I'm not a Dean fan, but.....

[senseandsensibility]

I'd rather that he go out there and speak his mind than have another DINO trying to appease everyone and letting the repukes off the hook! Sure he's rough around the edges, but he gets some ideas out there that need to be out there. His jabs at the repukes get airtime, something that Kerry et al's well reasoned prose never do.

Personally, I prefer Kerry's well reasoned prose, but at this stage we need someone who at least tries to fight dirty. So I give Dean a B+ for effort.

Now if we could just get the other "Dems" to stay off his back. If they can't support Dean, they should at least learn the art of deflection. Come up with a lighthearted response, and turn the conversation back on the repukes' evil deeds ASAP! It's really not that difficult!}(

[merbex]

1. I view Dean as a Coast Guard ice cutter breaking up the ice that has

jammed a harbor

He clears the way for other Dems to speak about "controversial subjects"

[senseandsensibility]

3. That's a great way of looking at it

But will the other Dems use the opportunity that Dean has "cleared" for them? So far, it's not looking good.

[Mass]

2. I saw Dean this morning on the Today Show

If his "outrageous" (in the media's eyes at least) declarations allow him more time like that where he is going to be able to push the Democrats'message, I say great.

I doubt he would have had this time without the controversy, and he handled it very well.

I agree that it is sad that Richardson, Biden, and Edwards, found necessary to criticize him in public, particularly in these terms. I have seen Pryor's comments, and surprisingly, they are a lot more adequate if you really think you need to disagree, but I also noticed that Dodd, when asked, did not find anything that he disagreed with in what Dean said (and he is far from being a blooding-heart liberal).

[marmar]

4. Good for Dean...

Democrats are never going to get anywhere by being such wimps. Calling the Republican party the party of homogeniety sounds pretty accurate to me. The great criticism of Dems is that they don't represent anything and that's largely because they stick to this don't-speak-out-too-loudly centrist position. Dean is giving the party a much-needed infusion of identity and personality.

[BobRossi]

5. Howard serves dems well.

Dr. Dean energizes the base of the DNC, he also reveals the DINOs.
Anyone put off by his methods need only look in the mirror to see the problem with the Democratic party.

[kevinmc]

6. We Need to Support Dean......

by Donating Money. I've given twice in the last couple of weeks because of these attacks on him, if he gets our backing we will win.

[SCDem]

8. I totally agree

I have donated twice in the past two weeks as well. Not much but every little bit helps. Also we need to get involved at our local precinct level and county level so that we can bring progressive dems and platforms to the forefront.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. As if Mehlman and Gillespie ever held their tongues.

[senseandsensibility]

9. LOL

I agree. Why do Dems buy into this double standard? They are enablers, in my opinion.

[Catrina]

10. Dean speaks for me

and for the past nearly six years now, not one of those Democrats (except maybe Edwards) has had the courage to do anything to stop those Republicans from taking over the country.

Gov. Richardson did everything he could to stop those who were working on the election in his state, from discovering the truth, so anything he says about Dean is suspect, imo.

As for Biden, it is HE who is the loose cannon, imo. He rants a lot and then caves in to Republicans most of the time. You never know what he is going to say, or whose side he is going to be on.

All I know is, they have lost the last three elections so they don't have much credibility with their 'let's get along with Republicans' strategy. So, yes, 'Give'm hell Howard'! It's about time someone did.

[fasttense]

11. Have you caught on to what Dean is doing?

He gets in a rally, or large forum with a fair sized audience and makes an indelicate comment that everyone is thinking (but not saying in public). Then he goes before the camera and tells the world what he really said and why he said it. The media is clamoring for him to come on their pseudo-news shows in the hopes he will slip. But Dean in interviews is very articulate, controlled and intelligent. Not the kind of man who seems out of control like the media whores want to portray him. I think he plans those slips and then gets coverage on the issues behind the slip.

Dean is more cagey than the corporate media wants to admit.

[OnionPatch]

12. I think he's doing great!

All these so-called blunders are truth and the media is just highlighting them when they get all outraged, etc. Go Howard! You speak for ME!