NYT: Vermont Auditors Faulted Dean Aide on Contract in'92

[Foswia]

<snip>
When Howard Dean was governor of Vermont, his administration was taken to task in a 1993 state audit that questioned the involvement of a top Dean aide in the awarding of a contract to a health maintenance organization. The aide, the audit noted, once represented the H.M.O. as a lobbyist.

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The contract was canceled after the audit was made public.

Four years later, a second audit stumbled across a highly critical review of the same H.M.O., then the state's largest. The review had never been made public, as required under state law.
</snip>

<snip>
In 1998, when a reporter asked Dr. Dean what needed to happen to repair relations between the auditor's office and the governor's office, Dr. Dean said, "A new auditor."
</snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/06/politics/campaigns/06HEAL.html?ex=1073970000&en=da3d555fb5a32885&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[revcarol]

1. WHEW. Sounds serious.

Maybe Mr. Clean Dean, isn't.

[Foswia]

2. Clean Dean? Thats a new one!

Haha clean dean? I've never heard that before. With any luck, Dean will be cleaned.

"I won’t talk about other candidates ... but if you want a lawyer, get a lawyer; if you want a doctor, get a doctor; but if you want a leader, then get a leader" - Clark

[robbedvoter]

3. So, is that why the HD supporters wanted Edwards for WP now?

[farmbo]

6. Er...NYT fails to mention: Dean asked for the Audit

http://www.state.vt.us/sao/reviews/bisc_sum.htm

The period covered was July 1, 1993 to January 31, 1997. We reviewed numerous documents provided by the Department and interviewed current and former officials and staff members of the Department and the Health Care Authority.

The State Auditor has undertaken this review in response to requests from the Governor(2) and the House Health and Welfare Committee. The review has been conducted pursuant to the State Auditor's authority contained in 32 V.S.A. §§ 163 & 167
<snip>

So which is it New York Times: Was it good government for Dean to ask for an audit which was critical of an aide?

Or should he have covered it up AND HAD YOU GUYS LOOKING UP HIS A** TO SEE IF HIS HAT WAS ON STRAIGHT for eleven years?

Take your f*ckin' pick, you self-righteous hypocrites.

[Danieljay]

7. bingo! n/t

[KittyWampus]

15. You Omit An Important Fact- 2 State Reps Requested Audit

Nice try to make Dean look good though, if the State Reps hadn't asked audit wouldn't have happened:

"The 1997 audit began when two state representatives, the House speaker, Michael Obuchowski, and the majority leader, Paul Poirer, asked Mr. Flanagan to undertake a review of the state agency reponsible for, among other things, enforcing state regulations for health-care services.

It was under this audit that the earlier, critical review of Community Health Plan surfaced in the agency's files.

Under Vermont law, the review should have made public after 30 days. That never happened."

[Fish-Slapping_Dance]

22. Dean will doom us

I'm convinced of it. He's just not right for us. Gen. Clark is more like it.

[newyawker99]

23. Hi Fish-Slapping_Dance!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Fish-Slapping_Dance]

24. Thanks.

:hi:

[farmbo]

4. NYT ignores Haliburton/ Bechtel's $2.5 bil in 2003 no-bid contracts...

...then knit picks an aid's role in an 11 year old contract for $900,000 which covered 17,000 state workers, which was bid, but which...well...may now be dredged out in a contrived attempt to embarrass Howard Dean.

This stinker should get the 2004 New York Times "Jason Blair Award" for creativity in journalism.

[KittyWampus]

16. This Is About Dean- Not Bush

If you don't like the similarities in style... why support Dean?

Sure the similarities are by lesser degree with Dean- but that is cold comfort.

[farmbo]

18. Read the article...No similarities whatsoever!

In fact, I'm honestly hard pressed to see anything reflecting negatively on Dean in this article...and it was Dean who asked for the audit.

Puleease... keep this inperspective...we're the good guys here.

[Danieljay]

5. why all the Dean coverage...

if Rove really thinks Dean is an easy target..why all the attempts to smear his credibility from the media. Every time I sign on somewhere I see an article about someone criticizing Dean...either fellow democrats (and I use that term loosely) or the media (probably leaked from Rove). The way I see, someone in the current administration must feel a little bit threatened by the man. Personally, I would love to see Kucinich make a go of it, that being said... it looks like Dean is the most feared followed closely by Clark. I rarely if ever see the other candidates criticized as much as Dean, and I dont think its because they are "squeeky clean", except for Kucinich who I believe is a man of high integrity and consciousness and I don't think America is prepared for that at this time, one can only hope.

[Guaranteed]

9. Seriously....you'd think they'd wait until AFTER the primary to do this.

But, unfortunately, I think the Clintonites have the most to do with the present onslaught against Dean.

[truthisfreedom]

10. hey, this is a good thing. they are burning all of this useless brush

during a time when it doesn't eben matter. nobody cares.

[progressivebydesign]

11. I don't think it's ALL Bush & Co.

This crap is coming from the so-called Dems. Bet on it. They have research people working overtime to discredit the front-runner. Judging from the bile I see from supporters of some of these other candidates, I think it's a logical place to look for the source if these "stories".

I appreciate your attitude. It's refreshing to see a Democrat on this board that actually gets it. I sometime suspect that people are here simply to do the bidding of the other candidates, by trying to smear Dean here. I haven't seen this type of attack on Democrat, besides Gephardt and Lieberman. It's scary.. Expect more of these type of badly researched, hack jobs in the next few months. A few of the other candidates are desperate right now. Remember.. Bush doesn't have to do a fucking thing right now.. doesn't have to spend a CENT of that 200 Million.. he's watching some of the other candidates do his dirty work for him, while spending down their not-too-sizable war chests in the process. How ridiculous.

p.s. Regarding Dennis Kucinich. He does appear to be a really good guy.. and if the political process wasn't so damn skewed toward corporate donors, he'd probably have had a chance. You mention that his is possible "squeaky clean", and a man of high integrity. Don't you know that if HE were the front runner, these stories would be surfacing about him? It's all in how they write it. They can take things so far out of context, and either shoddily or incompletely report them to make the candidate seem like the scum of the earth. It happened to Gore.. and I have yet to see ONE scummy thing that Al Gore ever did, yet he was annihilated in the media by half-truths and outright lies. It just doesn't matter how good someone is in politics.. Isn't that what Vincent Foster was trying to say about D.C. when he killed himself? Very sad.

[pansypoo53219]

8. dare i ask WHY

the media whores didn't dig as much up about GEORGE W BUSH?!?

[progressivebydesign]

12. Remember who pays them..

Money talks.. integrity walks.

[stickdog]

13. Notice any pattern?

http://www.blogrunner.com/channel?c_id=126260

[stickdog]

14. Flanagan's Frame up?

http://www.jebspaulding.com/pr7-8.php

July 8, 2002

Hoff, Salmon, Kunin, Dean Support Spaulding for Treasurer

Montpelier… Jeb Spaulding, one of two Democrats seeking to be Vermont's next State Treasurer, announced today that he has the support of all of Vermont's former Democratic Governors: Philip Hoff, Thomas Salmon, and Madeleine Kunin, as well as from current Governor Howard Dean.

Spaulding, who faces a challenge from Edward Flanagan in the September 10th primary for the Democratic nomination, looks at the endorsements as key to gaining credibility for his first statewide campaign. Spaulding believes that the endorsement from the Governors will carry a lot of weight because, as a group, they represent a wide spectrum of the Democratic Party and because, as governors, they understand the role and importance of the State Treasurer.

"It's always nice to have a Governor in your corner, but to have all four of these respected Governors backing me is a true honor and a real boost," Spaulding said. He is currently the only statewide candidate who has drawn the public support of all four Governors.

Explaining his support for Spaulding, Governor Philip Hoff said, "I really think Jeb is the right candidate for this particular position. His considerable legislative experience, especially as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, and history of being a team player will make him a very effective Treasurer."

Governor Thomas Salmon based his support for Spaulding on the need for a State Treasurer who can lead that office in uncertain financial times, "Jeb Spaulding is rock solid. His experience in the public and private sectors will bring credibility and stability to the Treasurer's office."

Governor Madeleine Kunin spoke highly of Spaulding's record in the State Senate. "Jeb came into the Senate when I was elected Governor and I was always impressed with his integrity, commitment and thoughtfulness. He has proven that he is a competent, effective leader and I am sure he will serve Vermont well as State Treasurer," she said.

Governor Howard Dean's support came early, at Spaulding's campaign kick-off, when he explained "Vermont government will be in transition next year and we need someone like Jeb as Treasurer who really knows state finances and who can work constructively with the next administration and legislature, as well as with the financial world."

[KittyWampus]

17. Intereting Tidbit- Times Article Mainly Quotes Sources Favorable To Dean

The article, almost in its entirity, focuses on quotes from sources who give Dean cover and also goes out of its way to paint Flanagan as a "politically driven" crank.

Which, if one looks at Dean's entire Record, seems like an apt description of HIM (minus the crank part).

[Ramsey]

19. I am so sick of this S**T!!!!

Every little crappy stupid minuscule mistake and minor gaffe that Dean (or any Democrat for that matter) has ever made is put under the microscope, taken out of context and blown out of proportion.

Yet not a GD PEEP about the out and out corruption and lies perpetrated upon the American people on an hourly basis by the Bush Cabal!!!

Halliburton. Enron. Valerie Plame. Guantanamo Bay. Iraq's WMD. Tax cuts. "Healthy forests". "Clear skies". Etc......

Conflict of interest? How about all the foxes guarding the hen houses in every single federal agency under Bush? They claim to be so freaking honest and forthright that even when they have obvious conflicts of interest we are supposed to believe they will be objective and police their own behaviour!

But Democrats, well they just lie about everything and can never be trusted and do everything for the most ignominious of reasons. That is the line these stories always take!

It is sickening!!!!
:puke:

[Oreegone]

20. They must really feel threatened

They just want to find one thing after another so that the ignorant non reading portion of John Q. Public....will just interpret it as boy this guy has problems we better go with someone else.

It is an attempt to scatter the party, by who? Good question.

Sadly I have to agree that some of this may be coming from the Clintonites which is very sad.

Ignorance is not bliss, Ignorance is just ignorance.

[cthrumatrix]

21. exactly .... between the grass root effort, BBV and debacles for shrub

the attacks will only get worse....obviously the press will now become attack dogs for shrub