Dean on Damage-Control Mission

[Karmadillo]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/20/politics/campaigns/20DEAN.html?ex=1072501200&en=73b3d4a80d5f0e84&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

CLINTON, Iowa, Dec. 19 — Howard Dean and his aides scrambled on Friday to show off their ties to the Clinton administration. They were trying to undo any damage done on Thursday, when Dr. Dean, in a speech on domestic policy, offended party moderates who thought they saw an implicit slap at the Democratic Party's most recent occupant of the White House.

Campaign aides circulated a two-page memorandum that outlined the history of the relationship between Bill Clinton and Dr. Dean, including quotations from each laying garlands of good will upon the other.

Clintonites-turned-Deaniacs called reporters to explain what their new standard-bearer had meant.

The candidate himself, after calling the former president to clear up things, made sure to mention him at a town hall meeting in Burlington, saying, "We're going to take back the country of Harry Truman, the country of Franklin Roosevelt, the country of Bill Clinton."

more...

[ClintonTyree]

1. Much ado about nothing.............

I didn't see Dean's remarks as derogatory to Clinton in any way, shape of form. Again, a case of people looking for something, anything to discredit Dean.
I wouldn't consider myself a "Deaniac", I like him, would support him, have given money to his campaign as well as Clark's and Kucinich's, but the attacks leveled against Dean are mostly unwarranted in my opinion.
This Dem vs.Dem mentality really sticks in my craw and I'm getting mighty fed up with it.

[Scott Lee]

2. Oh, this clearly means the Dean campaign is over.

[Northwind]

3. AGAIN???

:evilgrin:

[madfloridian]

4. Did that darn Dean peak too soon again?

Just kidding.
:evilgrin:

[Myra]

5. That's damn nice though that he made a point of recognizing Clinton

Even if it was much ado about nothing, it's very kewl
of Dean to say that.

[TLM]

6. What impressed me was the response machine...

That is one reason Dean is going to win... he has the machine Gore lacked to jump on things like the attempt to spin his comments as attacks on clinton, and respond with facts, and to also have a large scale response from supporters contacting media outlets.

Within a day that attack was shot down.


If Gore had a response like this for the internet quote, the love canal thing, the love story thing... he'd be in the whitehouse right now.

[babzilla]

7. Dean will not be Gored

Rapid-response is the key.

Just ask Clinton.

[maddezmom]

8. good to see no hard feelings between Dean and Clinton n/t