DNC Chair Dean Hits McCain Hard On Meet The Press

DNC Chair Howard Dean has been so far down the hole of his own making (or that he collaborated in digging) in Florida and Michigan that you sometimes forget what a clear and succinct critic of the right he can be. On today's Meet The Press, however, once the conversation got shot of campaign dross, Dean had a nice clutch of highlights, knocking at McCain in his inimitable blunt but backboned style. Especially good were Dean's moments defending the DNC's recent McCain ad. McCain has continually protested that his "100 years of war" comment was taken out of context. Dean suggested to Russert, that the point was that the war in Iraq couldn't be put in the same context of McCain's other, more hopeful scenarios.

[WATCH.]

DEAN: First of all, we're not arguing that he's going to be in a war for 100 years. We don't think we ought to be in Iraq for 100 years under any circumstances. Think of the hundreds of billions of dollars that are being spent in Iraq which we need right at home right now to preserve American jobs. That's the first thing. Secondly, Senator McCain believes that you can occupy a country like Iraq for 100 years without having a long war and violence without our troops being hurt and killed, I think Senator McCain is wrong. Look, our folks don't want -- our folks -- our country, 70% of our country does not want to be in Iraq for 100 years under any circumstances. Senator McCain is wrong. He is out of step with the American people, and he is wrong.

RUSSERT: He is saying it's analogous to Germany or Japan --

DEAN: And South Korea, I have the same quote, right here.

RUSSERT: Where you have troops there, but they're not involved in conflict.

DEAN: That is correct. Now, does anyone think who's watching this show that if you keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, people won't be attacking them and won't be setting off suicide bombs and won't be having militias go after them? I don't think so, and most Americans don't think so. What Senator McCain is saying doesn't make any sense. We cannot be in Iraq for 100 years. Those dollars belong in America. We're in trouble in America. And frankly, the Bush/McCain economic program has put us in trouble in America. That money needs to be here in America.

RUSSERT: The Republican party in Virginia has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Committee saying that your previous ad, and no doubt this one, they will insist is being coordinated with the Obama and Clinton campaigns. It's all anti-McCain and that it violates the election rules.

DEAN: That is a joke. There's no evidence for that whatsoever and it's plain untrue. Never one of the campaigns ever saw this ad or knew anything about it before we put it on.

Comments

[Subway]

Our candidate's name is Barack
He'll come under right wing attack
But he'll win the day
Standing far from the fray
If Howard Dean's watching his back

Obama/Dean 08
Accept no prostitutes!

[Davwbaird]

right on what a great team.

[scottyboi84]

he is right! McCain is so full of shit from what I've seen so far. He says what we want emphatically, but every time I see him telling someone what we want here in America, I have to laugh, because i have not heard anyone I know ever say anything that he says. I think they have an idea of what we want, and will promote that as their campaign, but then no change will happen, as usual, it is just a ploy to get elected, then once elected figure out how you can make a lot of wealthy people happy who will give you money or services, or privileges in allegiance with your personal agenda. Our president is supposed to represent what we need, want, or stand for. I think their personal thoughts on issues are irrelevant. They are citizens first, but when in a public service office, they should serve the public by finding out what we want, not what the politicians want, or want to see happen. They should poll the public, with the use of the internet a lot could be accomplished on that front. We should see a representative that does just that-REPRESENTS what the public needs, not what the representatives need.

[noahsmom823]

We love you Howard!!!! Great job speaking the truth!

[Rounder99]

Rest of the headline: WIth lies and seciet. Screamer Dean just can't tell the truth.

Screw him.

[MACS]

.
Please define the word "SECIET."
.

[mamacat]

Thank you Mr. Dean for standing up for the American people, and, indirectly, the Iraqi people. The sooner we stop killing each other, the sooner they can start putting their country back together, and we can start spending money fixing our country. I know that what you have proposed will adversely effect the profits of Exxon and Halliburton and Blackwater, but that is a good thing. Lately, the more profits those companies make, the worse it is for the American people.

[politisophical]

wow.. good execution, clear explanation.. dean did a great job

[JHJ]

Fun to see Dean in action again. Nice and succinct, with that great hard edge. Exactly why I liked him 4 years ago. Worth noting too that he didn't take any bait to criticize or side with either Obama or Clinton, and kept directly on message. Great job.

[utd]

Dean needs to start doing that YEEAWW!! sound that tanked his election with an extended middle finger at the host of any MSM program every time he does something cool like this to remind the MSM about how guilty they should feel for what they did to him.

[noahsmom823]

Dean didn't tank his campaign with that scream, the media did. If you look at videos of that incident, he was yelling with his audience, not alone. Get your facts right!

[utd]

Wow, you managed to say the exact same thing I did, and accuse me of not being able to get facts strait, good for you lady.

[Subway]

Folks should remember that the trashing of Howard Dean in the 04 election, and the trashing of Dean during his tenure as DNC Chairman, was coordinated by the same people who currently form the inner circle of the Clinton campaign. Carville, Begala, Penn and the DLC. You know, the DINOs!

[mamacat]

Agreed.

[not one of the sheep]

Howard baby, way to not rant and rave through an interview. Still have trouble buying your crap though. You're the joke, by the way, what have you done to resolve the Mich. and Fla. fiasco. That's right, nothing.

[cathye]

10 over 1 odds they'll be seated once we're settled on a final nominee. Their punishment for violating the rules was to lose their voice; once a candidate has been determined, they'll get it back.

[Shozen]

What's to resolve? Those states were warned that moving their primaries ahead would cause them to be not counted. Clinton and Obama both agreed their primaries would not count and they would not campaign in them. The Clintonistas only want them to count now so Clinton can STEAL the election.

[Brettster]

Despite my support for Obama, I have always been a Deaniac at heart. I still miss that guy int he campaign, I'm still bitter that the media and political operations sandbagged him so despicably when he was clearly ahead and in touch with the base. I still shake my head at so many party members that bag on him every chance they get, and complain about his 50-states strategy that WON 2006!! I swear these old tired Democrats don't even want to win, don't even want to be progressive, or create any kind of long term vision.

Dean rules, period. He has been right all along on nearly every issue...he's an excellent DNC chair as well, but the only downside is that he's not speaking out enough. No one can duplicate his style. He's so direct, it's hilarious. He's like a machine gun with factual, debate-ending arguments that are perfectly digestible. All democrats could take lessons from him in that regard. I still fantasize about him being able to run against Bush in 2004. Is there ANY question that he would've been as wishy washy and mealy-mouthed like John Kerry? He would've DOMINATED Bush. Imagine the debates!

[Subway]

Since Dean entered the race in 03, he has been an entire election cycle ahead of the Democratic Party. Obama is winning because Dean wrote the play book.

[KenCarylDem]

Well said, Brettster! I'll always be a Deaniac too.

[lmgoodwi]

I've been really satisfied with the ads I've seen the DNC put out against McCain in the past week or so.

Whoa... did I just use the words "satisfied" and "DNC" in the same sentence?

[nolalily]

That's my Howard at his best! Give 'em hell, Howard! Any questions? Didn't think so.

[Indepatriot]

Please donate to the DNC and thank Dr. Dean for resurrecting the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. This man is a blessing to all Americans who care about taking our country back from the corporatists from both partys who've gutted the middle-class while lining their own pockets. Yes We F*cking Can!

[Jocalo]

Give 'em hell Howard!

All of the talk about Howard Dean being responsible for FLA & MI is straight out of the mouth of the Clintons. They do not like Dr. Dean because he doesn't toe their line. They believe in the tired old 20 state strategy, where you leave Dems in red states to their own devices. The DNC under Governor Dean has, by starting from the bottom up, built new strongholds and elected Democrats in places that the party neglected for years. Terry McAuliffe was a smarmy top-down chair who lost ground for the Dems. The Clintons could not stop Dean from being elected party chair, because the people on the ground got tired of a top-down approach and decided to take their party back.

[Marlyn]

"It's all anti-McCain and that it violates the election rules." ???

Huh? It is now against election rules to have an anti-McCane ad?

[AceTen]

Anti-McCain stuff is fine, but at this point in the election the Obama and/or Clinton campaigns cannot coordinate with the DNC to run anti-McCain ads. It's arcane but it's the rules.

[athenalong]

How? Please explain.... I'm genuinely curious to know why.

[incontempt]

the whining starts early...get some cheese to hand out LOL

[nativeeyes]

This shows MCWAR doesn't need to be let out of his Nursing Home with his depends diapers.

Iraq is a Tribal war with Suicide Bombers supported by other Countries like Iran and Syria..

We cannot win that kind of war... You cant defend peope that are will to kill themselves and lots of US.

MCWAR Think that we can build a Base there and our TROOPS will not be driving over roadside bombs anymore, LMAO!!!

WAKE UP FUNCTIONAL ILLITERATE REPUBLICANS

[kawika]

Hey! Bring back Dan Quayle...as VP for them...He has experience.

[kawika]

I would love to see Dean in a VP debate with whomever McCain has as his running stooge

[Podewumun]

Jason, I have to object to your characterization that "Howard Dean has been so far down the hole of his own making". Rubbish!
Florida and Michigan were warned not to violate party rules, they were aware of the penalities for doing so, and they decided to set their primaries forward anyway. ALL ON THEIR OWN.
Dr. Dean was in no way responsible for the actions of these two renegade states.
Kindly correct the erroneous and misleading wording of your "article". Thank you.

[Bluebloodsbastardson]

Was it not Republican controlled State Legislatures that forced the Dems to move the dates up in both states by passing legislation the minority Dems couldn't defeat ?

[MadamBlu]

Granted the Dems were the minortiy in the state legislature in FL, but all but a few of those Dems voted for the legislation to move up the primary date. None of those Dems even tried to stand up to the Republicans on the issue. There was no 'forcing' involved.

[bfbenn]

I think that may have been true in Florida, not so much in Minnesota. And even if true in both places, why weren't Democrats making noise about it?

[Thurber]

The majority of the Dem's in Florida's legislature voted to move up the primary along with their Republican colleagues. Some did object at the time, but did so with a wink and nod saying, in not so many words, that out of duty to the DNC they objected. Then they voted for it. Both states then had a second chance to fix this by rescheduling another vote after it became clear the DNC was not going to budge. Again, neither state chose to do so. Instead they want to blame Dean. That's simply insanity.

That doesn't mean that Florida's and MI voters should have no say at all. There has to be a price paid, but we could give them 1/2 their delegation, just like the RNC did. We can't appear to be treating them worse than the RNC. Michigan is another matter entirely since it was a Soviet-style primary with only one serious candidate on the ballot. In MI's case, the only possible solution now is to seat 1/2 the delegation split 50-50 between the candidates. Obama suggested this, HRC shot it down, yet she still complains at every opportunity even though, after counting MI's super delegates, she would have actually received more delegates than him.

[kawika]

Dean for VP

[osage]

Dean is the best thing that's happened to the Democratic Party in decades. His fifty state campaign is why Democrats are registering in record numbers and achieving record contribution amounts. He's trying to take the Democratic party back to the people, which is where it began and where it belongs. American politics has been getting more about corporations than about people, and Howard Dean is making headway toward reversing that deplorable trend.

[nolalily]

I'm a "me, too-er! on this one!

[Podewumun]

Hear! Hear! My sentiments exactly.

[HopeGirl]

Howard Dean was steady, determined, tough and right, He was unwavering. He also knows who the neemy is-unlike the Clintons.

It was great to see a Democrat come out and go after that insidious, ridiculous Puppet McCain.

Thank GOD we do not have to suffer anymore with that snake oil salesman Terry"Loser" McCaul