Dean is a racist.

I wouldn't say ANY of the candidates are racists.

You know, just when I've had enough of us being too PC in this country, I take a little trip over to Europe where folks aren't looking for hidden meanings and mining for controversial agendas that aren't even there. Sometimes I truly need a break from this kind of shit.

I wish this thread weren't wasting so many people's time. We could be out working for a change in this country instead of turning against our own candidates.

[w4rma]

57. transcript excerpt

post by sfecap on another thread:
You are simply wrong.

And your post is flamebait. And it's the SECOND post today that inplies that Howard Dean is a racist. A new low for DU.

If you read the transcript and watch the video, you'll find that Dean was replying to TWO people who were in the front of the stage, standing in close proximity to each other.

The first was a woman who had asked a question that went to Edwards regarding prescriptions. She stated that she had an income of 800 dollars a month. The next person was the Hispanic woman who asked about Spanish businesses.

He replied to both. One answer to two questions.

Transcript:

(snip)

WOODRUFF: All right, thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

I want to turn to Karen Dickinson. Karen, you are, you and I spoke a few minutes ago. Where are you? Right here. Please. Stand up, and do we have a microphone?

You are, I'm told, a stroke survivor ...

QUESTION: Yes.

WOODRUFF: ... and you have concerns about health care, specifically about prescription drugs.

QUESTION: Yes. Forgive me for having to read this.

I am a stroke survivor, I am disabled and on a fixed income. For seven months I went without prescription medication because we cannot afford supplemental insurance to my Medicare.

I chose food over medicine.

How can you assure me and the many other voters -- there's millions like me -- that you empathize with my hardship and as president you will make certain this won't happen to any other American? Thank you.

WOODRUFF: Who has -- Senator Edwards?

EDWARDS: Thank you.

Karen, how long have you been without any kind of coverage for your prescription drugs?

QUESTION: It's been over a year.

EDWARDS: Over a year. And how much...

QUESTION: We moved from Massachusetts...

EDWARDS: And how much...

(LAUGHTER)

It's not because you don't like Massachusetts, I'm sure. And how much...

KERRY: Wait until the Red Sox win the World Series.

(LAUGHTER)

EDWARDS: How much do your prescription drugs cost?

QUESTION: I went on a Pfizer program, and that's why I can do it, I can afford it now. And they're $51 that I pay. Before that it was 400 and some dollars a month.

EDWARDS: Which is just crippling, crippling for you, isn't it?

QUESTION: I get $800 -- and I don't care who knows it -- I get $830 a month from my Social Security because I had to take it at such a young age.

EDWARDS: And you and your family are in the same situation that millions of families are...

QUESTION: Millions.

EDWARDS: ... around this country.

Here's what I think we need to do. First, we need a real comprehensive prescription drug benefit for you and family, under Medicare, not the George Bush plan that's going the Congress right now. That's the last thing we need to do.

And second, we have to bring down the cost of prescription drugs for you and for all of those Americans who are struggling to pay the cost, which means having a president to do what I've done my whole life, which is have the backbone to stand up to these big drug companies, with their advertising, with their price gouging, not allowing drugs to come back in here out of Canada, stopping their abuse of the system to keep a monopoly and keep generics out of the market.

WOODRUFF: All right.

EDWARDS: We need a president of the United States that will stand up for you and people like your family. I will be that president.

(APPLAUSE)

(snip)

WOODRUFF: There's someone in our audience who has experienced the American dream. Would you stand? She's Ernestina Escobar.

And I know that you will be speaking in Spanish, but you ask your question, please, for any one of the candidates, and then we have a translator who is going to speak.

QUESTION (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): As a Latin woman, one of my concerns is what's going to happen with the Spanish economy, and that's my worry right now. Because most of the businesses, Spanish businesses, are having a very slow economy right now, and that's causing a lot of problems.


WOODRUFF: Governor Dean?

DEAN: That gives me actually an opportunity to answer two questions. One was the prescription question as well.

(responds to first question)

We have got to stop in this country trying to stimulate the economy by giving help to enormous corporations, which then move their jobs to other countries. The way to help this country's economy is to invest in small businesses, allow them to have health insurance and help them pay for health insurance, and get them capital.

Banks will lend small businesses capital as soon as they don't need it, and we need to get capital in when businesses want to grow. Small businesses create more jobs than big businesses do, and they do not move their jobs to other countries.

(responds to previous question)

In my state, everybody has health insurance under 18. You would have prescription benefits if you moved to Vermont, because a third of all our people, especially at your income level, are eligible for prescription benefits without help from the federal government.

(to the audience)

What I want is a country that will start valuing ordinary human beings again, whether they're Latino, African-American, Asian American, Native American. No matter who they are, we are all in this together.

It was the dream of Martin Luther King when I was 21 years old at the end of the civil rights movement that if one of us was left behind, then this country was not as good as it could be or as it should be.

And what my campaign is about, something else that Martin Luther King said, which is that, "our lives begin to end when we stop speaking up for the things that matter." That's how we are going to change America.

We're going to invest in small businesses, not just in the Latino community, but in every community. We're going to invest in people who need help. We're the only industrialized world -- country in the world that doesn't have a universal health care system that includes every single person. We can do that and we can do all these things if we're all in this together.

(snip)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5841-2003Oct9.html

To imply that Howard Dean (or ANY of the Democratic candidates) is a racist is total unmitigated bullshit and should not be condoned here. If you don't like the man, fine. But to call him a racist is freeper bullshit. Take it over there, you'll have a great audience for it.

[ModerateMiddle]

59. As a reluctant Dean defender

(aside - he needs all he can get)

and someone who has my very own deep issues with a Dean candidacy, Dr. Dean was referring back to the woman who had asked about rx drugs and stated her income.

Although, it may appear to other people (and clearly it has) that he was making an assumption about the hispanic woman, he was not talking about her when he made the remark about income.

[Cocoa]

60. this apparently is "going around"

on this other thread, the poster originally represented it as his own observation, then later refers to something called "the hotline" that makes the same observation.

Anyone know what "the hotline" is?


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=58862#58933

[sfecap]

67. I think the RNC has one.

n/t

[Octafish]

62. Dean doesn't know he doesn't know.

Who's going to tell him?

And if you gotta ask, you don't know either.

[Ellen Forradalom]

66. I think you all need to read this.

sfecap says it best at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=525178. Everyone should read it, stop, and reflect.

[blkgrl]

68. this is something minorities face daily

People love to assume the status, knowledge, income, and education of certain individuals based on their race. If Dean really did do this, then his campaign managers should pull him aside and school him on a few things. It is very easy to get a view of all minorities being low income, not educated, etc. based on the images we see in the media, etc., so I don't fault Dean for that. He lived in a predominantly white state so his knowledge about minorities is most likely second hand.

That being said, I do accept the explanations given already (about him replying to another voter first).

[stickdog]

70. Why do you automatically assume that Dean assumed that the woman

was "low income"?

[DemDogs]

72. Because that is what would qualify for free prescription drugs

in Vermont. In my state . . . free prescription drugs . . . at your income, or whatever the exact words were.

[stickdog]

73. But why do you assume he was addressing the Hispanic woman?

Just because he said "at your income"?

Wow, I think you must be prejudiced.