Howard Dean was just on Face the Nation with host Bob Schieffer (sp) and John Hall (political editor of WaPO)
Following are some of the key points he made:
On Iraq: “We need a plan to leave.”
If this new constituttion takes away women’s rights then what are we doing there?
‘What’s a reasonable way to get out? Why isn’t there a plan? The President is responsible for a plan, he has the intelligence, he should have a plan. Where is it?’
On Cindy Sheehan, he was asked, ‘Should Bush meet with her’? Answer: “Sure he should.”
Then he went on to say troops still dont have the equipment needed and this Administration doesn’t know what they are doing. They have no direction.
Other items: Republicans are invading the private lives of Americans.
Iran: ‘Bush lacks credibility to make statements due to his past statements on Iraq and he doesn’t have the resources to follow thru on threats against Iran.’
On what the Dem message should be: “We can do better” Under Clinton, balanced budget. Under Truman, a goal for national health care. Dem message should be consistent from Alabama to California: Budget, health care, education.
Asked about Intelligent Design: “President has been attacking science since he came into office.” ID is a religious perception and even Einstein was interested in it but science is science, facts are facts. The fact is the President doesn’t care what the facts are whether it’s Iraq, deficits, or education.
Dean’s advice to Dems: ‘Always atand up and say what you believe. Dems need to be right and strong.’
On how he is perceived in DC: Quoted Truman, ‘I just tell the truth and they think it is hell.’
Dean stated that Republicans scapegoat a group every election cycle. In 2002 it was African Americans and ‘quotas’, in 2004 it was gays and marriage in in 2006 it will be immigrants. ‘Bigotry is not welcome in a debate.’
What was Not Said and my observation:
Dean continues to confound the ‘pundits’. Reporters just aren’t used to someone who answers questions directly and doesn’t waste time or beat around the issues. He stayed on message and didn’t pull punches. However, while he did not propose a plan to withdraw from Iraq, he did say it needs to happen. He did not stay on Cindy at all and (IMO) missed an opportunity.
If you saw it, what did you think?
I forgot to tape this. Does anyone know if it will be made available online?
I’ll look around and post it here if I find one. I got a phone call in the middle of it — Mr. raincat handed me the phone…I thought he knew I don’t take call during Howard 😉
I hate when that happens.
NYCO send SusanHu an e-mail, ask her for my e-mail address, send me a note, and I send you the entire show, tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest.
do you want Quicktime or WMV?
AL
ps, Crooksandliars.com has a 2 minute cut up, right now.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/08/14.html#a4456
CBS just put up another clip (in the middle column), and they podcast – right-hand column
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/ftn/main3460.shtml
I didn’t see the show but after reading your summary I feel like I did.
Thank you. It still misses the nuances and tone but I tried to get most of it.
He did just fine.
He did not stay on Cindy at all and (IMO) missed an opportunity.
I disagree. His answer and tone conveyed the message that this should be a no-brainer.
I can, kinda sorta agree and it’s not a big deal but it was an opportunity to highlight it and get a zinger or two in. “It’s a remarkable story in Crawford and beyond me why the President couldn’t take 10 minutes to hear their concerns.”
And Maxine Waters is the first Congressional Rep to visit the camp today..hopefully more to follow.
Transcript available on their website [.pdf]:
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_81405.pdf
Dean said the president asked Cindy to give up her son..but for what?
he said what are these people doing, ignoring military experts
He was very sympathetic to Cindy and her needing to know why her son died.
It was the old Howard Dean but also the new improved Howard Dean. Great performance.
It was a good statement.
Mr. HARRIS: And what about this woman, this mother, down in Texas, Cindy Sheehan? Should the president meet with her?
Dr. DEAN: Sure, he should. I mean, he’s–he asked her to give up her son. She did give up her son. There’s been many American women and men who’ve lost their lives and we’re trying to understand for what. Today–today, also in your paper, there was an article that said that this–the troops still don’t have the proper equipment. What are these people doing that are running the armed forces? I’ll tell you what they’re doing. People like the president, and people like Secretary Rumsfeld, are ignoring the career experts like General Shinseki who told them before we went in that we needed adequate equipment and adequate troops. They thrust
that aside. These people do not know what they’re doing that are running this country. They
have no conception of what it’s like to fight a war because none of them ever have. And that’s
the great–that would have been the great positive that John Kerry would have brought to the
presidency.”
Considering how hard they were hitting with questions, it was a great and thoughtful response.
I thought he was really good for the most part. But he kept saying we need a plan to get out of Iraq and when asked, well what plan do the Democrats have? he answered that it was the president’s job to have a plan — because senators didn’t have access to the same intelligence, they couldn’t be expected to have a plan. I thought it was weak even if true. The recurring theme of the questions asked was What do the Dems stand for? His answer to the Iraq question fed into the stereotype that Dems just oppose and don’t have ideas.
If the full video is not available, at least read the transcript. That is just not the gist of it at all.
This was a powerful interview that set some of our other Democrats to shame. He handled it well.
It IS the job of this administration to make plans, and they are refusing to do it. He called them on it.
I haven’t read the transcript, but I watched the entire program very carefully, and that was my impression.