I think Dean should unseal his papers

[CMT]

It is not fair that some governors can keep there papers sealed and others cannot, but when you are running for president life is not always fair. I think most everyone who knows of me on DU understands I'm a strong Dean supporter and continue to be one. But I say nip this issue in the bud and unseal the papers. Will there be some embarrassing information? likely--what politician wouldn't have a few embarrassing things such as memos outlining political stratgies or calling the Speaker of the HOuse a "bastard" or something like that. Will there be any scandal? I'm almost certain there would not be. Dean ran a clean administration and if there was anything to bring him down in 12 years it would have come to light by now, imo. What the papers are likely to expose is that Howard Dean is a pragmatic politician--something that hardly disqualifies him for the presidency of the United States.

So I agree with the Burlington Free Press which in its editorial today asked Dean to unseal all of his papers. Let's put this non-issue behind us and move on with the positive campaign which has made Howard Dean the Democratic front-runner--and keep the heat on Bush.

[Justice]

1. My View

I wish that Dean did not waver on this issue only after the chairman of the RNC came to Vermont. It makes it look as if Dean is reacting to the republicans (including lieberman).

No democrat has been successful in being accommodating to the demands of the republican party. I wish Dean would stand up for the law in VT, keep the papers sealed in accordance with the law - which means he would reduce the amount of time they are sealed but really not much else.

This was not an issue for Bush - while he had to move his papers out of his father's library - they are still not very accessible. I wish Dean would make the stand.

[sangh0]

15. Dean *IS* folding to the Repukes

It makes it look as if Dean is reacting to the republicans

If Dean releases his papers you can be sure it's because of the Repukes pressure. Why else would Dean compromise the privacy of the people named in that correspondence, which is Dean's alleged reason for not releasing the papers? Why else would Dean waive the "executive privilige" he has claimed?

But I guess it had nothing to do with his saying something like "If Bush* shows us his, I'll show you mine" and then learning that Bush*'s gubernatorial records are (nominally) released.

[Don_G]

2. Get Dimbo To Unseal His Too

The Texas Attorney-General still has to okay any viewing or release of information from Dimbo's papers and has to do it in 45 days or less.

Let that be brought up in the media and the debates too.

[ithacan]

3. only if Bush does

I think it's a genius strategy on Dean's part to call for this, regardless of why he sealed his own.

The key: Always be on the offensive against Bush. Turn all accusations back against Bush.

Let Bush explain why he's secreted away his documents to his daddy's library. He's president after all and Dean is only a candidate. Keep the pressure on Bush to open his files and give total public access to them. Given the state of the state of Texas, there must be a lot to hide that would make excellent fodder for an aggressive campaign against Bush.

Let the Dem campaigns get their hands on all of the details of Bush's governorship to use in the 2004 campaign, if the Repubs are going to have access to all of Dean's.

[goodhue]

10. Bush records available

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/02/national/02DEAN.html

Questioned on the ABC News program "Good Morning America" about his handling of the papers, Dr. Dean tried to turn the issue back on President Bush, who originally sent his own papers from his years as governor of Texas to his father's presidential library.

"I'll unseal mine if he will unseal all of his," said Dr. Dean, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

But Mr. Bush's Texas records were moved back to state custody after a ruling from the attorney general, and an archivist for the state said the Bush records were available for viewing.

[ithacan]

11. that report is misleading

in fact, as pointed out in a few other threads here at DU, anything that is requested must be first approved by the state attorney-general... Let's see if Bush will totally open his records, rather than having a republican screener keep out the bad stuff.

[Atman]

4. Absolutely NOT - take a tip from Carville

The best debates I saw on teevee yesterday, which got the repubs on edge because they know they don't have a leg to stand on, is this issue. Dean should seal EVERYTHING about himself, and his family, just as Bush has done.

Then he can honestly call Bush on it. "I'll open mine if you open yours."

It is a legitimate, credible position which will help hammer home to the Wal Mart Nation what a disingenous hypocrite Bush is.

---

on Edit...James Carville was on some show yesterday pushing his new book; I don't even recall the name of it, but it was about how dems can take back America. The first tip, which is very fitting here, is for dems to stop their incessant acquiesence to invalid republican positions, like this one. Sorry CMT, the very reason we keep getting hammered is because we "do the right thing" and hope we set an example for the bad guys. But, the bad guys know we will give in and they don't care about our stupid examples. The only example we set by caving in is that we'll cave in again.

Dean is a pussy if he gives in on this one. This is a real, clear issue the American people can understand. Dean needs to use it to OUR advantage.

[pruner]

5. the issue appears to have blown over already

except for a small blurb (from the wire services) about Judicial Watch planning to file suit in some papers, there's no coverage in today's major papers.

this is not something voters care about.

[molly]

6. Want to bet?

[GumboYaYa]

8. Exactly, Dean is trying to play this smart

and look to the general election to apply the same pressure to Bush.

I guaranty you that there is more damning evidence in Bush's sealed records than there is in Dean's. Unfortunately, other Dem candidates are quickly seeing their hopes of becoming President slip away and they are grasping for straws to gain some advantage.

It's time for some of these campaigns (read Kerry and Lieberman) to recognize the writing on the wall and become team players.

[sangh0]

16. The writing on the wall?

What does it say?

[GumboYaYa]

21. It says:

Dean 42% Kerry 12% in NH;

Dean leading Kerry in Mass. (that's as sad a performance as one can have);

Gephardt trailing in Iowa and bleeding campaign funds daily;

Gephardt getting hammered by unions today in his home state; and

Lieberman, find a place where has hope, cause I can't.

Sorry, but the big three dem insiders are on their way out of this race and they should do it in an honorable way that doesn't hurt us in the general election.

[sangh0]

22. Thanks for the response

but IMO Dean needs to SWEEP all of the primaries in order to win the nom. If he doesn't win the nom on the first ballot (where 40% of the votes are held by "super-delegates" who are not committed to any candidate) his delegates will be freed to vote for a "unity" candidate. Since the super-delegates tend to be party insiders, and Dean has been campaigning as an outsider, they are not going to vote for Dean unless they are forced to, and there's only one way to force them - Dean has to win so BIG that it would be embarrassing to vote for another Dem.

[GumboYaYa]

23. There is another way and I think this is what Dean is planning.

If Dean gets the lead and the big three drop out, which appears very likely at least for Gep (no funds from what I'm hearing here in St. Louis) and Lieberman (same, plus no support), Dean can look to one of the Southerners on the ticket (Edwards or Clark) and tag them as his VP. I bet he picks whichever of these two has the most delegates going into the convention. They throw their delgates to Dean and you have a solid majority.

I think Dean has had this plan all along. Clearly he has approached Clark. I think he has also approached Edwards with this plan and it happened right after the Rock the Vote debate. Notice how Edwards came out swinging at the debate and two days later was calling Dean courageous. Something happened in those two days.

<ON EDIT> My initial pont was not in reards to winning the primary, but rather the recognition that three perceived denm insiders are hurting right now. Two or more will be out of the race soon and they should stop damaging the canbdidates in the general election on the way out the door.

[sangh0]

26. Possibly, but there's a problem with that

It's not insurmountable, but it is a problem for Dean.

As the candidates drop out, their supporters will move onto other candidates. How many Gep supporters are going to go to Dean compared to other candidates? How many Lieberman supporters is Dean going to attract?

Dean will do well with Clark and DK supporters, I suspect. The rest will go to the other candidates. Dean is basically the beneficiary of the anti-Iraq invasion portion of the Dem party. They are concentrating their votes with Dean, as he is the only viable anti-IWR candidate. Dean is not nearly as attractive to those who don't see IWR as a deciding issue.

IOW, as the race narrows, the votes of those who are not strongly anti-IWR will become more concentrated in one of Dean's opponents. The narrowing of the race is not good for Dean, IMO.

But, as I said, this is not an insurmountable obstacle, but Dean has to stop making IWR and his Dem opponents positions on the invasion the centerpiece of his campaign.

[GumboYaYa]

29. No doubt, that you are correct.

I guess that's why we hold the elections instead of just using polls.

Dean clearly needs to win a lot of primaries and hold a solid group of delgates going into the convention.

To me the big advantage he has right now is money. I think this will be Gep's undoing and it will happen soonerthan most people think.

[molly]

30. BINGO!!!

I know I saw a discussion about super-delegates that have committed, but that doesn't make sense at this point in time. Super-delegates do not committ until they know they have something to gain.

[HFishbine]

32. Don't let the facts get in your way

40%, huh? Really?

Here's a web site you might find helpful: www.google.com

It's great for finding all sorts of things. You know, like facts?

Here's one you might chew on: The "super delegates" account for less than 19% of all delegates. But you were close.

http://www.dailykos.net/archives/003574.html

[sangh0]

34. BFD

You found a mistake in my numbers.

It doesn't change that fact that Dean will have to get at least half of the remaining 80% to get the nom. If any of his competitors are near him in delegates from the primaries, the superdelegates will go for that candidate, giving him more votes than Dean. Then, on the 2nd ballot, the insiders are NOT going to vote for Dean when there's an insider candidate who got more votes on the 1st ballot

[Atman]

7. Who says?

If it upsets you, don't let the media "blow over it."

Write your newspaper. Send an open letter to all major papers. Don't let the corporate whore media tell you what is important to you.

[CWebster]

9. Interesting that the Repugs are using this-

considering how they seal up everything. Stiil, the fact that they demand him to release his papers---even when their own are under lock and key, means they are desperately searching for something they can use against him. If they can't find something then, they will attempt to create something with what they find.

[Renew Deal]

12. If there is something there that they can use against him....

could explain why he is sealing them. What does Howard have to hide?

[CWebster]

20. beats me

but it doesn't really matter--if they are looking for something, they will find something and twist it just as the competing Dems have done. I do think Dean should not let the opportunity pass to highlight Bush and the the Repug's astronomical secrecy.

[paulk]

13. I think he should unseal his papers

and it has nothing to do with Bush.

He's still only a candidate for the nomination, and if there's something in there that could damage him politically, I want to know what it is.

We, as a party, need to put forward the best candidate we can in 2004 - to do that we need all the information we can get. I don't like a candidate- any candidate - hiding information from voters.

[Hep]

14. It's not info that's embarassing to Dean that bothers me

It's info that exposes people in his community, violates their privacy that I'm worried about. Dean's opposition doesn't seem to care about them.

[sangh0]

17. The Open Records Act protects people's privacy

by allowing various people, like Dean and the VT AG, to redact private info.

[DemDogs]

18. Why not open records?

That is what we believe in as Democrats.
Of course, why campaign finance reform? We believe in that, too. So why am I not surprised?

[seaglass]

19. I appreciate your post CMT.

As far as I'm concerned we either have principles or not. We either believe in transparency or not.

I can't stand the arguments that justify keeping records sealed because Bush does, not only is it hypocritical (if one thinks that Bush has taken advantage of FOIA) but it's the tactic rwers use when someone makes a statement about Bush and they justify it by bringing up something about Clinton.

This isn't a game, it speaks to Dean's willingness to being open and honest and is a predictor, in my mind, of his future behavior.

I am not a Dean supporter, but I might have to vote for him and I do not want to vote for someone who supports secrecy to protect his own butt.

[realFedUp]

24. and some would love Dean to tear up his candidacy papers too

:eyes:

[Capn Sunshine]

25. Most of his records ARE open

The chorous to "unseal" the others came about when nothing was discovered in the public domain ones.

Unsealing the papers is going to violate a lot of otherwise innocent citizens privacy , all for political expediency.

But hey, I agree, let Bush unseal HIS, that would be worth the price of admission.

Don't forget that Bush also sealed his FATHERS papers.

[sangh0]

27. Why do Dean's supporters keep repeating the lie

that not releasing the papers protects people's privacy. The law requires the AUTOMATIC redaction of any private info.

[paulk]

28. they also keep tying Dean's papers to Bush

as if Dean already had the nomination.

[sangh0]

35. Many Deanies seem to think

that Dean's victory is "inevitable"

[HFishbine]

31. He will

Look, Dean knows what's right and wrong. He's going to milk this for all it's political value, then he'll do the right thing.

[Oreegone]

33. I say hold the trump card

He should tell Bush you show me yours I'll show ya mine.