Dean slams Bush on town-hall meetings

[struggle4progress]

March 10, 2005

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said yesterday that President Bush’s policy of excluding non-Republicans from town-hall meetings on Social Security reform was “not an American thing to do.”

Dean spoke at the House Democrats’ weekly meeting for 15 minutes and took questions from lawmakers, according to several sources inside the well-attended closed-door gathering. He made the comments about the town-hall meetings at a press conference after the closed-door session.

At the press conference, House Democratic leaders said they were most exercised about Bush’s town-hall meetings, which are open only to Republican voters and party activists.

“We continue to hold hundreds of town-hall meetings that are open to all Americans. … We have honest discussions,” said Rep. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), criticizing Bush’s most recent event, last Friday in Westfield, N.J., which was open only to Republicans. <snip>

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/031005/dean.html

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Communism is alive and well.

/

[KingoftheJungle]

5. you mean fascism...if it were communism we'd have health insurance

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. Bush is a fascist.

Dean is a communist.

>>> //// <<<

[Cha]

34. You're funny as usual, rif!

"not much meat", indeed!

[zann725]

12. LOL! How true!

n/t

[tyedyeto]

2. Move along folks.....nothing new here..........

we all know that * will only speak at town hall meetings when the 'audience' is hand-picked.

[realFedUp]

18. hand-picked "press" in this DemoFascist nation

I memed it first.

[LibDemAlways]

3. Dems should have been hammering the

chimp on this for years. He's pulled this shit since day one. I realize the press isn't about to publicize this, but Dems should be harping on it every time they get in front of a microphone. I'm sure the average American has no clue that chimpy is so shielded from the masses.

[bvar22]

20. Dems can't hammer the Corporate owned Media.....

...The same people that own the Media(Big Corps) also own most of the Democratic Party.
Can't piss on the hand that feeds ya!.

[givemebackmycountry]

4. Hey....what's the problem?

In a few weeks, after the Big 12 Tournament is over...
Motley Crew will invade Kemper Arena in Kansas City.
No doubt, it will be a Partisan audience.

So, what's the problem?

You root for what you like.

Too, bad most of us think you SUCK.

Now that...is American.

Let the Monkey have his side show extravagances.

His days are numbered.

[Disturbed]

6. Who pays for these little meetings?

The transportation and accomodatons are also included. How much does all this cost and who pays the freakin' bills?

[EFerrari]

19. We do, just as we pay the pResident's salary.

This would be a good question to pose to your representatives. "Why is public money being used for Republican rallies?"

[Sperk]

7. Good for you Dean! Phony President...Phony town hall meetings!

Keep shouting it!

[bilgewaterbill]

8. HOWIE! HOWIE! HOWIE! nt

[Straight Shooter]

10. Bwahahahaha! Dean insinuates (strongly!) that bush is un-American.

[Larkspur]

15. Yes, I loved that part. He did the same thing during the Primary campaign

That's what we gotta do. Equate bush's policies and partisan actions as un-American.

[ozone_man]

33. Well, Dean comes from a state that has real town meetings

so he knows what he's talking about. Keep pulling back the curtains Howard to expose this phony.

[progressivebydesign]

11. How I LOVE that man... Give em hell, Howard! n/t

[BigBearJohn]

13. Howard, Howard, he's our man!

[Erika]

14. Funny about Bush

The first president to ever hide from the American public. If he can't pick his audience, he's not there.

Dean is doing great!

[CottonBear]

16. He hid during his first primary back in 1999-2000

but no one commented on it and the MSM didn't report about it. The sheeples voted for him knowing nothing about him, hearing nothing from him. It was all smoke and mirrors. He was as much of a cowardly, bumbling idiot then as he is now. Stupid Republicans got us into this mess.

[Lisa]

29. yes, and isn't Bush's "best" quality supposed to be his "charm"?

He can't even keep up a facade of being a "people person".

[lyonn]

35. Good point,

Bush only draws those that think they may benefit, and the wanna be Rich crowd. There is no way his idiot speak would impress an average crowd. Sound bites work for Bush and the media. Every time Dean opens his mouth People Listen. That guy should be running the show, we haven't had common sense leadership since Bush raised his hand. And yes, my tax dollars going for his airfare, protection (he isn't safe anywhere), is an insult when we can't even get invited to his gigs. Only for his voters (worshippers). Dean is one of the few voices we Dems have.

[DeepModem Mom]

17. kick

[hansolsen]

21. Well done, Howard. Keep it up. Tell it like it is. Give no quarter. N/T

[anarchy1999]

22. Go DEAN! Most honest opinion I've heard all week!

Why is the media not questioning this BS? Oh, yeah, I remember, they are bought and paid for and have an agenda aligned with the criminals occupying Washington, DC these days.

[burythehatchet]

23. Howard is doing his job well.

Not getting involved in policy, just leading an attack on the Chimp himself.

[flygal]

24. DAMN!

I would loved to have seen that man debate the shrub!!

[HannibalBarca]

36. Yes indeed

Kerry was obviously vastly superior in debating skills and raw intelligence but was too much of a gentlemen. Dean would have torn Shrub to shreds. A pity.

[Patiod]

25. Give-em Hell Howard

Nice to hear a Dem saying something other than "would bending over further make it any easier for you, sir?"

[Tesla]

26. Alright Howie!!!

We need you to carry our voices!!
Don't give up the good fight!
Howie, Howie!!!

I like to think of Shrub as "Dicktaster", I mean, dictator, myself.

He like folks like our Jeffy in his audience asking the "tough" questions.

[ananda]

27. communist!

If Dean is a communist, so am I!

Socialism forever!

Sue, a proud liberal

[XemaSab]

28. People Powered Howard!

n/t

[hatrack]

30. Glad to hear that Doctor's back

But why hasn't everybody been pounding on Bush for this?

These phony hand-picked photo-op bullshit "town hall meetings" are phonier than $3 bills, and it's about Goddamned time that somebody started hammering that point every single day.

[Vidar]

31. Give 'em hell, Howard!

[distressedsister]

32. See This Video - Protesters Driven Off

The First Amendment is under assault! This is amateur video of what happened when Bush showed up in Westfield, NJ last Friday. Several people were arrested without cause and then the whole protest was forcibly broken up. I was personally followed by cops and forced to move not just out of the "zone" but several blocks away from what was, thanks to them, no longer even an event.

http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm

Please watch and spread the word! You will see Republicans coming out milling around behind police lines and chatting up the authorities even while our freedom of speech was sacrificed. Complain!