Dean On Blitzer: Be Tough on Defense but Be Smart

[bigtree]

Excerpts from Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer

10/15/2006 2:59:00 PM

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=74347

Contact: Karen Finney or Kimberly Hunter, 202-863-8148, both of the Democratic National Committee

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean appeared on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." During the interview, Gov. Dean set the record straight on President Bush's failed approach toward North Korea and responded to Sen. McCain's baseless attacks on President Clinton's record. Gov. Dean also called for a new direction for America, one that tracks down Osama bin Laden and works to support America's working families, not the special interests.

On Republican's Failed Record on Defense: "Here's the president's and Republicans record on defense. The president came in and identified three countries as a problem: Iraq , Iran and Korea. Six years later we're in the middle of a civil war in Iraq that we can't get out of. We're in the middle of a testing program by North Korea for nuclear weapons, not one additional nuclear weapon was added when Bill Clinton was president. But now, George W. Bush comes along and they're testing nuclear weapons and Iran is about to get nuclear weapons. Osama bin laden is at large who is responsible for the murder of 3,000 Americans is at large. I would argue that the Democrats are likely to be much stronger on defense than the Republicans. I think they're weak on defense. They talk tough to scare the American people at election time and in the meantime don't do anything.

"This is a toothless administration. They have not defended the United States of America. We need a tough talk and smart policy. Not just talk tough at election.

"We want the policy of Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt and Jack Kennedy. Be tough on defense but be smart, be able to tell the difference. And, listen to a situation between where we can win and a situation we shouldn't get involved in, such as a civil war in Iraq. Listen to our military, which nobody in the administration did other than Colin Powell who was fired for his trouble."

On Republican Attacks on Clinton Foreign Policy Record: "The truth is, and Sen. McCain he knows this very well, not one nuclear weapon was added to the North Korea arsenal while Bill Clinton was president. Under this president, we believe the number of nuclear weapons has quadrupled and they now have set off a test. You can't trust Republicans to defend America because of just exactly like the statements Sen. McCain just made. They're willing to say things for election purpose but not willing to stand up and do the hard work every single day of making the tough decisions where you have to defend America. The smart decisions, not getting involved in civil wars but standing in places like Afghanistan and North Korea where it really matters."

The New Direction Democrats offer America: "We can do better than this and we will do better that what's been going on in the last six years both in defending America, in having a real economy where 80 percent of the Americans benefit and not get hurt. And, in responding to natural disasters the way Bill Clinton and James Lee Witt would have had they been in power when Hurricane Katrina hit."

"Eighty percent of the Americans have seen their income go down. The reason the economy doesn't work for the president is only his friends have benefited from the increased earnings, the corporate earnings and so forth. What we're interested in doing is building a health care system that works for everybody. Initially, I think what we'll do is raise the minimum wage, which the president refused to do without giving tax breaks to his contributors. We're not going to be the party of tax breaks to oil companies and insurance companies. We're going to be the part of middle class tax fairness that does not include any increases of taxes on middle class Americans of any kind."

"The truth is we believe that we ought to increase the pay of average middle class Americans, working class Americans, we believe we ought to do something about their health care and we also believe there ought to be real ethics reform in Congress, which the Republicans refuse to do."

http://www.democrats.org


http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree

[bigtree]

1. why aren't the Democrats saying anything . . .?

why aren't they responding?

[bigtree]

2. .