DEAN SAYS IRAQIS LIVED BETTER UNDER SADDAM (NY Post)

[stickdog]

Dean tells the truth about Bush's ridiculous mismanagement of Iraq's "reconstruction" despite 200 billion US taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, Kerry, Edwards and the AEI rush in to defend Bush with lies. And ABC is freaking that the interview they tried to finish off Dean with is actually being used to help him.

http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/16607.htm

Democrat Howard Dean has touched off a new flap heading into tomorrow's New Hampshire primary by claiming that the living standard for Iraqis is "a whole lot worse" since a U.S.-led force toppled Saddam.

...

"You can say that it's great that Saddam is gone and I'm sure that a lot of Iraqis feel it is great that Saddam is gone," Dean said yesterday in answer to a question in Manchester. "But a lot of them gave their lives. And their living standard is a whole lot worse now than it was before."

...

Rival Sen. John Kerry - who leads Dean in New Hampshire polls - countered: "There's no doubt Iraqis are living better lives with Saddam Hussein behind bars."

...

A spokesman for candidate Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), who also voted for the war, said: "I don't think anyone can argue that living under a brutal regime is better than not living under a brutal regime."

[cthrumatrix]

1. smear again....it was a 1 hr speech on womens rights -- media"hit"

i saw his speech..the press chooses negative only...dean gave a brilliant one hour speech on womens rights and they choose this sentence.

how typical

[kstewart33]

2. Have to disagree

That statement will win him no new votes. Just more bad publicity.

[stickdog]

3. Do you disagree that it's the truth?

Or did we go beyond that measurement when we started the primaries?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Ask the women of Iraq

who live under fear of being kidnapped and raped. They'll agree with Bush, as will their families. Come on, it's been eight months since the war was over! How come electricity hasn't been restored? How come there is no internal security? Could it be that the neocons had no clue how to do this, or that they didn't care?

Even the bozos who believe Bush's tripe that going in unilaterally was ok because Saddam was "evil" have to concede that it is our responsibility to leave Iraq in the same, if not better shape than when we invaded. Unless they think Muslims are subhuman and we can do whatever we want because we are the bullies of the planet.

[cthrumatrix]

5. you missed the point....Dean shared one sentence in a 1hour long speech

on womens issues...it was outstanding...

the media ignores the facts...the solutions he brought up...they chose this sentence to smear.

I watched the speech...and he wasn't trying to win votes based on iraq...his speech wasn't even on iraq.

Our media .... such a treat to see them spin for their masters

[vi5]

6. Even if I agree with Dean... why would a man in his position....

A presidential candidate knowing full well the media is scrutinizing his every word, and who has been beaten up in the press for saying similar things in the past, feel he had to make that statement? Especially at this point in the middle of a heated primary?!?!

Sometimes it's easy to defend (the whole "Yeaaaaaahhhh" speech was ridiculously overblown).

But stuff like this, he should seriously know better at this point. It basically tells people that he doesn't care who he pisses off. Which may be fine once he's president but if he's trying to win people over (which we will need to) then I don't necessarily see the need to keep driving this home. It reinforces for people who have the mistaken impression that all he does or can do is criticize the war.

I guarantee the women/pro-life/taliban comment won't draw as much press or fire because it's a separate issue to what the media want played up which is is reflecively anti-war position (as they see it).

[stickdog]

8. Because Dean speaks the truth that Americans need to hear.

Meanwhile, Kerry and Edwards regurgitate the lies that Bush needs to win.

[Jacobin]

11. I wonder what a poll of Iraqis would reflect....I have a feeling they

would agree with Dean.

[lostnfound]

17. They WOULD agree with Dean, IMO. The reports coming back are atrocious.

Basic standards -- clean water availability for example -- are far worse now. Women are afraid of rape on the streets, and there's pressure to move towards stricter Islamic behavior.

Dean may not be a classic Washington politician that judges soundbyte damage before every word, but he is 100% truth-telling in this case.

[MarkTwain]

7. Read the headline, please.....

...."Dean Says Iraqis Lived Better Under Saddam."

Because that is ALL the majority of the American public is going to read. You can count on it. And guess what? In every poll, irrespective of Chimpy's recent decline individually, THEY do support this war.

Long, laborious, intensive vetting of the actual content and every nuance of his remarks will NOT be given any thought, whatsoever, in this country, in this political climate, and most especially in the political machinations of one Carl Rove and the Cabal.

Dean has, yet again (for what, the hundredth time?), said (or screamed) something that is so plainly and abjectly politically stupid as to be beyond comprehension. Absolutely Dumb and Naive.

And THIS is the man who is going to lead the assault against the most politically corrupt and evil group to hold the White House in the history of this country? With a press that is squarely in their corner, as well.

This man has no right to the nomination based solely upon his now well demonstrated political insensitivity and incompetence.

Howard Dean as the Democratic nominee = Forty Years of a SCOTUS completely controlled by the wingnut, fundamentalist crazies that sleep with Cheney, Rove, and the Puppet.

Thankfully, next week will start to take care of the matter once and for all.

[stickdog]

9. Kerry is the Democratic Bob Dole. He's the weakest Democratic candidate

since Mondale.

Dean speaks the truth. We all know it's true. And we all know that Americans need to hear this truth. Meanwhile, Kerry and Edwards regurgitate the lies that Bush needs to win.

[JNelson6563]

10. You are right

This man has no right to the nomination based solely upon his now well demonstrated political insensitivity and incompetence.

The reason he deserves the nomination is because he has the nerve to speak the truth even when other Dems are cowering in Rove's shadow agreeing with the boy king.

He deserves the nomination for standing up for us when so many would not.

I think those who ignored us, their base that they now try to woo, deserve nothing but our scorn.

But then again, I don't live in fear of Rove & Co. so I can see how our views may differ.

Julie

[lostnfound]

18. So we are electing a politician? I thought we were electing a president.

Right now the media are jumping on Dean hoping to influence the primaries towards Kerry or one of the other DC-established, more easily-controlled-by-power, not-independent-minded types.

BUT when the choice is between Dean and Bush, the most powerful men in this country will have to decide "can I live with Dean? Or be stuck with Bush again -- who has proven to be a bigger disaster than many of them expected?" They will have to decide whether they are willing to keep the country on a path to hell with the moron we've got in the white house, or cope with an independent-minded President Dean. Surely Scaife would stay in Bush's court? but I'm sure there are others who are more rational.

Let the powerful elites have to pick between the lesser of THEIR two evils.

[w13rd0]

12. Iraqi women are getting the shaft in occupied Iraq...

...once again, Dean speaks the truth, but the pundocrity cries "foul" because it casts their BoyKing in a negative light.

[stickdog]

14. It's not just the pundocrity, it's the pundocrity's favored CANDIDATES

as well.

Thanks for propping up Bush once again, Kerry and Edwards!

How many more times will you lie to us to prop up Bush's indefensible war mongering?

[llmart]

13. I want a president

who isn't afraid of speaking the truth and standing up for what's right; not always doing what is deemed "politically correct". If Dean doesn't win, at least he can sleep at night knowing he didn't sell his soul. We need more people like him in politics. It is what the majority of the populace complain about when talking about "politicians".

[cthrumatrix]

15. He spent an hour speaking out on womens issues and this is what

the press wants you to believe...BS in action.

He did not say that "in the future" they are not better off...

Why don't they validate his other Iraq position...I guess too much truth...he was right on that too.

[davhill]

16. Kerry and Edwards keep insist the Emperor has Clothes

All they can bring themselves do is criticize his taste. Dean is the one who keeps saying Bush is Bare Ass Naked.

[eyesroll]

19. Atrios read this as referring to the dead Iraqis

http://atrios.blogspot.com/

When Nedra Pickler writes that Howard Dean said " that the standard of living for Iraqis is a "whole lot worse" since Saddam Hussein's removal from power," she neglects to inform us that he's referring to the dead ones.

Of course, it isn't as if what she's claiming he said should be particularly controversial either.

<end snip>

I didn't see the speech, so I don't have body language or inflections or pauses to rely on. But Atrios' read kind of makes sense.

[stickdog]

20. I agree. (nt)