"Dr. Dean Needs to Become Dr. Clean"

[quinnox]

It's Time For Governor Dean to Answer Questions about His Dealings with Enron

December 21, 2003 -

Washington, DC - Today on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi offered yet another explanation as to whether or not Governor Dean met with Enron officials before giving the company lucrative tax breaks. Steve Murphy, campaign manager for the Gephardt campaign, today released the following statement in reaction to these comments:

"It has been nine days that Governor Dean has refused to answer any questions regarding his dealings with the Enron Corporation. Howard Dean could put all of these questions to rest if he would simply disclose basic facts and documents related to his time as governor. It is time for Dr. Dean and his campaign to finally come clean with the facts about his dealings with the Enron Corporation."

http://www.dickgephardt2004.com/plugin/template/gephardt/44/4117
*Gephardt press release

Dean could put this to bed by releasing his records. I don't think Dean subscribes to the Bush doctrine of secrecy, as a Democrat we have better values than that.

Transparency in government is a good thing, Dean needs to explain his dealings with Enron once and for all. Clearing the air will only help his candidacy.

[Jim Sagle]

1. Lame issue, lame Gep.

[AP]

5. This is exactly what I'm talking about in post 4.

This isn't a lame issue. Yet I know that, because it's about Dean, people are going to convince Democrats that it is, and we're going to start forgetting our core democratic principles, like Californians are currently forgetting that fascism and sexism are bad and that the Nazis were pretty evil.

[quinnox]

2. This is a great opportunity for Dean

to show he believes in openness in government, not secrecy.

Voters should be as informed as they can be about a candidate, I'm sure Dean agrees.

[Padraig18]

3. LOL!

Of COURSE Dean met with them! What, you think a state gives tax breaks to a business by throwing darts at a board marked 'yes'/'no/'maybe', Dick? Dick, you need to worry more about Dick, and less about fake 'issues' regarding Howard.

[AP]

4. There's a risk here that reminds me a little of Arnold's election.

When people were pointing out that he was a Nazi sympathizer and a womanizer, the overwhelming feeling I had was not, 'oh, good, now he'll lose the election.' It was, 'oh, shit. We're going to have a fascist and a sexist elected governor and people are going to start to think that fascism and sexism aren't that bad.

I definitely think Gephard is doing the right thing by demanding answers to these questions. However, I have a sick feeling that the Dems are going to nominate an energy deregulating, friend of Wall St and enemy of the middle class pocket book, and Democrats are going to completely forget that it's important to stand for middle class economic issues that conflict with the interests of companies like Enron.

We already see arguments driven by Dean fans about how AA should drop race as a consideration, that progressive taxation should take a back seat to a Hooverian drive to balance budgets, and that any studies showing increasing tax burdens on the bottom quintiles during the 90s must have sampling errors. It's made how Democrats are forgetting core democratic principles in their enthusiasm for Dean. And I fear that a critical analysis of Enron's business model might be the next casualty.

It really makes me sick.

Democrats are going to need a better strategy than this to beat Dean. Because, although telling the truth is helpful, it could merely serve to reduce peoples' resistance to these issues which are critical to the middle class.

[quinnox]

7. You are right

But every little bit helps, and you never know when a random issue could snowball.

[drfemoe]

8. Rather than

Democrats are going to need a better strategy than this to beat Dean.

trying to beat "Dean", a better strategy might be to beat a Republican!! Single party government will continue to destroy our nation.

[AP]

11. that's why I think they have to beat Dean.

'cause Dean isn't going to beat the Republican. However there are at least three Dems who can, and they can do it by standing FOR Democratic principles (rather than for Wall St interests).

[JI7]

12. arnold

i'm still disgusted with his election. and i am also more disappointed the people blew off those issues even with all the evidence.

[drfemoe]

6. Ermmmm

If chaingang and * weren't blocking the investigation into ENRON .. all these questions could be answered. Guess Gep doesn't think about what HIS side is doing *wrong*.

[maddezmom]

9. this story keeps coming up

doesn't seem to be going away.

[Padraig18]

10. That's because...

... the flat and floundering campaigns have little else to throw at Howard, except mud. I love the smell of desperation in the morning...

[adadem]

13. Just confirms

my belief that Dean is really no better than shrub. No trust, no confidence. Not meant to insult...just how I feel.

[Padraig18]

14. "Just confirms my belief that Dean is really no better than shrub...."

NOT an insult? HUH? :wtf:

[Bread and Circus]

15. Yeah, I would agree with the sentiment of the title of the original post

[Gman]

16. Apparently Dean has something to hide

there's something there in those records that Dean knows will destroy his campaign. Just like Bush, Dean appears to be willing to risk the shadow cast over his campaign rather than lose all if the truth be known. Its a sad day for the Democratic party and open government.

Dean has nothing to gain by releasing his records and everything he's worked for to lose.

[mandyky]

17. Just for the sake of arguement

Say Dean did give Enron tax breaks to do business in VT. I am assuming this happened way before Enron was in trouble. (any dates available?)

States and municipalities give businesses tax breaks all the time to get business to bring jobs into their areas. Just because Dean or anyone did business with Enron that way, does not mean they knew about the inner workings of the company. Enron fooled a lot of people and organizations, I remember seeing a list of all the organizations (unions etc) that had their pension plans sunk in Enron stock. I don't think people knowingly sunk that money for Enron to benefit.