Dean attacks `corrupt' ads linked to backers of Kerry - Chicago Tribune

[question everything]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0402120343feb12,1,2843262.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

(snip)

Making a brief appearance in Milwaukee before departing to Vermont, Dean skewered Kerry for television ads aired late last year and earlier this year in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina by a group called Americans for Jobs, Healthcare & Progressive Values. The group was backed by organizations and individuals with ties to Kerry and former contender Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.).

"I have not heard of a case where other candidates have their supporters contribute to a secret political action group to run ads . . . with pictures of Osama bin Laden and so forth, unattributed ads, attacking another candidate. I have not heard of that happening before," Dean said. "I'm sorry to see Sen. Kerry introduce those techniques to the Democratic Party."

Group's chief scoffs

David Jones, executive director of the group, said, "Howard Dean's words are the last gasp of a desperate, dying campaign." Jones said there was no coordination between his group and the Kerry or Gephardt campaigns in airing the ads.

(snip)

Edwards again emphasized his positive campaign, going out of his way not to mention by name or even by suggestion any Democratic rivals. The closest he came to addressing Kerry and his increasingly solid front-runner status was to begin virtually every speech throughout Wisconsin by imploring voters to demand "an election, not a coronation."

(snip)

"I think what it means is that Gov. Dean has been in the race a long time," Edwards said. "He knows what the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates are. He wants to beat Bush. He knows that to anyone who looks at the empirical evidence of this primary it's obvious that I'm attracting a group of voters--independents and people that we'll have to attract to win in the fall--which make me the stronger candidate in this race."

(snip)

[On the Road]

1. Sigh. I Think This is the Wrong Direction for the Doctor

He needs to inspire. He needs to publicize a domestic agenda. He can do a great job of that.

Any attack sticks to the target, at least a little, but also reflects badly on the attacker. If Dean can't get someone else to do it, he should lay off a little. This isn't going to win him any primaries.

I'm surprised that Roy Neel is going along with it. Joe Trippi managed Jerry Brown, who became angrier as the primaries went along, even after winning Connecticut. So I thought it might be a Trippi thing. But apparently not.

Maybe some of this is the reporting. Maybe Dean is giving 90% of the same stump speech and using the other 10% to attack Kerry. But he has to pay attention on how it's being reported and avoid that characterization.

[progressivebydesign]

9. Dean has a right and a duty to dennounce this crap.

I'm a Dean supporter, too. I frankly think I'd be completely disappointed if Howard Dean chose to let this filthy chapter in politics slide.. to help his campaign. Howard Dean did not get the support he got by playing the game by the DNC rules. He got it by speaking out when something was terribly, terribly wrong. He is not making wild accusations, the proof is there on the IRS disclosure.

Dean is not fighting only for the nomination, he's fighting for the soul of the Democratic Party, which has become more and more a corporate mirror of the GOP. Other candidates have stooped into Rove territory for the first time to attack a fellow Democrat. If Dean did anything less than he is doing now about it, I'd find another candidate. Sometimes things are so wrong that they cannot be ignored. I quit a very good job in a nice company, because I realized they were directly involved in some extremely cruel medical research to promote a cosmetic surgical procedure. I suffered financially because of it.. I could have stayed there because the job was good.. or instead do the right thing. Evil should never be tolerated for personal gain. Never.

[Eloriel]

18. Absolutely a duty to expose it.

And I'm glad he's doing it. IF it hurts him, it won't hurt him any more than the ads and other Kerry dirty tricks did. IOW: he's got nothing to lose.

[mac2]

2. What's hurting Dean?

Besides the "scream" by Dean, people are upset about his 40,000 pages of records being sealed for ten years. We know so little about his record.

Clinton's were released right away by Bush but he did not complain. People..especially Democrats are sick of "secrecy" since Bush came to power.

It's not Kerry that has attacked him...but Dean himself has ruined it for himself. At least that's my view of it.

[bluestateguy]

3. Dean is going to lose 49 states

49 Democratic primaries, that is.

[Sterling]

12. Yes Dean will lose

But I can't say I am proud to be a democrat these days. Can you? Do you like this kind of stuff?

[seventhson]

4. Dean is right and needs to say so

this ads business is reprehensible

[Sterling]

14. Why don't more DUers care about truth?

Or right and wrong? Since when did we adopt the end justifies the means atttitude on DU? Oh I remember, when the primary crowd showed up.

Welcome to DU, check your soul at the door plz. :eyes:

[Eloriel]

19. What has been disconcerting is how many regular DUers

in addition to "the primary crowd" are perfectly okay with whatever works. I remember what I found an absolutely shocking, rabble-rousing defense of dirty politics from one of DU's more "prominent" members. To say I have been disgusted by all this is putting it mildly.

[Sterling]

24. Funny that now that Kerry may have been outed

as a cheating spouse that whole "he can win even though he sucks" line of thinking out the door. Hopefully primary voters will jump off the media encited Kerry bandwagon.

[Just Me]

5. It would be very disappointing if Dean's assertions proved true *eom*

[54anickel]

6. Haven't they in the past?

I am trying to think of a Dean assertion that has been proven false thus far. Do you know of any? And no, I am not trying to be cute or smart-assed, as I am still a bit undecided.

[worldgonekrazy]

10. I can't think of a single one

Just about everything that comes out of the man's mouth is the God-honest truth. That is why I like him so much, but it is also why he can never win. I see that now. I wish it wasn't so, but it is.

[mac2]

16. Truth?

Dean can't win because he always tells the truth? You have got to be kidding.

I heard him say, on The National Press Club on CSPAN, back when he and Edwards (who also had the same views of backing Bush war policy all the way) appeared to say they were considered running for President. He supported the war in Iraq. He would say it differently not alienating our friends. He disapproved of Arafat and would send troops to the ME. He liked the WTO..it was good for Vermont. He even told union folks this in Iowa.

I remember Dean and Edwards saying this because I was disappointed in their policies.

How many times do we have to say that Dean changed his story? Edwards back peddled about the war too.

[Sterling]

21. That is why you as a progressive don't like Dean

Your points while not entirely based in fact are some of the same reservations I had about Dean. I do however acknowledge that Dean did get in trouble for the most part for taking what I consider correct and progressive positions on things like Osama should have a trial and America will not always be the most powerful military force in the world.

Compaired to Kerry he is far more progressive and more imporatantly less of a Bush family enabler.

[progressivebydesign]

7. They are true..

That's why the newspaper is reporting this. That's why Dean is coming out and saying it. All of the info is there in full glory on the IRS disclosure. Dean isn't grasping at straws.. he's speaking out, once again, against dirty politics. Edwards may try to be very kind and gentle and evasive about this.. but he should realize, that if he becomes the front runner, he will suffer the same fate as Dean. They won't hesitate to run the same ad against him. It's interchangable filth.. fits any candidate, because it's lies and innuendoes.

[worldgonekrazy]

8. This is disgusting

You know, I've come to except that Dr. Dean, no matter how much I like him, could not win in the general election. It doesn't matter why (the media hates him, the establishment hates him, etc.), it just matters that he would. Its not the way things ought to be but it is the way things are and there is no use shooting yourself in the foot to prove a point.

Having said that, this news really pisses me off. Yeah, politics is a dirty business, but linking Dean to fucking Osama bin Laden?! That is the kind of shit that I think even the Repukes would hesitate to propagate.

And they didn't even have the balls to attache their name to the message. I can see why they didn't, as it would have killed them, but it is VERY cowardly.

Shame on you Kerry. SHAME! I will still back him because it seems that, for better or worse, he will be the nominee, and we do need to present a united front this time. I just wish that Kerry had a wee bit more integrity.

[MoonAndSun]

13. The repukes did use an Osama ad that linked him to Max Cleland

in the 2002 election, so the fact that any Dem would use this against another Dem makes me wanna :puke:

[Eloriel]

20. And remember, that's only PART of the dirty tricks that went on

in IA and NH against Dean, at the hands of people like Kerry, Gephardt, their surrogates and "friends" (like Toricelli) and who knows who else?

[Sterling]

22. The more i find out about Kerry and his campaign tactics

the less I am proud to be a Democrat.

[Sterling]

11. It's over (but the shouting)

I am glad Dean is shouting. We have been played big time. We now have a Skull and Bones election and over time more dirty tricks including voter fraud will be exposed. All Dean can do now is make as much noise as possible so people will know what we are getting stuck with.

[otohara]

15. I'm Glad Dean is Outing These So Called Democrats

this David Jones person sounds like the democrats Karl Rove. I can't wait to see what job he'll get as his reward in a Kerry administration?

[0rganism]

17. Interesting... If Dean and Kerry manage to mutually destroy one-another...

...we'd be down to Edwards, Kucinich, and Sharpton in the final rounds.

[Sterling]

23. But maybe as it looks like it might be true

That Kerry cheats on his wife the whole dynamic is shifting.

[Sterling]

25. Kick because

It seems like the other thread which focuses on Dean calling Kerry out for this stuff is getting all the play while this thread which explains why he is pissed is dropping.

Kick for the facts :kick: