Pretty damning stuff, I think

[takebackthewh]

Science & Society 1/12/04
By John Leo
The world of Doctor Dean

This is a make-believe interview with Howard Dean. All the questions were made up, but all of the responses are real-life direct quotes from Dean.

Q. Dr. Dean, it's been 28 months since the 9/11 attack. How would you assess the job President Bush has been doing in the war on terror?

A. The president spent 30 months destroying our ability to defend ourselves against terrorism.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/040112/opinion/12john.htm


:eyes:

[w13rd0]

1. Haha...

...I win the bet. Took less than 24 hours, less than Brittney's marriage lasted.

[DoctorMyEyes]

2. WTF is that????

This is what passes for journalism? What's the matter, the ACTUAL interviews don't cut it, so you can "make on up"?

Maybe Mr. Leo needs a career change. Something where his imaginary skills are an asset.

[takebackthewh]

6. Jeezes

You guys can't take any criticism at all, can you?

:nuke:

[DoctorMyEyes]

21. are you mentality impaired too?

How do you even know who I support? Do you see a Dean avatar? Have you seen me in any of the Dean threads? NO!

If you cannot see how ridiculous this "interview" is - no matter WHO the candidate, then I feel sorry for you. Dean wasn't ASKED these questions.

Q. So it's interesting because it's odd. Now about "partial-birth" abortion. Though you are a supporter of the abortion lobby, surely you must acknowledge that this is an issue that morally serious people can disagree on.

A. This is an issue about nothing. It's an issue about extremism.


Do you really think Dean (or ANYONE) would answer the question *posed* in this imaginary interview in that way?

[Clark4VotingRights]

3. Are there any instances where Dean was misquoted or

These quotes taken out of context?

It seems like a good composite of his actual quotes to me,
but I'd like to know if there are specific quotes people dispute.

[hellhathnofury]

5. This one's for you.

http://www.newamericancentury.org/defense-20031117.htm

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recently did his best to justify the war in Iraq, and he expounded a bit on the role of American power in the world. Here are some excerpts of what he said: "The war against Saddam Hussein was right. . . . He is a vicious dictator and a documented deceiver. He . . . invaded his neighbors, used chemical arms and failed to account for all the chemical and biological weapons he had before the Gulf War. And he . . . tried to build a nuclear bomb. . . . I think we're going to find weapons of mass destruction. I'm convinced that these weapons were there and that they could have found their way into the hands of terrorists and found their way to the United States, and that's what we had to stop. . . . A nation always preserves the right to take preemptive action in defense of our security and our freedom. . . . We have a chance to show the world that we were in fact in Iraq for the right reasons, that we were there for the purpose of liberating the Iraqi people, that this was not about the expansion of American power, that this was not about oil. . . . I think the commander in chief has to be tough. I appreciate the fact that we have a strong military in this country. . . . I think the world has proven, and we have proven, that there is a rationale for our containing the most powerful military on the face of the planet. To win the war on terror, we must be prepared to use the iron fist of our superb military."

[mopinko]

4. isn't this unethical?

isn't this an empty chair interview? this is just disgusting.

[hellhathnofury]

7. Yeup. I think the Dean campaign should file a complaint.

It's manipulative beyond the point of just listing mis-statements.

Edit: Maybe not formally, they should cut USNews off for interviews instead.

[takebackthewh]

8. The point is ...

... all the responses were real, dumb things that he has said.

And for those of us who aren't on the Dean bandwagon, it only creates more doubts about whether he's got the mental stability to be president.

Sorry if I'm offending you. That's just what I think.

[hellhathnofury]

10. You can do that to any candidate and it's still wrong.

[takebackthewh]

11. The one that gets me ...

is how he left his church over a BIKE PATH!

What kind of nut are we putting in charge of the Democratic Party? Do we WANT to lose?

[hellhathnofury]

13. Without actually knowing for sure,

I would guess that Dean felt the church was opposing the common good for a poor reason.

[stickdog]

15. The one that gets me is how you feel free to cut somebody down

because he actually had the nerve to exercise his right of religious freedom.

For example, what would you do if your church decided to charge admission?

[takebackthewh]

16. I don't ...

believe in God. That's one thing Dean and I can agree on, at least.

[dsc]

26. Except that is a flat out lie

Dean did not leave his church over a bike path. He left his church due to the fact it held its own property rights over that of the common good (in this case a bike path). Maybe selfishness is a part of your Christian faith but it isn't part of mine.

[maxanne]

9. a fake interview

is pretty damning stuff?

Damning that these are the lengths that some people will go to, that's for sure.

[stickdog]

12. What a coincidence! Every Bush interview is conducted in the world of

make believe!

[rucky]

14. Useless News & World Distort

nt

[Desertrose]

17. I actually agree with Dean supporters...

it seems pretty low to make up questions to fit answers....sounds like a repub thing.
What was the point?? If Deans answers were damning all on their own (or not ) ...then why this format?

FWIW, I just don't think we need anymore spin, lies or misstatements.

Peace
DR

[hellhathnofury]

18. Thank you.

[Zomby Woof]

19. John Leo is one of the worst

His columns used to run in one of the Seattle papers... he is obsessed with liberals being out to end white male culture and other popular RW straw men.

You are on target - the format IS useless when you look at the actual record, without making up fake interviews.

Leo isn't worth the TP he is written on. Don't even get me started on U.S. News & World Report, a pro-Bush rag.

[Tom Rinaldo]

20. Me too. I am with you on this.

From someone in Clark's camp; this is the type of thing that Republicans usually specialize at. It's their style of attack, it should not be ours. We can argue the points if need be without an artificial context. If an artificial context is needed, well, then it discredits the points.

Your post sums it up well.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

23. I'm not even sure

that the Repubs would do something this weak. This is like something out of an election for second grade class treasurer.

[JVS]

27. Limbaugh did an interview with Hillary Clinton this way

it was mentioned in Al Franken's book Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot. Franken decided to do his own interview with Limbaugh using the same method

[last1standing]

22. Leo is the #1 reason I quit subscribing to US News.

His distortion of fact is legendary. He has always been the worst kind of hack repub shill and will always remain so. In fact I thought there was a rule about posting this kind of crap from repub sources without expressing one's views on it.

[revcarol]

24. Poster gave opinion:

"pretty damning stuff."

No more comment.

[uhhuh]

25. Here, I got one

My interview with John Leo:

Q: Mr. Leo, there are a lot of people who would say you are a right wing hack. What would you say to them?

A:It's only fair to warn you that I intend to use the words "church" and "God."How do you feel about conservative Christians?


Q: This is my interview. I'll ask the questions. What would you say to those that question your ethics? When Karl Rove called you and asked what you had for him, what did you say?

A:This is a make-believe interview with Howard Dean. All the questions were made up, but all of the responses are real-life direct quotes from Dean.

Q: Don't you think that type of sensationalist fakery is uncalled for?


A: How about something a bit more positive?


Q: You really like to dodge questions, don't you?

A:Now about "partial-birth" abortion...


Q: Another attepmt to change the subject. Don't you see this attempt at faking the news is a little odd?

A:So it's interesting because it's odd.

Q: No, it's kind of stupid and doesn't portray reality at all. How is it that you get paid for such rotten work?

A:President Bush

Q: What does he have to do with it?

A:A lot of people think that when you do talk about religion it tends to be some vague and gassy mention of "spirituality" that doesn't include anything about God or church.

Q: Are you saying that Bush is God?

A: It must be a very private and special thing.

Q: So....Bush is God?

A:Much better.

Q: You are a true right wing whacko. Thank you for your time.

A: Bikes matter.

Q: Huh?....whatever.

[Moderator]

28. Locking...

One, this post is from a rightwing source and no opinion of the source is given. Two, it is made up which makes the subject line misleading.

Thanks,
DU Moderator