Dean's Campaign Describes 9/11 As Unpredicatable

[KittyWampus]

In trying to defend Dean, his campaign has unwittingly hampered Democrat's Capacity to hold Junior and his administration accountable for 9/11. Saying 9/11 was unpredictable is the same strategy Junior & Co. have been using.
This is NOT good.

Dean should have already spoken up to clarify his spokesperson's statement. I urge DU'ers to contact Dean's campaign to follow up on their statement.

Should Democrats Be Describing 9/11 As Completely Unforseeable
Mark A. R. Kleinman

snip

It's certainly the case that most of us adjusted our priorities after 9/11, moving security against terrorism higher, and in that sense it's surely right to say that 9/11 was an unexpected event. From that it follows that it is not not legitimate to judge pre-9/11 actions by post-9/11 standards.

All that said, it was surely unfortunate for Gov. Dean's spokesman to tell the Associated Press that "no one could have predicted what could have happened on a terrible day in September 2001." Actually, we now know that much of what happened, even down to the use of airplanes as guided missiles, was predictable, and indeed predicted.

snip

For the Dean campaign to pre-emptively forgo the use of that perfectly legitimate issue by describing the events of 9/11 as absolutely unpredictable seems to be terrible mistake. Or perhaps it's simply another instance of that campaign's willingness to take actions to help ensure the Governor's nomination that have the predictable consequence of helping to ensure the President's re-election.

Wouldn't you expect the self-proclaimed "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party" to do what it can to make a Democratic victory in November more, rather than less, likely?

http://www.markarkleiman.com/archives/election_2004_/2004/01/should_the_democrats_be_describing_911_as_completely_unforseeable.php

[KittyWampus]

1. By The Way, Clark Has Held Junior DIRECTLY Responsible

see MTP transcript from today for instance.

[madfloridian]

2. You lost me on the 2nd convolution of that spin.

I hate to admit it, but I am going in circles on that.

[KittyWampus]

3. "Noone Could Have Predicted What Happened..."?

That is totally untrue. But that's what junior, Condoleeza Rice and all the rest have said in their own defense.

How nice of Dean's campaign to take their side.

[deminflorida]

4. As a Navy Veteran, this much I know concerning Bush and 9-11...

The ship's captain is always responsible when a ship runs aground. Whether he was actually driving or not.

One phrase sums up this error: Trippi stikes again.

I'm actually starting to feel sorry for Howard.

[KittyWampus]

5. IMO, We Need To Email Dean's Campaign

This could potentially be really NOT GOOD.

And I'm sure Dean supporters are understandably trying to keep this under the radar.

[blm]

6. But, he's right. Noone could have known about 9-11

except those who studied terrorism for many years like Gary Hart and Warren Rudman. Clinton, Gore, and their entire administration. Kerry who wrote a book about terrorism and its funding in 1997.

THEY and others KNEW something was going to happen and worked to assure it would NOT happen.

Bush let it happen.

Dean was just uninformed and didn't know any better about the issue.

[KittyWampus]

8. This Statement Was Made Several Days Ago

and to say NOONE is totally incorrect and gives credance to Junior's attempts to escape culpability.

Furthermore, mock infiltrations were done at Vermont Yankee while Dean was Governor.

Dean was aware of the problems...

[blm]

11. I was being

kinda sarcastic on that last sentence. ;)

[Leilani]

9. This is what happens

when you have someone who knows zero about nat'l security.

[KittyWampus]

10. It Might Also Indicate A Candidate Who Will Say Anything To Get Elected

and to stay on message... no matter what the cost to his party or country.

[Leilani]

7. I Can't Believe This

Incredibly stupid!

Clark spent a lot of time on MTP directly holding Shrub & co directly responsible, for failure to protect American people.

Dean continually gives away issues to the Repugs.

[Dookus]

12. remember....

Q: Rate President Bush
A: I think he's doing a fine job on the war on terrorism

- Howard Dean, 7/14/02

[KittyWampus]

14. Hey, Dean Even Gave Props To Bush Sr.'s Foreign Policy 2x

isn't that special?

[hellhathnofury]

19. Yes, he built a hell of a coalition. Exactly what Jr. failed at in

executing the war.

Father also wrote that going all the way to Baghdad was a bad idea for the precise reasons we're finding out now.

I think that's a hell of a weapon to use.

[dave29]

33. so has Clark

and so should anyone who believes we should go to wars preemptively and alone.

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. This is not a petty issue.

Holding Bush accountable for not ensuring that America was better prepared to prevent a terrorist attack on our soil, given that much was already known about the intentions of Al Quada and related terrorists to attack Americans here, is a significant and valid line of attack Democrats can and should use against the Bush administration.

"no one could have predicted what could have happened on a terrible day in September 2001." is among the LAST things that a spokesperson for any one of our candidates should be saying now. I expect to see that one thrown back at Dean, if he is our nominee, if he tries to go after Bush for being ill prepared.

[KittyWampus]

15. For Contrast- Here's Clark's Statement From MTP Today

MR. RUSSERT: General, you also said something else. And this is how the Baton Rouge Advocate captured it: "Clark
said the president `didn't do his duty' to protect American from attack on September 11, 2001. `I think the record's
going to show he could have done a lot more to have prevented 9/11 than he did.'" What else could George Bush
possibly have done, and why didn't anyone else in Congress or in the military suggest things that could have protected
us on 9/11?

GEN. CLARK: Well, when this administration came to office, Tim, they were told that the greatest threat to American
security was Osama bin Laden. And yet, on 9/11, there was still no government plan, no plan sanctioned by the
president of the United States, no plan directed to go after that threat of Osama bin Laden. The ship of state was on
autopilot. People in agencies were doing what they had been told to do. But the top leaders in the government hadn't
focused the resources of the United States of America to take action against the greatest threat facing America. And
that's the job of the president of the United States, especially when it comes to national security. The buck stops on his
desk. He's the man, or woman, who's supposed to pull things together and get the focus right. He didn't do it.

[revcarol]

16. Will Pitt. Please get in touch with the Dean campaign

because they're out of touch.

[madfloridian]

18. Calling Will Pitt to get the Deanies straightened out?

}(

[Hoppin_Mad]

17. The anti-Dean Jihad have confused even themselves in their desperate

attempts to smear Dean.

Dean, in his quotes re 911 when he mentioned the 911 Saudi connection, held bush* accountable for 911.

HIS comments take precedent over some low level staffer giving quotes on an entirely different subject.

The Anti Dean Jihad are getting more and more desperate !

[madfloridian]

20. Convoluted convolutions, then start over again.

}(

[dave29]

34. The PR spin cycle

begins

[BeyondGeography]

21. And you're in denial

His campaign has made a statement in defense of the candidate that essentially takes 9/11 off the table as a campaign issue.

Sample debate riff:

Dean: The Bush Administration played politics with our national security. They were so intent on reversing everything the Clinton Administration did that our nation was unprepared for the fatal attacks of 9/11.

Bush: Don't play politics with the deaths of 3,000 people, Howard. Your own campaign has said that no one could have predicted the events of 9/11.

Dean: But I didn't say it.

Bush: Excuse me.

Dean: My spokesman said it.

Bush: Oh, then I guess you're right. We should have done more.

Is that how you see it playing out?

[KittyWampus]

22. Jay Carson Is Dean's Deputy Press Secretary/National Spokesman

Hardly a low level staffer or a neophyte. If you can't see the signifigance of this and it's detrimental effect on the Democratic Party and our Country... there is something wrong.

Dean needs to disavow this.

Deputy Press Secretary/National Spokesman- Jay Carson

Carson came to the campaign after serving as Sen. Daschle's press secretary for three years. He did advance/press advance on Bill Bradley's presidential campaign, and earlier worked on Chuck Schumer's Senate race. Carson is a graduate of Columbia University.

[Hoppin_Mad]

30. OK, Carson shouldn't have said it, But it doesn't supercede what Dean says

Regarding bush* and 911, and I'm sure Dean will discuss 911 frequently in the coming months.

It would be good to clear this up though, and I have emailed the campaign. Good suggestion - thanks.

[Tom Rinaldo]

31. Thanks. n/t

[killbotfactory]

23. killbotfactory calls this line of attack "unpredictable"

also stupid.

[KittyWampus]

24. This Is NOT An Attack- It's A Plea For Dean's Campaign To Disavow

a statement that is greatly damaging to our Party, our Country and even our Collective Security.

Holding Bush accountable is of prime importance.

Can any Dean supporters be so "bedazzled" (looking for correct term here) that they aren't even willing to complain to their campaign headquaters and ask Dean to make a clarification? :shrug:

Is it even possible that his campaign doesn't KNOW they erred on this ... or is it that THEY DON'T CARE?

[Cheswick2.0]

32. yes we know that you would never make a baseless attack on Dean

you are alwasys so pleasant helpful and rational.

[stickdog]

25. Statements made by one's campaign don't carry much weight in the

"gotcha" game, now do they?

But thanks for pointing out this minor, correctable strategic flaw.

[KittyWampus]

26. Has Dean Corrected It?

Is he even aware of it?
Does he or would he even care?

[BeyondGeography]

27. You got the memo, it's minor

you know, like 9/11.

Now let's continue our march over the cliff with Howard.

[stickdog]

29. He already "corrected" it when he said without a full investigation, LIHOP

remains a possibility.

Currently, you aren't going to get any swing votes by blaming Bush for 9/11.

But you can talk about his stonewalling the investigation, his failure to act on any of the many the pre-9/11 warnings, his failure to actually make the country any more secure, and his resource consuming oil grab in Iraq.

Still, I agree that Dean shouldn't take this arrow out of his quiver, just in case the 9/11 investigators actually get something out in the open about Bush's failures.

However, I fail to see how any statement issued by "his campaign" could possibly be turned against Dean if and when it becomes a bit more palatable for Americans to consider the possibility that 9/11 was clearly not so unforeseeable.

[KittyWampus]

35. This Comment From His Staffer Happened 2 Days Ago

still not attended to.

This is serious business here.

The statement is completely at odds with Dean's previous statements and intent.

Again, is Dean aware of this and does he even care?

[adadem]

28. Just leave the man alone

he's doing a great job with his foot in his mouth. Can't see what comes tomorrow..."bush really won".