Top Dean Aide Discusses Plans to Back Kerry

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/16/politics/campaign/16DEAN.html?ex=1077512400&en=c5256a53d53c6fc3&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 15 — The chairman of Howard Dean's presidential campaign said on Sunday that he would leave and shift his support to Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts if Dr. Dean loses the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday, an outcome he sees as all but inevitable.

"If Howard Dean does not win the Wisconsin primary, I will reach out to John Kerry unless he reaches out to me first," said the chairman, Steven Grossman, who was chairman of Mr. Kerry's 1996 Senate race. "I will make it clear that I will do anything and everything I can to help him become the next president, and I will do anything and everything I can to build bridges with the Dean organization."

The comments by Mr. Grossman, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee who has known Mr. Kerry for 34 years, came as Dr. Dean faced growing pressure from aides and outside backers to abandon his quest. But while many leading supporters and staff members expect him to either quit the campaign altogether or radically scale it back by the end of this week, the candidate remained steadfast Sunday that he would soldier on.

"We're not dropping out after Tuesday, period," Dr. Dean said in a television interview with the Fox News affiliate here Sunday.

more

[funky_bug]

1. Holy Cow

Very uncool press release. Talk about under-mining....

[WiseMen]

17. Tried to break it easy to folks. But it is happening on schedule.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=337609&mesg_id=337609

[ibegurpard]

30. You seriously underestimate the motivational power of spite.

fear can short-circuit...inspiration can be dashed...spite, however, feeds off and grows from every attempt to smash it. You just convinced me to go donate some more money to the Dean campaign.

[WiseMen]

36. I Like Dean. And he needs support more than ever. Good luck with Wiscon

[ibegurpard]

61. You misunderstand me

This has little to do with Howard Dean... if he goes I and many others like me will find another venue to continue to voice our anger at a party that continues to betray us and then expects us to fall in line and support them. That's already happening.

[madfloridian]

2. Yes, it is undermining.

Grossman should NOT have done it that way. Looks like old ties still bind. Decency would demand he not do it that way. I talked to HQ today, and I suspect Dean was not a happy camper with his earlier statements.

This is a shame.

[janx]

9. This was the Mole.

n/t

[SadEagle]

14. I'd love to know what kind of advice he gave to Dean.

The post-NH strategy has been quite questionable. WA would have been a much better state to focus on than WI, methinks, since Dean got 30% of state delegates there w/o even campaigning! And I'd love to know who sent the WI fundraising letter, and who phrased it this way

[janx]

19. What do you mean about the WI funding letter and phrasing?

You lost me.

I remember this guy's name. He seems to make the rounds in campaigning.

[SadEagle]

21. Well, many dkos posters were saying...

... that Dean did not approve the text of that WI letter that many interpreted as saying he would quite if he did not win in Wisconsin. I have not seen any source for this, so this may not be true. If it is, however, I'd love to know who decided to phrase is this way.
:tinfoilhat:

[janx]

44. Oh, that's right. Yep. That would make sense. n/t

[George_Bonanza]

3. What's the tactic behind this?

I mean, I think it's pretty clear that Dean will lose, if not get trounced, in Wisconsin, but why does his chairman openly undermine his boss' campaign right before the big vote? At least show solidarity till the absolute end. Even though I'd be ecstatis by a Dean endorsement of Kerry, this puts a damper on it.

PS I'm sure Evil Mr. Kerry infiltrated Dean's HQ, bought off Mr. Grossman with his ketchup money to destroy Dr. Dean.

[John_H]

15. You need to think a little harder

Why is everything unfavorable to Dean a grand conspiracy involving nefarious payoffs? Jeez.

Grossman, like everybody else in the party except for Howard Dean, understands that Dean can't win. He's fulfilled his obligation to Dean, helped him go from nobody to front runner, counseled him to give it up. Dean says no. That's not Grossman's fault Dean's a megalomaniac.

Grossman has every right to abandon captain Dean's misguided, sinking ship. He's done everything he can to save it and its imploding captain.

[SadEagle]

20. He has no right to make statements like this while campaign chair

He is undermining the campaign. If he thinks Dean can't win, he should resign his position.

[lurk_no_more]

31. he should resign his position

I think he just said he was going to :shrug:



And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[SadEagle]

4. Am I the only one who thinks that a proper response to this..

... is to make the guy stop being the chairman of Dean's campaign?

[Tinoire]

10. Fire him immediately and replace him with someone who's not in the

pocket of the establishment!

:puke: on Grossman

[Peeance Freeance]

5. Good for him. A unified force = Bush defeat

If Democrats are unified, they will win in a landslide.

[Peeance Freeance]

6. How is it different from Dean saying he'll support the nominee?

Come on, we're grown-ups. One of the appeals of Dean is he didn't treat people like morons who get all confused when someone makes a perfectly reasonable comment like Grossman's.

[janx]

47. Oh, I don't think he'll be confused at all.

Nope!

[Deanisourman]

7. Press Release is total BS

Dean is not going to give up anytime soon. And there is no way in hell he is going to endorse a guy who voted FOR the war and FOR the Patriot Act, and is now pretending like he never did.

I've heard from a campaign source that Dean is going to go negative on Kerry this week over the sex allegations.

We can't afford another Clinton type scandal that the R's can use to bash us over the head with while avoiding all the important issues.

[spooky3]

11. welcome to DU, Deanisourman!

[The Magistrate]

13. Gov. Dean, Sir, Will Endorse Sen. Kerry Before The Convention

He would probably like to preserve some portion of his political career in future, and doing so will be necessary for that.

The various "ultras" and splinterists who have read into him like a Rohrshach their own deepest desires will meet the disappointment those who quarrel with reality always do....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[Clark4Prez]

24. As always, good sir, you are the voice of reason

As I have come to expect from you, again, you fail to disappoint.

Good take, I think you are dead-on.

Thanks.

[lurk_no_more]

35. Bingo

Unless dean plans to just fade away after dropping out, he has to align himself with the front runner, anything else would be further deanile.



And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[janx]

48. Not necessarily.

;-)

[madfloridian]

28. Grossman is going over to Kerry. Not Dean.

Grossman should have kept his mouth shut.

[madfloridian]

29. Oh, and welcome to DU.

Dean may not have to go negative. Drudge is working overtime. I hate this, but it needs to be handled now, not later. None of our candidates deserve Drudge, ever.

[Paulie]

8. WOW

Doesn't this person have any class? WTF!!!

[Tinoire]

12. NONE. None of the Clinton people do!

This is the same thing they did to Clark. Same fait-accompli after "aides" announced the end of the campaign. Did anyone not find it very strange that Clark didn't announce he was withdrawing himself? Or at the very least at the same time, or even same day that his "aides" were announcing the news to the media?


Dr. Dean, dump the bastards and do it your way!

[Paulie]

16. This is how the MACHINE works

Here in Chicagoland, we know this kind of thing.

I'm so glad Dennis doesn't have party people running with him. They can't take him apart from within!!!

Dean, I'm starting to feel for ya, even though you really pissed me off dis'n Dennis. eek, that's just so BAD what they are doing!!!

[Tinoire]

42. Oh Paulie... About Kucinich

Be sitting down when you read this ok? It upset me the first time but tonight, as I was posting it for you, it upset me even more. I highlighted why in red. I just shut the TV off rather angrily. Kerry is droning on. I don't want to hear it.

BEYOND BUSH II by Mike Ruppert

Is Dan Sheehan Sabotaging the Kucinich Campaign?

<snip>
A critical look at the Democratic contenders -- especially latecomer Wesley Clark -- reveals past behavior suggesting wolves in sheep's clothing or -- in the case of Dennis Kucinich -- campaign styles that promise little more than feel-good futility as insiders wonder if his campaign is being derailed from within.

<snip>

Sheehan

There is a man occupying a pivotal position in Dennis Kucinich's campaign that I am extremely leery of. And, so it seems, are some other Kucinich supporters.

In more intimate circles, my distrust of attorney Daniel Sheehan is well known. I have not made much of an issue of it, because Sheehan can get blown out of proportion. There are "attack poodles" who defend him at every turn. Sheehan is the man who literally destroyed two of the best and biggest lawsuits connected to CIA drug dealing in history: the Christic Institute lawsuit in the 1980s and a civil suit arising from the murder of Marine Col. James Sabow at El Toro Marine Air Station after Sabow had discovered CIA-connected C-130s flying tons of cocaine onto his base in 1990 and 1991. As it turns out, the cases ultimately connected with each other, and what happened in both cases is remarkably consistent. As lead attorney, Sheehan raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims and activists (Christic) and from the Sabow family, only to drag litigation out over a period of years and, through egregious legal conduct, destroy suits that could have changed the course of history. The Christic suit was "dismissed with prejudice" meaning that it could never be filed again by another attorney.

Rather than describe these cases and Sheehan's conduct in detail, I will rely on the excellent work of investigative reporter Nick Schou of The Orange County Weekly who has reported on Sheehan for years. An excellent history of Sheehan's record is contained in a February 2000 story by Schou located at http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/00/24/news-schou.php.

Schou wrote:

Sheehan had failed to report that the Christic Institute had been fined more than $1 million by a federal judge in Miami. According to the government's motion, the judge fined Sheehan after he submitted "an affidavit with unknown, nonexistent, deceased sources," using a "deceptive style used to mask its shortcomings…" Sheehan appealed King's ruling, lost, and was ordered to pay the legal fees for the defendants: $1,034,381.35…

… Honey , now the peace and security program director for the Institute for Policy Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, told the Weekly that Sheehan single-handedly ruined the La Penca case.

"Sheehan's a lousy, lousy lawyer," she said. "None of the good legal work was done by him." Honey stated that she has unsuccessfully tried to get Sheehan disbarred as an attorney and has even sued him to recover investigative material and other records from the unsuccessful lawsuit. "After we found out about the Sandinista connection, we realized we had wasted millions of dollars and a decade with Sheehan," Honey concluded.

The great irony, still recited as a pro-Sheehan catechism today by many of his supporters, is that the allegations made by Sheehan in the case were subsequently corroborated, almost in their entirety, in hearings chaired by none other than John Kerry. What the Sheehan supporters fail to realize is that it was Sheehan's legal conduct, not the facts, that got the Christic case dismissed.

What makes the case of Col. James Sabow so tragic is that not only was he obviously murdered (all sides agreed that he had aspirated blood in his lungs and a skull fracture from a source other than a self-inflicted shotgun wound), but a man with an impeccable record and real honor was betrayed by those who claimed to be friends. When Sabow tried to expose the drug smuggling, connected to Iran-Contra operations, the Marine Corps charged him with using military aircraft to transport golf clubs, speakers and wall decorations for his son, who was attending college in the Pacific Northwest. And for that, the Marines claim a devout Catholic committed suicide. Then Dan Sheehan showed up and took the case for the family.

The rest: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/102003_beyond_bush_2.html

Mid-July 2003

© Copyright 2003, From The Wilderness Publications, www.copvcia.com. All Rights Reserved. May be reprinted, distributed or posted on an Internet web site for non-profit purposes only.

[Paulie]

56. I read and looked

I'm glad Ruppert says Dennis isn't part of the "Trilateral Commission". Phew!

I looked up Sheehan on Dennis' page, and only two hits, one Al Sheehan and one Dan Sheehan. The latter I came up with: Danny Sheehan and Sara Nelson at the New Paradigm Institute in Santa Cruz. That comes from a press release about democration.org .

I found nothing that shows where this person is in Dennis' org. I searched both kucinich.us AND denniskucinich.us and I found squat.

So, I'm not getting the connection... sorry. :(

[madfloridian]

32. You know, I think you are right! Just realized that.

And all the time, Bob Kuntz is in WI running his little Hilary Now write in campaign and getting his mug all over Hannity for it.

[Tinoire]

46. Please don't mention Hillary. I've been biting my tongue about her

involvement or any involvement on her behalf.

Needless to say, if Hillary sweeps in to "save" our Democratic souls, I'd rather go straight to hell after what we've just been through. Hillary can KMA.

[madfloridian]

50. Sorry, but I can not resist showing you the site. Forgive me, T.

http://www.hillarynow.com
Not exactly a gem of a website. LOL

[Tinoire]

52. BWAHAHAHA! Hillary because Kerry is Skull & Bones?

Both George W. Bush and John Kerry are members of the Secret Society from Yale called "Skull and Bones"

<huge snip>

Why Hillary?

Because she is the ONLY DEMOCRAT capable of defeating George W. Bush.

We cannot go on with another 4 years of Bush as a nation and planet without more disasters befalling us.

Hillary is a lightening rod and in one swift moment polarizes everyone.

While she says: "Absolutely not", our efforts to push a national and international grassroots effort will set into motion this draft and the focus for next July. It isn't top/down and business as usual. We believe she is our ONLY hope at this point.

We are confident that if the grassroots creates this effort that Hillary will accept this draft.

It's our ONLY hope to defeating Bush which must be our focus and goal.

Our country is in great danger. We must act. This is an emergency.


Oh the DLC and their clumsy, clumsy imitations. You can tell they have no idea how to imitate real people. That's some transparent "grass-roots" effort!

Here's another one: http://www.votehillary.org/

"Hello, I am a 15 year old kid who is hoping the world isnt destroyed by the time I am an adult and I think you would do a great job preserving the nation for the future. You are wanted emensly and I hope you run for presedent and become the first female ever. thanks for reading"

:puke:

[madfloridian]

53. LOL I thought you would appreciate that site.

And all that is there. Just think, though, he could be getting votes there in WI for her....and his mug was all over Fox.

[madfloridian]

57. And you ought to see the site with the one l in hilary.

I typed it in accidentally. I won't type it here. :evilgrin:

[lurk_no_more]

18. I sure hope his timing was better while working for dean

than it is at giving notice to quit. Maybe he didn't want to be the next Joe Trippi. :shrug:



And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[LostInTheMaise]

22. A picture tells a thousand words

[SadEagle]

25. Can you please translate those to English?

For those that don't understand picture-speak ;-). Thanks

[ibegurpard]

27. I got it just fine.

eom

[janx]

49. Same here.

[SadEagle]

55. Ahh.. Saw a key in an another thread.

Didn't realize the woman was Tereza Heinz-Kerry.

[La_Serpiente]

23. Ummm...not him

Please, I don't want to see any AIPAC.

[loudnclear]

26. Dean shouldn't get out yet. There is more to come on Kerry...

Dean should only get out after Kerry has weathered the storms coming his way.

[madfloridian]

33. And a WI station is scrollling that Dean is dropping out.

Saw it on the blog, and I hope someone addresses this.

[union_maid]

34. You know..people got no couth these days

What he shoulda, coulda, but didn't say is that if Dean drops out or loses he'll do everything in his power, etc, etc. But apparently the first job Mr. Grossman is axious to create is a new one for himself, before the old one disappears. If I were Kerry I would be very hesitant to bring him onboard. Also, people who say "reach out" in that context should be made to stand in the buzzword corner.

[burning bush]

37. Don't let the door hit ya!

People just don't get it.

This isn't the superbowl, it's not about being on the winning team.

Its about hope, and disenfranchised voters.

Its about fighting against all of the odds to do what is right, not about following the heard and doing just what the expect.

Its about having honor, and about a little think called loyalty.

Grossman can go to Kerry, its what he deserves.

I'll stick with Dean, win or lose in Wisconsin, I've already won.

Win or lose againt Kerry, I've already won.

Steal my vote, but you can't steal my hope, you can't steal my passion, and you can not steal my loyalty.

And BTW - John Kerry?

You don't have what Dean has. You never will.

Electability is a construct, it's in the minds of the voters. You can create the aura of electability, or help destroy the aura around Dean, but you can't steal what Dean owns, you can only mimic what you see. Dean's honesty is non transferable.

If you do get the nomination, you can't buy me, or scare me into line with images of more Bush. I vote for you, I vote for four more years of the DLC bending over for Bush's programs, whether its you or Bush in the Whitehouse.

I want Real change, not your faux Democracy. I want Howard Dean, and I'm non transferable.

[Rowdyboy]

38. Grossman should be handed his

walking papers tonight. Unceremoniously dumped, all connection to the campaign cut off, access codes changed, locks changed, desk cleaned out.

[DFLforever]

59. I think Grossman's been axed.

Can no longer be e-mailed at DFA.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[corporatewhore]

40. wow a former AIPAC guy goin to kerry why doesnt this suprise me

[Tinoire]

51. Well... as usual... CW

You took the words I didn't want to say right out of my mouth. And now I'll type out what I erased from an earlier post. This is the same Grossman who sent Dean (a man who knew NOTHING about I/P) off on an AIPAC-paid junket to Israel and cloistered him with Sharon for 3 days. When Dean came back, he was spouting all sorts of nonesense about the necessity of the wall and quadrupling military aid to Israel. Dean supporters, aghast, started a successful petition expressing their outrage and concern. Dean changed his stance and started talking about being even-handed. Poor Dean even made a backroom deal according to Forward to ensure that Jerusalem would go to Israel but that wasn't enough and the DLC started crucifying him as of that point on. That's when you had Pelosi and co firing off angry letters to him. Dean stuck to his guns because he was representing his supporters and lo & behold... the orchestrated sinking of Howard Dean began in earnest. That was a big nail in his coffin. Imagine that. Wanting peace becomes a nail in your coffin.

I sourced it all in this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=53255

[MurikanDemocrat]

41. As a Kerry supporter, I completely oppose Grossman's timing on this

Regardless of how anyone feels about Howard Dean, this guy, Mr. Grossman, as the chairman of Howard Dean's presidential campaign, had NO BUSINESS making this announcement BEFORE the Wisconsin Primary.

Dean supporters have every right to be angry and hurt about this.

[union_maid]

45. He had no right to discuss it at all

or at least not before Dean either drops out or loses the nomination. He has every right to look for another job, but to discuss it publicly like that is disloyal and I'd think that loyalty would be a quality you'd need in a campaign operative. I hope no one hires him..but someone probably will.

[eileen_d]

43. Grossman should really have his ass whupped for this

And if I were Kerry, I wouldn't hire this moron for my campaign after making a low-class move like this.

[madfloridian]

54. You are right.

Dean should fire him (if he hasn't already),and Kerry should leave him hanging.

[DFLforever]

60. Who knows, he may have been on two payrolls this last month.

[Shanty Oilish]

58. Not helpful

I'd be appalled if Dean folded, and got behind Kerry. (Whom I've supported.)
Fate turns on a dime. We don't know what will crawl out of the woodwork to sting John Kerry, or any other candidate. And Cheney could keel over, Bush could tap Powell, or some act of terror could change the whole dynamic.
The nomination is five months away.
Grossman is merely undercutting Howard Dean and closing off our options. Building bridges? Please. :eyes:

[maddezmom]

62. pathetic

Hope he got kicked to the curb by Dean. When all this hit the fan yesterday, I thought to myself...these aides are looking for a job. Guess I was right. :puke: