Dean campaign response to DeLay: Stop Ashcroft!

[Rose Siding]

Call to Action: Show Your Patriotism
Tom DeLay issued the following press release today:

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Sugarland) today condemned the comments of presidential candidate and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who said, "John Ashcroft is not a patriot," in New Hampshire yesterday.
"Howard Dean is a cruel and extremist demagogue," DeLay said.

"John Ashcroft loves America more than Howard Dean could ever know. John Ashcroft has sacrificed for his country, and devoted his life to serving it. He is as kind, generous, and patriotic a man as I've ever met. And Howard Dean is as ignorant on John Ashcroft as he is on national security."

"Howard Dean's comments are an embarrassment to the democratic process and the Democrat Party. If this cruel, loudmouth extremist is the cream of the Democrat crop, next Novembers going to make the 1984 election look like a squeaker."


Dean for America Communications Director Tricia Enright responded: "The narrow ideological agenda of the Delay-Ashcroft wing of the Republican Party threatens basic American freedoms that have been enshrined in the Constitution for over 200 years. Those policies are not only extreme, they are cruel."

Show Tom Delay what Americans really think about Ashcroft and Patriotism. Sign the Stop Ashcroft petition -- 60,000 Americans have already signed it -- and pass it on to your friends:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/stopashcroft

Use this petition and this moment to invite your community to join this campaign -- show them how you are taking the country back and restoring true American patriotism. After you have signed this petition, pass it on to all your friends.

http://blogforamerica.com/

[Cha]

1. Good Quick Response!

"Cruel"! Indeed!

And yes I have signed it! Thanks, party_line! :hi:

[Fovea]

Tom 'the exterminator' DeLay calls Dean Cruel

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha haha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha haha ha ha ha ha ha haha ha ha ha ha ha ha

And they say repugs don't understand irony!

[Rose Siding]

11. Anytime, zidzi

Ashcroft is a menace.

[sfecap]

2. Damn they are quick! This is why Dean will win.

They are on top of everything!

[caledesi]

25. Exactly...always there w/ a response in a "NY minute"

signed, sealed, delivered to Asscroft.

[ComerPerro]

3. Damn you, Delay

Its DemocratIC!!!!

The Democratic Party.

Jeeze.

They sound like idiots when they say "The Democrat Party".

[trogdor]

7. so says you.

The idiots people like DeLay are really talking to disagree. Calling it the "Democrat Party" is intended to shower contempt upon our fine organization, and sow the same in the minds of the aforementioned idiots. Of course, I don't have to tell you this; it's kinda obvious.

[HFishbine]

19. Congressional Black Caucus

I agree. But why is the Congressional Black Caucus allowing Fox to advertise their upcoming debate as one for the "Democrat Candidates?" Seems that if the CBC is going to participate, they ought to insist that Fox at least get the name of their party correct.

[Mel]

20. You beat me too it

n/t

[AntiCoup2K4]

26. They sound like idiots when they say anything

Because they ARE idiots.

Narrow minded criminal fascist idiots, to be exact.

[Walt Starr]

4. Sigining right now

I love the fact that Dean doesn't stick his finger into the wind before responding to this sort of crap.

[CMT]

9. that impresses me too

I'm proud Dean has Delay foaming from the mouth.

[otohara]

5. DeLay is Truely Frightening

what an evil nasty statment - God, I hate these people

[Khephra]

6. There's an art to using spokesmen

It's hard to explain it, but sending out a spokesman to answer an attack from Delay first strikes me as an effective insult right back at Delay without Dean having to speak.

Delay, I'm sure, was expecting Dean to answer back. Instead he got a msg back from a member of the staff. Does anyone else feel like me that for some reason that's going to be more insulting to Delay's ego than anything else Dean could have said?

[sfecap]

8. Bingo!

You nailed it...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. In terms that even he can understand:

"You, Tom Delay, are an insignificant roach."

[JaneQPublic]

27. Or, to use the Bushistas' term, "Irrelevant" (n/t)

[qb]

13. I love it - the Bug-man doesn't warrant a direct response

from the Dean-man!

[janx]

17. Definitely. And the response itself, the petition, is

nothing but class. It addresses the problem of the Patriot Act.

It's pragmatic and sensible--quite a contrast to Delay's ranting and name calling.

[PAMod]

18. Very good khephra - that's exactly...

why they did that.

[ibegurpard]

10. This is what I want to see from Democrats

When they start their indignant squealing, instead of apologizing for being so unbecoming and partisan we need to hit them back again but harder.

[Walt Starr]

22. See, if the bloody four would start doing things this way

they would stop my criticism of their Iraq vote and would stop me from being opposed to them even if they win the nomination.

Dean acts like a REAL Democrat. Those who have been in Congress and the Senate for ages act like pink tutus.

[0007]

14. Dr. Dean is on his way to Texas

to remove that nasty bug up DeLay's ass.

[janx]

15. Oh my dear LORD, I am catapulted into yet another fit of laughter!

I thought it had stopped!!

Was that fast or what?! God I love being a part of this. I absolutely love it.

We are taking our country BACK!!!

[farmbo]

16. Dean to Delay: "You want a piece of Me?"

"Better to make a weak man your enemy than your friend."


H. W. Shaw (1865)

[Le Taz Hot]

21. Ba da bing!

The Dean Team once again scores and does it in record time! AND does it via the un-consitutional Patriot Act. Two birds with one stone, baby!

God, I DO love this campaign! :happydance:

[hedda_foil]

23. Here's what I sent to my list ...

I added a bit because I didn't want it to read as if it were just a press release and I wanted to make DAMNED sure that my local Democratic organization sent it to our email list as well. This is about all of us ... not just the Dean supporters. Dean just makes it possible for us all to respond almost instantly.

---------

The radical right has struck again in the shape of former exterminator (ex-bugman?) Tom Delay. Today this particular extremist has lashed out at presidential candidate Howard Dean. If it weren't Dean, it would be any other Democrat who dared to challenge their agenda to remake America in their own image.

The Dean campaign immediately responded with this call to action to all Democrats and all Americans who believe in the real American ideals of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Please post this to your lists and forward it to your friends.

It's time to take our country back!

Call to Action: Show Your Patriotism

Tom DeLay issued the following press release today:

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Sugarland) today condemned the comments of presidential candidate and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who said, "John Ashcroft is not a patriot," in New Hampshire yesterday.
"Howard Dean is a cruel and extremist demagogue," DeLay said.

"John Ashcroft loves America more than Howard Dean could ever know. John Ashcroft has sacrificed for his country, and devoted his life to serving it. He is as kind, generous, and patriotic a man as I've ever met. And Howard Dean is as ignorant on John Ashcroft as he is on national security."

"Howard Dean's comments are an embarrassment to the democratic process and the Democrat Party. If this cruel, loudmouth extremist is the cream of the Democrat crop, next Novembers going to make the 1984 election look like a squeaker."

Dean for America Communications Director Tricia Enright responded: "The narrow ideological agenda of the Delay-Ashcroft wing of the Republican Party threatens basic American freedoms that have been enshrined in the Constitution for over 200 years. Those policies are not only extreme, they are cruel."

Show Tom Delay what Americans really think about Ashcroft and Patriotism. Sign the Stop Ashcroft petition -- 60,000 Americans have already signed it -- and pass it on to your friends:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/stopashcroft

[chiburb]

24. Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but...

I think DeLay's point was NOT to defend Asscrack, but to get a "message" to the pundits and public at large:

"Howard Dean is as ignorant on John Ashcroft as he is on national security."

Compare that with Enright's intelligently worded response, and tell me which, if given equal time on the (hypothetical) news, will America remember? What message will resonate: that Dean is weak on security, or DeLay is cruel?

Anyway, Enright's reply WAS spot on.

[janx]

28. It was a political statement, lashing out at Dean, more than

anything else, yes.

"ignorant"

"extremist"

Delay was trying to position Dean as an ignorant extremist. That's what the news release was all about.