Dean speaks (statement on SOTU)

[bigtree]

Dean on President Bush's State of the Union Address

1/31/2006 10:28:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Karen Finney of the Democratic National Committee Press Office, 202-863-8148; Web: http://www.democrats.org

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement on President Bush's waning credibility and his failure to lay out a positive agenda for the nation during his State of the Union address tonight:

"Tonight, President Bush's failed policies and waning credibility were on display for all Americans to see. While President Bush talks about elevating the tone in Washington, his speech resorted again to scaring Americans and using issues to divide us. Instead of playing on Americans' fears, President Bush should answer their concerns. Instead of using issues to divide, we need to come together around our shared values and common goals as Americans. Democrats want to restore our American community with honesty, security and opportunity.

"Unfortunately, the president's tired rhetoric on energy independence would be credible if only he hadn't let the energy industry write the proposals for Vice President Cheney's energy task force. Democrats have been fighting for energy independence years before President Bush's first day in office, while this Administration has offered only lip service, and only when its poll numbers resemble Nixon's.

"President Bush's words hailing the bravery and heroism of our troops would be more sincere, if only it was matched by real action to keep them safe and a real plan for success in Iraq. The best way to protect our country and support our troops is to provide our men and women in uniform with the body armor and intelligence they need to get the job done. The American people want a real security plan that addresses the threats of today and tomorrow. America can do better than failed policies that have made Iraq a mess and let North Korea and Iran develop nuclear weapons while leaving our own country vulnerable to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.

"President Bush's newfound focus on health care fails to recognize the fact that millions more Americans are now uninsured since he gave his first State of the Union address five years ago. Even worse, his health care proposal is brought to you by the same special interests who tried to privatize Social Security and who conceived the Bush Administration's disastrous Medicare plan. Democrats remain committed to making sure that all Americans have access to quality and affordable heath care.

"Our country is ready for change and a new direction. Democrats offer a vision and a new direction guided by the belief that together America can do better."

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=60279

[MelissaB]

1. Thank you!

:kick:

[RoyGBiv]

2. Go Dean

:kick:

[Wordie]

3. K&R...Keep this kicked! And recommend it, too! eom

[Beth in VT]

4. I love "waning credibility" - they are getting the sound bites down. n/t

[Cha]

5. Thanks Dean for answering

the charade and lies of bush's stfu farce.

[Cha]

6. Kick and Recommended!

:patriot: :kick: :patriot:

[texpatriot2004]

7. Howard Dean speaks for me. nm

[bud E. holly]

Kick! n/t

[tsuki]

8. Kick and nominated.

[Pastiche423]

9. Oh why couldn't he be our president?

America needs him.

[Straight Shooter]

10. Zing! "... only when its poll numbers resemble Nixon's."

:rofl:

[chefgirl]

11. I asked this in another thread

I'll ask it again, just for the sake of asking.

Why wasn't it Howard Dean who gave the Democratic response to the idiot??

This statement from him is light years better than anything I heard come out of Tim Kaines mouth. Howard Dean KNOWS how to deliver a speech too.

-chef- (disappointed by the Dems again)

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

23. "This statement from him is light years better ...come out of Tim Kaines..

Mouth"

I agree with chefgirl.

[Gronk Groks]

26. Tim Kaines gave us nothing but platitutes...

...Howard Dean can get people on their feet,cheering.
Why have the Democrats not figured out that we need to come out swinging all the time, every time?

The fascists are taking over and we worry about being polite enough...

...AAAARRRRGH !!!!!!!!!!!

[Lugnut]

12. Howard Dean speaks for me

Zing! Thank you Dr. Dean.

[shance]

13. Beautiful. This is the real Democratic response.

Howard Dean speaks for the Democratic party.

[Kurovski]

14. Exactly what I was going to post!

For starters, I don't understand why The Dem response tonight questioned whether Bush's response to terrorism was the right way to go.

Just say it! No it wasn't. Terrorism has increased because of Bush's way.

The response has to be memorable, be sure of itself, and it must cut like a knife when it is necessary.

That's the Dean way. That's the Democratic way.

[autorank]

15. Howard Dean speaks for me.

Now Dr. Dean, please clean house at DNC. Get a bunch of fire breathing types like you in there. You'll conquer the world of politics. They rolled you on the Ohio Report, they're probably sand bagging you on other issues. New people, new energy, an attitude of pride in our party to match yours is what we need.

Thanks for what you're doing. It's not easy fighting the good fight, especially in Washington DC where the local crowd is jealous of anybody who is three or four times smarter than they are (like you!).

[EuroObserver]

16. Fine, but letting "Iran develop nuclear weapons"?

Stated as if fact. Where's the (solid) evidence?

This is the fundamental publicity/propaganda ploy (from both sides now): If you repeat a message over and over again, people will eventually (without thinking) believe it.

[freefall]

22. With even Dean spreading the neo-con propaganda we are in big trouble.

I am horrified and terribly frightened by Dean's irresponsible statement in this regard.

"America can do better than failed policies that have made Iraq a mess and let North Korea and Iran develop nuclear weapons while leaving our own country vulnerable to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina."

Iran does not have nuclear weapons. Estimates are that the earliest they could develop same is 2008. http://torontosun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Margolis_Eric/2006/01/28/1416265.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0127-26.htm
Dean is playing right into the neo-cons plans for a preemptive nuclear attack on Iran. I believe such an attack would likely start a nuclear war. Iran may not have nuclear weapons but lots of their friends who are dependent on their oil do.

Even if an attack on Iran by us or Israel doesn't result in retaliatory nuke attacks on our soil, we could still be destroyed economically. When we invaded Iraq, China lost out on the oil it had arranged to begin importing from Iraq. China has since signed contracts with Iran to import the oil it desperately needs to continue growing. China may not come to Iran's defense with nukes if we attack, but they may stop lending us the money we need to keep our economy afloat. Either scenario would be disaster for the US.

Just as no one in the MSM has discussed the fact that one of the prime motives for invading Iraq was that Saddam was beginning to trade Iraq's oil in euros instead of dollars, no one is discussing the fact that Iran has announced plans to open an oil bourse in March (that's next month, folks) which will be based in euros. This could be devastating for the US economy and is likely the foremost motivation for all the hostile talk about Iran. My guess is that the reason that no Democrats are pointing this out is because it is a no win situation for the US. If Iran does open the oil bourse and the world starts trading oil in euros instead of dollars there may be nothing anyone can do to prevent economic chaos in the US. Our deficit makes us vulnerable to such manipulation by unfriendly economies.

Read this article by William Clark
http://www.energybulletin.net/7707.html

Google "Iranian oil bourse". This will get you discussions on both sides of the issue. There are those who believe trading oil in euros won't have much of an economic impact on the US. Notice that none of the responses come from MSM US media. (Ok, I only checked the first three pages of resonses.)

I wrote to one of my Senators, Olympia Snowe, about my fears in this regard as well as my opposition to our presence in Iraq in November. Her answer stated her reasons for supporting our presence in Iraq but completely ignored my expressed fears about Iran's intentions to open the oil bourse and the implications this had for the United States' economic situation and military policy. I believe the reason politicians are ignoring this topic is because they have absolutely no idea what to do about it.

If even Dean is parroting the Iran bashing talk of the neo-cons we have no hope.

freefall

[Leopolds Ghost]

27. More likely Snowe has no freaking clue what a "bourse" is

or how to pronounce it. Just like we didn't go after Bin Laden because both Bush and Clinton's political advisors said there was no profit in going after someone when Americans (and most likely the advisors themselves) couldn't pronounce his name.

Corrollary to Occams Razor: Never ascribe to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence.

[ClintonTyree]

17. Excellent Dr. Dean......however....

all we'll hear from the "liberal media" in the next few days will be "the Democrats lack of any plan other than being anti-bush". Seriously, the Democrats could have a 1000 page action plan with each and every step spelled out as to where they want the country to go and exactly how they'd do it and all we'd hear would be, "but they have no concrete plan". :eyes:
It's going to be damned tough to reach the people when the "liberal media" is "catapulting" the GOP propaganda. I really don't see how it can be done. The media must return to some sort of fairness doctrine before there will be any changes made. Right now they're content to push the bush agenda, raking in the money from bush's corporate tax cuts. They don't want to kill their golden goose.

[bigtree]

20. this statement was issued first on the usnewswire site. It's there for you

me, and whatever media outlet wants to publish his reaction.

Its also there for us to spread. That's how these statements and articles get around these days. They have to have some substance to survive long, but a well crafted release can travel all around the world if given enough of a nudge.

nudge material here

[Mad_Dem_X]

18. I loves me some Dr. Dean!

Damn, this man should be President!!!!!!

[Blue_Roses]

19. he did great!

It was great to see someone respond to this rhetoric the media is spewing without blinking an eye.

[BReisen]

21. My Favorite part?

"and only when its poll numbers resemble Nixon's." I lived through that presidency and rejoiced in its end. I'm hoping that this one ends the same way!

[oc2002]

24. Dean response is 1000X better than the Democratic rebuttle? so what game..

is the DNC playing? what is the real face of the DNC?

WTF is going on?

[Nikki Stone 1]

25. What demographic watched the SOTU address? My guess, skewed Repug

If so, the slimy DLCer Kaine was perfect for the sheeple watching it. The internet and press savvy base gets Gore and Dean through other sources.