Dean called 'real Democrat' (attacking Clark)

[robbedvoter]

Dean called 'real Democrat'



Front-runner's strategies add boost from Bradley
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0106dean-interview06.html
Jon Kamman
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 6, 2004 12:00 AM

With former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley's endorsement of presidential candidate Howard Dean today, the former Vermont governor's campaign is likely to emphasize that the front-runner is "a real Democrat" and more decisive than former Gen. Wesley Clark.
In a telephone conference call that reporters were invited by mistake to hook into, Dean's campaign staff spoke candidly about strategy surrounding the impending Bradley endorsement.
"Tomorrow, (Tuesday) we're going to start by having Bradley do sort of a subtle thing, if we can, by saying that Dean is a real Democrat, and then follow that up the next day with an in-state person that's probably a little more direct," one unidentified staffer said.
The "in-state" appeared to be a reference to New Hampshire, where Bradley, Al Gore's opponent for the 2000 Democratic presidential nomination, was to appear this morning at a previously unscheduled breakfast.
Another staffer indicated that in a survey of voters Monday by telephone, people expressed concern that "this guy (Dean) is indecisive" and Bradley, a former Hall of Fame player in the National Basketball Association and a three-term senator from New Jersey, could help counter that.
"The Bradley message could be, like, (Dean) knew where he stood on the war, is still a Democrat, takes . . . positions, blah, blah, blah," the staffer said.
The next day, the speaker said, "surrogates" for Dean, both local and national, could "then hit Clark on the flip side of the argument: that he's indecisive, didn't know what party he's with, doesn't know his position on the war," she said.More

[mouse7]

1. That's fair. Dean's a Dem. Clark's an independent n/t

[Renew Deal]

2. I just hope Dean supporters don't whine

if hired guns like Lehane let loose on Dean. I mean, how are americans supposed to feel secure with a man who thinks the Soviet Union is still a threat?

[Larkspur]

8. We defeated Lehane when he worked for Kerry

we will defeat him again.

[okieinpain]

11. I know we don't call it the soviet union anymore, but doesn't

russia still have a lot of nukes, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, thousands of planes, tanks, etc. hell I wouldn't even call bush stupid if he refered to russia as the soviet union. I mean we've only been call the joint SU forever.

[BeyondGeography]

3. The Dean campaign: Blah, blah, blah

That pretty much sums it up.

[DakotaDemocrat]

6. On last week's episode of...

..."As the Dean Turns", Howard proclaimed himself a real Democrat. This week, Dean pleads his case to the media, saying that "we should all get behind me because I raised the most money and help me take on George Bush."

After a reporter asked Dean how many votes he's gotten yet in the primaries, Dean replies, "errr, - get me McAuliffe on the phone!"

[Racenut20]

4. Accidently hooked into? (spits coffee across office)

Thats really good. I think I just saw that on Bravo's reruns of West Wing a few days ago.

You know....Bartlet for America....Dean for America ...

[robbedvoter]

5. Considering that Bradley championed Reagan's tax cuts and Clark wants to

reverse that - it makes a lot of sense.
As for me, if it turns out that the party of Trafficant, LaRouche, Zell Miller and Ed Koch is too good for Wesley Clark, then maybe I am too good for it.
I guess this party has to chose; grow up or implode in as many little wings as one candidate divides to please his core constituency.

[The Voice]

7. Bradlley opposed the 1981 Reagan Tax Cut.

"but just so the record shows what happened, I was the Democratic point man in 1981. I went on national television opposite Ronald Reagan arguing the Democratic point of view that the Reagan tax cuts were not in the interest of the United States. I was also the head of the Economic Policy Task Force for Senate Democrats in those years, formulating the strategy to reduce the impact of the Reagan proposed budget cuts."

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/election/july-dec99/bradley_10-22.html

Bradley did sponsor and Reagan did sign the Tax Reform Act of 1986-legislation described below by the Citizens for Tax Justice.

CTJ's studies on corporate tax avoidance, including 130 Reasons Why We Need Tax Reform (1986), Corporate Taxpayers & Corporate Freeloaders (1985) and Money for Nothing: The Failure of Corporate Tax Incentives, 1981-1984 (1986) have been widely cited for their key role in the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1986--path-breaking federal legislation that curbed tax shelters for corporations and the rich and cut taxes for poor and middle-income families. Indeed, The Washington Post called CTJ's reports a "key turning point" in the tax reform debate that "had the effect of touching a spark to kindling" and "helped to raise public ire against corporate tax evaders." The Wall Street Journal said that CTJ "helped propel the tax-overhaul effort," and the Associated Press reported that CTJ's studies "assured that something would be done . . . to make profitable companies pay their share." And in the wake of CTJ's agenda-setting role in the 1986 tax reform debate, the Washington Monthly ranked CTJ at the top of its list of America's "best public interest groups."

http://www.ctj.org/html/ctjdesc.htm


The Voice

[worldgonekrazy]

14. Facts are inconvenient for a lot of Clark supporters

You know, like the fact that Clark voted for Reagan twice and Godfather Bush as well. Also inconvenient is the fact that Clark participated in fundraisers for the current misAdministration and went so far as to publicly lick their boots. Then there is the fact that Clark whored himself out for Bush's war on CNN, which is quite contradictory to his current "anti-war" position. All of these facts make Clark look pretty bad, and a lot of people choose to simply ignore the facts rather than soak in their meaning.

[tabasco]

16. Clark's position on CNN was the Iraq War is a bad idea.

Over and over and over. How did he whore for the war, again? Clark also voted for Clinton (twice) and Gore. Facts indeed.

[Sean Reynolds]

12. Considering Clark voted for Reagan twice.......

You have no room to talk.

[Kahuna]

9. Response from Clark Rapid Response Team:

http://clark04.com/press/release/154/

Little Rock - Yesterday, the Dean campaign inadvertently revealed to reporters its secret strategy to discredit General Clark. The strategy was reported in today's Arizona Republic (read the article here).
As the Republic reports, the Dean camp plans to use Bill Bradley's endorsement to counter the perception among New Hampshire voters - apparently evident in the Dean polling - that Governor Dean is "indecisive," and they plan to use both former Senator Bradley and other surrogates to attack General Clark.

Clark Campaign Communications Director Matt Bennett responded to this report:

"The Dean camp's secret back-room plotting to have Bill Bradley and others attack Wes Clark isn't a bit surprising. Governor Dean seems to like others to do his heavy lifting - just last week Howard Dean asked Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe to protect him from the criticisms of his rivals. The fundamental difference between Governor Dean and General Clark is that Howard Dean is a politician, and Wes Clark is a leader."

"Wes Clark has run a war, making life and death decisions every day. If the Dean Campaign wants to have a debate about decisiveness, we're ready."

[BenFranklinUSA]

10. "Decisive"? Maybe "Hasty"

Monday, August 2, 1999
Generals 'clashed over Kosovo raid'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/409576.stm

[stickdog]

15. Exactly. Clark would never use Kerry, Gep or Lieberman to attack Dean.

[Chico Man]

13. What a horrible thread

I think I may just use the "hide thread" functionality for the first time.

[Forkboy]

17. I hate terms like "real Dem"

"real American" etc....they're real insulting to others.

[0007]

18. Go Dean go!

[farmbo]

19. Dean's more sinned against than sinning on this...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=73251&mesg_id=73251

The Clark long knives have been out since November.