Dean attacks Kerry on Ag Dept

[sandnsea]

Why am I not surprised.

"In an appeal to Iowa farmers, Howard Dean's campaign on Friday criticized presidential opponent John Kerry for suggesting eight years ago that the Agriculture Department should be eliminated."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/16/politics2000EST0816.DTL

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[janx]

5. He does now. There's only so much bashing a strong candidate

takes before returning some in kind. That's politics.

By the way...the fact that Dean mentioned the story does not necessarily mean he came up with it. It was all over the media today.

[NWHarkness]

7. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me

If Kerry made those statements, bringing them up is completely legitimate.

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TLM]

50. Oh now context in important...

but when Kerry is misrepresenting Dean's decade old answer to a hypothetical question as if it was a current policy position... context is just a silly distraction.

[dsc]

2. Where in this article is Dean identified as the source?

He commented on it, as your quotes says but no where is he listed as the source.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

10. It's a weak arguement that Dean hopped on

Looks like it could be true.

[mzmolly]

23. I want to know what Kerry has to say about this??

This is a that I find troubling personally.

[graelent]

3. You title is misleading

You do not say that Dean was the person that leaked the story, just that is is mentioning it now that the story broke.

There is a significant difference.

Dean is in it to win, just like Kerry. And Kerry has not held any punches against Dean, even for trivial stuff like this.

[mzmolly]

26. I agree, this lacks the smoking gun I was expecting based on the title.

:nopity:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. The Dean-Drudge Axis?

So either Dean's campaign leaked it to Drudge, or Dean is taking his talking points from Drudge.

[janx]

8. Yes! It must be! The Dean-Drudge Axis of Eeevil!

:tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat::tinfoilhat:

[arewethereyet]

9. beer came out of my nose ! warm me nest time please

Dean-Drudge axis...

I'm still laughing !

[sandnsea]

12. This isn't on Drudge

This is an article in a completley different news source about an appearance by Harkin today.

[arewethereyet]

14. it was earlier

its like that with Drudge, things can come and go. it was the top line story when I saw it.

[sandnsea]

31. Harkin was talking BEFORE that

This was an article about Harkin in Iowa from a totally different source than Drudge. What, do you think Harkin pulled up Drudge from a cornfield in Iowa at the EXACT time that stuff first went up? AND got it to a totally different news outlet within an hour?? Please.

[mzmolly]

13. Or... Drudge got the info from the SF GATE?!

For cripes sakes.

[sandnsea]

33. Who got the info from Dean.

Thank you.

[Jerseycoa]

39. This part?

"Harkin, a Democratic senator who represents Iowa, has endorsed Dean, a former Vermont governor. Dean did not discuss Kerry's comments while campaigning with Harkin on Friday. However, Harkin said at a rally in Marshalltown that they had just found out one of the other candidates advocated getting rid of the Agriculture Department.

The crowd booed, but Kerry was never identified as the candidate in front of the audience."

Wouldn't this be something Harkin would have known without just finding out? Screwy.

[maddezmom]

6. wow, was this event w/ Harkin before or after it went to drudge?

:( Wonder if they read it off of Drudge like Lieberman did?

[mzmolly]

11. You mean Dean noted Kerry had a controversial position 8 years ago

and drudge picked up on it?

Big Deal? Dean broke the story and not Drudge. Good! Dean's positions for the last 12 years have been scrutinized beyond belief.
It's about time he started fighting fire with fire.

GO DEAN!

Has Kerry made a statement on this yet? He needs to.

[ozone_man]

17. Looks like a more meaningful story than Dean selling $15K of stock

to avoid conflict of interest when he became governor. I mean some of the things that they dig up on Dean are so miniscule.

[mzmolly]

21. I agree, Dean's been the punching bag for these guys for too long

time to play the game Dr. :toast:

[ClarkGraham2004]

15. Dean? The guy who bitched about bringing up old shit?

Now he attacks Kerry for something 8 years ago? bwahahahahaha

[mzmolly]

20. Whats good for the goose...

you know the rest. Dean said he wasn't gonna take this shit any longer. Good for him!

GO DEAN! Fight like hell!!!

[LuminousX]

27. Obviously it is okay to bring up old shit, no one else seemed upset

when it was done to Dean, so why should they be upset when Dean picks up on the info dug up by someone else?

It seems everyone is a hypocrit if there are complaints about it. Otherwise, if they just sit back and be quiet, let the attacks come at them, then only Dean would be a hypocrit.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

36. Who's upset?

I think this is as big an issue as the 'Dean Tapes' which is to say, no issue at all. Telling farmers that the Ag Dept is a bloated bureaucracy is like telling them they need rain.

[Lobo_13]

16. It could just as likely have been

that Lehane fellow. He's apparently infamous for lobbing grenades at candidates, apparently just for the sheer joy of the chaos he creates.

Lehane may be evil incarnate.

[janx]

25. He's stupidity incarnate. Have you ever seen him? Clark should

have turned him away at the door.

[maddezmom]

18. drudge posted at 3:15 est

1/16/04 3:15 PM ET **Exclusive** In 1996 Senator John Kerry proposed to "get rid of the Agriculture Department," the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal. A move -- that if successful -- would have likely resulted in subsidies cuts and programs for Iowa growers. "I think we can reduce the size of Washington," Kerry said on January 6, 1996. "Get rid of the Energy Department. Get rid of the Agriculture Department, or at least render it three-quarters the size it is today; there are more agriculture bureaucrats than there are farmers in this country"...



It's still on his website.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. I must say I prefer having the world's weakest AG Dept. to

the world's weakest Defense as Dean suggested.

[mzmolly]

30. Weak on defense? Please explain.

:shrug: What part of his defense strategy troubles you personally?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

46. Dean: "We will not always have the strongest military in the world"

that comment is very troubling- about a thousand times more so than Kerry's promise to reduce some beaurocracy.

[Lobo_13]

51. Yes, it's disturbing

to tell the truth. Some day we won't be the worlds strongest anything because that's what happens to civilizations. They go away.

I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about next year.

Would you have felt better if he said "We will always be the absolute pinnacle of human civilization and the rest of the world will cower before our eternal might."?

[TLM]

55. And we see context matters not when Dean is the one being attacked...

Read the whole statement, it is a perfectly reasonable position regarding the idea that we should not base our foreign policy on might makes right because we might not always be the biggest kid on the block.


Pop Quiz... who said this very similar statment?

"This is a unique moment in U.S. history, a brief moment in history, when the U.S. has preeminent military, economic and political power. It won't last forever. This is just a period; a few decades this will last."

Here's a hint... it is not someone who was "No serious candidate for the presidency..." as Kerry said of Dean in response to Dean's similar statement.

[lurk_no_more]

22. And to think

just tonight someone here on DU wanted dean and Kerry to join hands and band together.

I could be wrong but I don't think this will help reach that goal.


And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[funky_bug]

24. Lehane is back?

I thought only Lehane was capable of leaking stories to the press about other candidates?

[janx]

29. Lehane works for Clark now--God knows why.

I thought Clark was smarter than that. Lehane bolted Kerry's campaign (if I remember correctly) for Clark's. Either that or Kerry fired him. I can't remember which.

[Lobo_13]

32. maybe because

the good General isn't as clean as he'd like everyone to believe.

The Dean campaign is doing a good job of getting this guy out into the open. The only way to counter this little gremlin is to drag his ass out where everyone can see how much of a worthless little bastard he is.

[candy331]

37. Lobo_13 I swallowed my gum

Damn that was funny, i guess I needed to laugh. I agree though.

Dean 04

[janx]

42. But I was right, wasn't I? Didn't he used to work for Kerry and then

either bolted or got booted?

Edit: As I pointed out on another thread, Lehane would be wise to take Howard Dean's advice. The way to beat Karl Rove is NOT to be like him.

[Lobo_13]

43. There was three

but I do remember reading that Lehane was at one point working for Kerry. I don't remember if he was the one fired, or one of the ones who quit in protest.

[janx]

44. Oh, absolutely. When I saw that little simpleton's impish

grin on Hardball, and when I heard the nonsense that poured from his mouth, I knew that all that was necessary was to trot him out more often.

Drag his ass out for all to see!

[Jerseycoa]

35. Preemptive strike, Wife?

I figured that name would pop up. ;)

[funky_bug]

41. You got it

No need for the sarcasm button. I figured the "in the know" would know!

[janx]

45. Really--Clark did himself no favors by hiring Lehane.

That guy is like something out of The Labyrinth.

[mzmolly]

28. Sandnsea, would you mind editing to accurately reflect the story content?

thanks. :)

[sandnsea]

34. Criticizes, attacks, same difference

Is that better?

[mzmolly]

38. Much better

and more accurate, thanks! :)

[isbister]

40. Eliminating government waste is good

and we Democrats must fight against the republican borrow, tax and spend policies.

We can't beat bush by being bush-lite, Democrats must look toward eliminating government waste, we can't beat the republicans by joining them and allow the unchecked growth of the government.

"We can reduce the the size of Washington"!

John Kerry
1996 interview with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette

[sandnsea]

47. You're right of course

But two days is a really short time to correct the intent of this quote with Harkin spreading it all over Iowa.

[TLM]

49. So it is Ok for Kerry to attack things Dean said 10 years ago...

But it is not Ok for Dean to attack things Kerry said 8 years ago?

[Lobo_13]

52. Didn't you get the memo? n/t

[ACPS65]

53. Can't blame 'em.

Given the new Zogby and Reuters poll showing Dean tanking, he should pull out all the stops to keep his head above water.

At least that's what he did in Vermont.

[IowaBiker]

54. Farmers are not a monolithic organization

There are a lot who think the Ag department should be dismantled.

I think this was pandering to some barking seals.

--Brian

[NewYorkerfromMass]

56. Exactly. This will win Kerry some votes.

Streamlining the beaurocracy is exactly what mnay farmers agree with.
Geez- he even got the state's ag sec'y. endorsement.

[maddezmom]

57. Dean running a new anti-Kerry ad in Iowa :re farmers

WHO-TV in Des Moines has just started airing Dean's new commercial:

"Vote for Howard Dean because John Kerry opposes farmers."

(Video in back ground of John Kerry in Vietnam soldier garb raiding and destroying Iowa Farms.)

"I'm Howard Dean and I support this ad because I'm a dishonest political opportunist who will lie or say anything to pick up votes, especially now that my campaign is unravling. If I could lie about Kerry's position on the war, why not lie about his position on farming."

Posted by: Ron Chusid on January 17, 2004 04:59 AM

http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/001016.html#more