Howard Dean - Lord Have Mercy
 

Dean defends remarks about GOP



WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean on Wednesday defended his recent harsh criticism of Republicans, including his observation that they are "pretty much a white, Christian party."

Dean noted that he, too, is a white Christian. But he said the GOP is too narrow in its scope and the Democratic Party is far more diverse.

While even prominent Democrats in recent days have distanced themselves from some of his comments, the outspoken Dean, appearing on NBC"s "Today" show, said criticism of him is meant by Republicans to divert attention from the country's problems and make him the issue instead.

Dean told a forum of journalists and minority leaders Monday that Republicans are "not very friendly to different kinds of people, they are a pretty monolithic party ... it's pretty much a white, Christian party."

Challenged on that during the NBC interview, Dean said "unfortunately, by and large it is. And they have the agenda of the conservative Christians."

"This is a diversion from the issues that really matter: Social Security, and adequate job opportunity, strong public schools, a strong defense," Dean said.

Asked about it on the "Fox & Friends" show, GOP Party Chairman Ken Mehlman joked that "a lot of folks who attended my Bar Mitzvah would be surprised" he heads a Christian party.

"We gotta get ourselves beyond this point where when we disagree about politics, we call the other guy names," he said.

The former Vermont governor also recently raised eyebrows when he told a group of progressives that Republicans "never made an honest living in their lives," a comment he was forced to explain a day later. The one-time presidential candidate also said that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who has not been accused of any crime, ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence.

Democratic New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Tuesday that Dean is doing a good job, but is not the party's spokesman.

Last weekend, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Delaware, and 2004 vice presidential candidate John Edwards criticized Dean for his recent remarks, saying he doesn't speak for them.

Biden, asked about Dean Wednesday during an interview on the Don Imus radio show, also said the chairman is doing a good job.

"A lot of things he does say, I agree with," Biden said. But he also said that Dean "has views that are slightly different than mine .. .But look, he's a lightning rod. ... It's probably good that there's a guy out there that's a lightning rod ... ."

Biden, however, added that he thinks "the rhetoric is counterproductive."

"I think this country has a purple heart, not a red heart or a blue heart," Biden said. "If we can't bring this (country) together, man, boy, we're really in deep trouble."

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/06/....ap/index.html

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Bless his heart - I guess all of that 53% that voted for W never earned an honest living in their lives :rolleyes: America indeed must be the land of milk and honey when 53% of its people can do pseudo work and get by :laugh:

I'm not defending that statement, but he said he was talking about Republican politicians, not every day people.

And I don't get what the big deal is about saying the GOP is "pretty much a white, Christian party." I believe it is, isn't it? :shrug:

I think the big deal is that the Democratic party needs to bring over some of that 53% that voted for Dubya if they intend to win the next election. They aren't going to get it if people like Dean make statements that while maybe not necessarily deragatory to voters, imply that those voting for Republicans are pretty much white, Christian voters too in a sense that it's a bad thing. JMO, of course.

His exact quote was:

That hardly sounds like he was just referring to politicians :shrug:

As for the "pretty much a white, Christian party" - who can say and the D's certainly have their fair share as witnessed by the 70+% numbers for the anti-gau marriage state Const. Amendments passed in 2004. All of that is a religious wedge issue and those numbers suggest the Christians in those states voted for it and many of those are white, though the black Christians seemingly hated the idea of gays marrying more than the whites, which to me is inexplicable because that same line of religious reasoning was used to try and keep black people in slavery. Oh Well - such is politics.

The one thing I like about Howard Dean is that he is one of the few Democrats speaking his mind and NOT backing down. I think he was speaking of politicians, but did not make that clear enough. In the end I think this could hurt the party if it blown completely out of proportion. I do not want to see the Democrats jumping on the religous bandwagon to gain votes though.

I do not think he was talking about Senators picking up their children and then still having time to vote:shrug:

But, I agree - and I think it may get favorable results. I mean the R's do it all of the time and they are in office :shrug: Moreover, if Kerry had come out swinging in the campaign, he probably would have won. He instead and sadly, let Rove set the issues officially and unofficially - see Swift Boat Veterans. So, while I really think personal attacks are never warranted, Dean's observations of what appears to be the truth may suit him and the D's im the end. Also, I think saying things like saying DeLay, who has not been accused of any crime, ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence - is no that bad because everyone knows Delay is guilty - I mean Congress has censured him more than once :shrug:

On edit - Dean will most certainly not back down and will call Rove directly out of the carpet and simultaneously make mince meat of the right wing blow hards like that idiot Sean Hannity, who Dean has taken to task before.

We all know it's that evil Dick Wolfe swaying public opinion.

I hope he doesn't back down. I just hope he chooses his words more carefully.

Some of the Republicans are calling it the Dean Throat Scandal. :lol: :laugh: :lol:

LMAO - I just shrieked at work, where few shriek :laugh:

Exactly. :nod:

Just look at Kerry. He has no kids to pick up and he still doesn't vote in the Senate. :laugh:

LMAO - bless his heart :) :)

Fech, why bother? Hopefully he'll be defeated in the next Senate election and we won't have to put up with that trainwreck any longer. :woohoo:

I wouldn't have gone as far as Dean, but it does seem that the urban minority districts had more problems at the polls than the WASPy suburbs. Hey, it's nothing to scream about...

Who is he running against? I know nothing of his upcoming reelection camp.