President Dean?

[Fairweather]

This is the guy you liberals want for prez?.....

 

WASHINGTON — A comment by Howard Dean (search) about Confederate flags and pickup trucks has embroiled the leading Democrats in Iowa's presidential caucuses in a name-calling donnybrook.

 

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"I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags (search) in their pickup trucks,"the former Vermont governor was quoted as saying in Saturday's Des Moines Register. "We can't beat George Bush unless we appeal to a broad cross-section of Democrats."

 

Dean said Saturday that he was intending to encourage the return of Southern voters who have abandoned the Democrats for decades but are disaffected with the Republicans.

 

Two Democrat rivals competing against Dean in Iowa's leadoff Jan. 19 caucuses saw the comment differently.

 

Rep. Dick Gephardt (search) of Missouri, who shares the lead in Iowa with Dean, accused Dean of making a blatant move to win the votes of people "who disagree with us on bedrock Democratic values like civil rights."

 

"I don't want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks," Gephardt said in a statement. "I will win the Democratic nomination because I will be the candidate for guys with American flags in their pickup trucks."

 

Sen. John Kerry (search) of Massachusetts contended that Dean's "pandering" to the National Rifle Association (search) gave him an inroad to "pander to lovers of the Confederate flag."

 

Dean's comment was reported in story about Kerry's criticism of Dean's record on guns. The senator claimed that Dean was an NRA favorite who opposed a 1994 law that banned assault weapons to civilians.

 

"I would rather be the candidate of the NAACP than the NRA," Kerry said in a statement.

 

Candidate and civil rights activist Al Sharpton (search) — who has accused Dean of having an "anti-black agenda" — said he was "surprised and disturbed" by the Confederate flag remark. "If I said I wanted to be the candidate for people that ride around with helmets and swastikas, I would be asked to leave," Sharpton said.

 

In response to the criticism, Dean released a statement saying: "I want people with Confederate flags on their trucks to put down those flags and vote Democratic — because the need for quality health care, jobs and a good education knows no racial boundaries.

 

"We have working white families in the south voting for tax cuts for the richest 1 percent while their children remain with no health care," Dean said. "The dividing of working people by race has been a cornerstone of Republican politics for the last three decades — starting with Richard Nixon. ... The only way we're going to beat George Bush is if southern white working families and African-American working families come together under the Democratic tent, as they did under FDR."

 

The two southerners in the Democratic race, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards (search) and retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark (search) of Arkansas, also protested. "Some of the greatest civil rights leaders, white and black, have come from the South," said Edwards. "To assume that southerners who drive trucks would embrace this symbol is offensive."

 

Clark said, "Every Democratic candidate for president needs to condemn the divisiveness the Confederate flag represents."

 

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman's campaign weighed in as well. "Governor Dean ought to be more careful about what he says," said campaign director Craig Smith. "It is irresponsible and reckless to loosely talk about one of the most divisive, hurtful symbols in American history."

 

Dean spokeswoman Tricia Enright told The Associated Press that Dean had previously used the Confederate flag image in his campaign.

 

One instance came Feb. 22 at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee in Washington. Dean said the men with Confederate flag decals in their pickup trucks represented lucrative prospects for the party "because their kids don't have health insurance, either, and their kids need better schools, too."

 

The party elite stood and cheered.

[EWolfe]

Hey, I vote the Snaffle Party. Exclusively.

[AlpineK]

We'll see what happens. It's not like us WA staters have much say in the primary. It's mostly over before we get to vote. Don't forget thet if the roles were reversed WA state repubs wouldn't get much of a say either.

 

Looking at the big picture the Democratic contender to Bush has to be really really shity before I wouldn't vote for them.

 

BTW How about that John McCain sponsoring anti global warming legislation. It's good to see that there are still some old school republicans out there still; instead of the modern right wing moral majority fuckhead repubs who want to screw everyone but the ultra rich.

[allthumbs]

I'd sure take another hard look at McCain.

[erik]

trask said:

I'd sure take another hard look at McCain.

 

it's actually a crime that he is not our current president.

 

[Ratboy]

I'd vote for McCain in a heartbeat. Classic Republicans. Neo-conservatives and new Republicans. Bring back Teddy Roosevelt! He must be rolling over in his grave over the current batch of so-called republicans.

[Fairweather]

AlpineK said:

 

 

BTW How about that John McCain sponsoring anti global warming legislation. It's good to see that there are still some old school republicans out there still; instead of the modern right wing moral majority fuckhead repubs who want to screw everyone but the ultra rich.

 

How about Democratic senator Zel Miller saying he'll support President Bush in the next election because [/i]none[/i] of the current Democratic presidential hopefuls embrace American values?

 

[Gary_Yngve]

Fairweather said:

AlpineK said:

 

 

BTW How about that John McCain sponsoring anti global warming legislation. It's good to see that there are still some old school republicans out there still; instead of the modern right wing moral majority fuckhead repubs who want to screw everyone but the ultra rich.

 

How about Democratic senator Zel Miller saying he'll support President Bush in the next election because [/i]none[/i] of the current Democratic presidential hopefuls embrace American values?

 

I had free tuition throughout college because of Zell Miller [combined with good grades]... he kicks ass!

[Fairweather]

Gary_Yngve said:

Fairweather said:

AlpineK said:

 

 

BTW How about that John McCain sponsoring anti global warming legislation. It's good to see that there are still some old school republicans out there still; instead of the modern right wing moral majority fuckhead repubs who want to screw everyone but the ultra rich.

 

How about Democratic senator Zel Miller saying he'll support President Bush in the next election because [/i]none[/i] of the current Democratic presidential hopefuls embrace American values?

 

I had free tuition throughout college because of Zell Miller [combined with good grades]... he kicks ass!

 

So do you agree with his stand?

[Gary_Yngve]

Fairweather said:

Gary_Yngve said:

Fairweather said:

AlpineK said:

 

 

BTW How about that John McCain sponsoring anti global warming legislation. It's good to see that there are still some old school republicans out there still; instead of the modern right wing moral majority fuckhead repubs who want to screw everyone but the ultra rich.

 

How about Democratic senator Zel Miller saying he'll support President Bush in the next election because [/i]none[/i] of the current Democratic presidential hopefuls embrace American values?

 

I had free tuition throughout college because of Zell Miller [combined with good grades]... he kicks ass!

 

So do you agree with his stand?

 

I disagree, but he still kicks ass. Does that make me a whore?

[catbirdseat]

Fairweather said:

AlpineK said:

 

 

BTW How about that John McCain sponsoring anti global warming legislation. It's good to see that there are still some old school republicans out there still; instead of the modern right wing moral majority fuckhead repubs who want to screw everyone but the ultra rich.

 

How about Democratic senator Zel Miller saying he'll support President Bush in the next election because [/i]none[/i] of the current Democratic presidential hopefuls embrace American values?

Fairweather, please tell us what are American values. Inquiring minds want to know.

[mattp]

I don't see what is wrong with Dean's comment, actually. Indeed, there ARE lots of guys with Confederate flag decals on their pickup trucks and I believe those decals ARE generally displayed as a symbol of some sort of disconnect with modern American politics that has both south-centric leanings but also a bit of an anti-liberal tilt to it. Maybe I should go back and read more about the context of Dean's remarks, but is there anything wrong with saying he wants to appeal to a broader voter base and he thinks his platform can serve folks that might dismiss him or his party because they are commonly protrayed as smart ass liberals held in the sway of the northeastern establishment?

[Fairweather]

catbirdseat said:

Fairweather said:

AlpineK said:

 

 

BTW How about that John McCain sponsoring anti global warming legislation. It's good to see that there are still some old school republicans out there still; instead of the modern right wing moral majority fuckhead repubs who want to screw everyone but the ultra rich.

 

How about Democratic senator Zel Miller saying he'll support President Bush in the next election because [/i]none[/i] of the current Democratic presidential hopefuls embrace American values?

Fairweather, please tell us what are American values. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

You'd have to ask Senator Miller that question, but when I watched him on Meet The Press today he alluded to the return of McGovern ideals within the party, and the fact that they don't hold any sway with the majority of today's voters. Especially southern ones.