Looks like the knives are out for Dean...

[Lindacooks]

http://news.yahoo.com/?tmpl=story2&u=/030911/168/58on3.html&e=10&ncid=705

Look at this ridiculous caption for this photo of Governor Dean.

"By now, Dean has honed the art of saying sorry. He's had to, the way he's gone about things, whether as a prvate citizen fighting developers for a bicycle trail, A Vermont governor horsewhipping opponents over health care of today's scrappy candidate for the Democrsatic presidential nomination."

Then write to AP:

[e-mail]

and complain about it.

[StuartStark]

1. How is that bad? It's TRUE!!!

Dean is a lightweight.

[Cha]

3. We'll see how "lightweight" he is.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. If by lightwieght you mean frontrunner

I agree with you.

[stickdog]

11. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha (NT)

[newsguyatl]

23. god,

you guys are so mature

[newsguyatl]

24. god,

you guys are so mature

[TLM]

14. He's a lightweight who is blowing the heavyweights out of the water

in terms of support, donations, and poll numbers.

If Dean is a lightweight, give us more lightweights.

[Sweetpea]

2. The Knives were out even for Jesus..The price of trying to make change.

[salin]

5. conversely

I looked at the first 50 pictures of the 140+ slide show - focuses on democratic party candidates, and the coverage is disproportionately on Dean.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. So are the crowds.

[screembloodymurder]

6. This is what we're up against

it doesn't matter who's on top they're going to be blasted by the BFEE and their corporate whores.

[meegbear]

7. From reading previous dean supporter posts ...

He's been attacked by the media since 1987.

BTW, don't you people have a website dedicated to slamming media outlets that don't say good things about him?

[DemBones DemBones]

22. Yes, they do. It's called Dean Defense and is, IIRC, operated by

college students. It's a good thing to complain about unfair press but if you also complain about negative press that is accurate and fair, you shoot yourself in the foot.

A lot of Dean's followers seem to be too young to realize that 1) he's gotten a lot of good press, a lot more coverage than other Dems have gotten, 2) the media are supposed to point out every candidate's weaknesses as well as his strengths, and 3) after Labor Day, campaigning gets more intense and the candidates began to say more about their rivals' faults. Dean is not being mistreated.

As you say, Deanies complain that Dean was attacked by the media in Vermont. It's true that Vermont newspapers sued Dean to get access to his schedule. You see, Dean was governor of Vermont but was frequently traveling out of state on speaking engagements, preparing to run for the presidency. The newspapers in Vermont felt that Vermonters had a right to know where their governor was, him being on state salary and all, and Dean refused to give reporters his schedule so the papers sued.

Here's an "anti-Dean" news story from Vermont (1998):

How Howard did.....Earth Day 1998
"We were not lost," says Vermont's outdoorsman-governor.

You're in the woods, it's almost dark, not a street light in sight, and the chauffeur is miles away. Who ya gonna call? 911 of course! That's what our Governor Dean did. The story making the rounds says that Dean with his two children and their friend, ages 11 to 13, were lost in the woods and the state police had to rescue him. Of course, no story ever lost anything in the retelling. This one sure won't.

It was after all - Earth Day. A perfect day for hiking the Long Trail. The children had the week off for school vacations. The legislature had gone home, and peace seemed possible. Well, at least until the campaign for re-election really begins. The hike started around 10 am , when about 7 pm it started to get dark. They were miles from where his driver expected them to be. So the portable cell phone got pressed into service and the rest is history.

The children will not be without a topic if their teacher asks for a report on "how you spent your spring vacation." If they don't get an "A" they could probably sell their inside report to the media for more than their allowance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[HFishbine]

8. Sure

The Shrub and a couple of other Dem candidates could benefit from learning to admit when they've made a mistake.

[wtmusic]

9. When you're King of the Hill...

[janx]

13. This is just the beginning. And the so-called complaints about

Dean's "flip-flops" are lamely absurd. People are getting desperate to find anything negative about him. They can't find anything, so they resort to the ridiculous.

[TLM]

15. I'm sure before long we'll hear that Dean invented health care

and he wears earth tones and was the inspiration for the bridges of madison county.

[janx]

17. Yep. We'll probably hear those tomorrow!

But those are nothing compared to what the right wingnuts have already cooked up. From what I've read in freeperville, he is apparently already an alcoholic, an "abortionist," and a "Dr. Death" (Kevorkian style).

I think it's safe to assume now that they know he's a threat. Once the possible Clark connection surfaces, this will get even worse.

[Demobrat]

10. Of course the knives are out.

A few more months and it will be cannonballs.

[Patriot_Spear]

12. Nothing new about that- look at some of the "Dems" here...

Some the most ardent claiments to being Democrats are some of the first to bash Dean.

I don't want to point fingers- anyone who posts on here can see it for themselves.

[CWebster]

16. Between the usual

Kerry operatives and the new Edwards tag team which just sniffed out the site, the politics and campaign forum is turning into a regular Dean-bashing party. Glowing threads about their own fave's assets just don't seem to get any traction while the slash Dean threads are jumping.

[Jim Sagle]

18. Dig that lame thread about how Edwards is sweeping the nation.

:boring:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

21. I go there less and less everday.

Having never started flamebait, I was perfectly willing to mix it up with those that would. It has lost it's joy as the spiraling decay of desperation has corrupted the air of playful debate. It should be called the "Prejudice & Calumny Forum," henceforth.

[deutsey]

19. As I've said before

I just wish more Dems would go after Bush the way they go after each other.

And, for the most part, I do practice what I'm preaching. I try not to bash other Dem candidates; if I disagree with them, sure, that's fair game. Just as it is for those who disagree with Dean.

But the obsessive smearing here on DU and that going on in the upper echelons of the Dem Party, make me question why I didn't leave the party a few months ago like I was about to do.

[DemBones DemBones]

27. Are you saying Democrats aren't allowed to criticize a Dem who's

running in the primaries?

Dean's a primary candidate, just like the others. He's gotten early support -- good for him and kudos for a well-organized campaign --but being the front-runner now doesn't make him the nominee.

Until the nominee is chosen, DU allows me to criticize any one of the Dems. Even after the nominee is chosen it will be my right as an American to criticize Dems if I choose to do so when not posting at DU.

I don't like what I've learned about Dean. I don't think he should be our nominee. I will keep saying that, trying to help people be aware of his shortcomings and consider the other Democrats in the race.

But I am a Democrat, have been a registered Democrat and voted Democratic since 1968 (prior to which I was too young to vote.) I've contributed only to Democratic candidates.

I want our Democratic Party to win this election, but not with Howard Dean at the top of the ticket.

I am,

DemBones DemBones
"Democrat Right Down to My Marrow."

[Bossy Monkey]

25. That is not an AP caption; write Yahoo if you want

The AP is colorless by design

[DrFunkenstein]

26. I Think He Looks Kinda Cool In This One

<>

In a dorky way, but he still has a definite look going.

With the original picture, you have to admit that his expression doesn't exactly fit the context.

<>

[no name no slogan]

28. It's called being the "frontrunner"

If you Deanites are getting your nose all bent outta shape already, you're going to have to toughen up. When you're in front, you're EVERYBODY's target.

Now go get your man a 50-gallon drum of Metamucil and a saline enema. We ought to be able to get that ridiculous off his face somehow! :)