Dr. Dean's Prescription For The Democratic Party
The big news in the blogsphere from Howard Dean’s appearance on the Today show was his comment on the Abramoff scandal.COURIC: Hey, wait a second. Democrats took money -- Democrats took money from Jack Abramoff, too, Mr. Dean.
DEAN: That is absolutely false. That did not happen. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff went to any Repub -- Democrat at any time.
COURIC: According -- let me just tell you. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Abramoff and his associates gave $3 million to Republican and one -- Republicans -- and $1.5 million to Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid [R-NV]. So, this --
DEAN: Katie, not one -- not one dime. Not one dime of Jack Abramoff money ever went to any Democrat. We can show you the FEC [Federal Election Commission] reports, we'd be very happy to do it. There is a lot of stuff in the press that the Republican National Committee has been spinning that this is a bipartisan scandal. It is a Republican-financed scandal. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff ever went to any Democrat. Not one dime.
What may have been overlooked was the following exchange, where Couric basically says that Democrats stand for nothing:
Couric: What do you think (in 30 seconds) The Democratic Party stands for at the point in time:
Dean:
1) American jobs that will stay in America using energy independence to create those jobs.
2) A strong national defense based on telling the truth to our citizens our soldiers and our allies
3) Honesty and integrity to be restored to our government
4) A healthcare system that works for everybody just like they have in other countries
5) A strong public education system so we can have optimism and opportunity back in America
Entire segment can be seen here. We better start listening to the good doctor.
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Thanks as always to Media Matters and Crooks and Liars.
posted by The Viscount LaCarte at 11:06 AM
3 Comments:
I think I've said in other comments that I think the Dems may be a hopeless cause at this point. But, man, I love anybody who says what needs to be said...
Gov. Dean is that creature rarer than the whooping crane or the California condor: the national Democrat who speaks truth without first testing the wind. His message remains the same as it was in the Democratic primaries, when he was "Howard Who?", and later, when he was Mr. Inevitable. He is highly intelligent, quick-witted, full of heart and fire. He wants to see a problem as it is, not through an ideological frame, and figure how to solve it effectively.
He speaks truth, and he's able to back it up with facts- in this Abramoff story, he's taken the lead by hammering questioners with "Not one dime" every time they bring it up. Eventually some of the talking heads in the traditional media will no longer be able to ignore the facts. Maybe not Russert, or Couric, or Matthews, but eventually some of them. (How about Oprah?? She's just famously taken a liar to the woodshed. It could be a real Walter Cronkite moment).
Who else among national Dems has the confidence to stand up these days? Apparently Al Gore, who is just as smart and passionate and focussed as Dean, is now able to speak eloquently and passionately, but he isn't running. I also like Wes Clark, but not his chances. I'd take a long look at Bill Richardson. The rest of the crowd, including Hillary, Bayh, Biden, Vilsack, haven't shown me anything to arouse my interest. I keep waiting...
And another thing. Imagine a parallel universe where Howard Dean is president. Now try to imagine the fate of a staffer who suggests that the president don a Junior Airman Suit with Superstud Codpiece and pretend to land a fighter on the deck of a carrier. Furthermore, imagine the justifiable scorn and well-earned derision with which the press would greet a stunt like that. But in this world, George W. Bush is president, and the media just lubricate at the sight.
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