Dr. Dean on the Record

[True_Blue]

Dr. Dean on the Record
Says the former Vermont governer and Dem '04 hopeful: George Bush "is a President who doesn't have a clue"

On July 28, Vermont governor and contender for the Democratic Presidential nomination Howard Dean took time out from a campaign stop in Pittsburgh to talk by phone with BusinessWeek's William C. Symonds. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow. Note, this is an extended, online-only version of Dean's comments that appear in the August 11, 2003 issue of BusinessWeek.

Q: George Bush argues that the U.S. is primed for a strong economic recovery. How do you see it?
A: I think that is complete nonsense. My favorite economist on Wall Street is Stephen Roach. He believes that the combination of these enormous deficits, incredibly low and potentially negative savings rates, and the enormous trade imbalance that we have is likely to result in significant economic calamity. So while there may be some short-term improvement, I think this President has put the entire economic future of America in enormous jeopardy with his supply-side nonsense.

Q: What would you do to get the economy moving again?
A: First, we need to do what Clinton did in 1993: We need to make a genuine effort to start to balance the budget to restore investor confidence. The second thing I would do is to support the small-business community. They create more jobs than large businesses do, and they don't move their jobs offshore. And if American taxpayers are going to invest in businesses with tax breaks, we ought to invest in businesses that stay here.

more...
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_32/b3845085.htm

[bemildred]

1. Nader with charisma.

I may have to give him some money.
:thumbsup:

[0007]

2. Dean has my vote

and with Wesley Clark in the wings to clean up the mess. America will be on it's feet again.

[LosinIt]

3. We already did while we were both unemployed.

I just started working again, so when the paychecks start rolling in we will have to send some more. I love the way Dr. Dean doesn't bow down to the awesome power of the Bush Regime.

[sonias]

4. Here is a piece of sanity on health care

(from the business week interview)
Q: You've said you expect corporations to provide health insurance to their workers. What do you do to corporations that don't provide coverage?
A: They would lose certain tax exemptions, particularly around pension benefits and the deductibility of executive compensation. In my view, taxpayer subsidies are a benefit, and they are given to corporations who contribute to the social good. If corporations aren't interested in contributing to the social good, then why should they get the same tax advantages as their competitors?
--------------------------

I would like to see Dean also go on record supporting full coverage with mental health and prescription drugs. We need the whole package. The bu$h' administration is failing to get things accomplished for the social good. Their whole tax policy is simply to benefit corporations and the rich without them having to contribute to the social good at all.

Go Dean Go!

Sonia