Video. Dean discusses the auto industry bail out on Morning Joe. Gets appreciated.

[madfloridian]

It was so good to see him with the DNC hat off today. It was a good panel discussion, and it was pretty obvious what he helped accomplish in bringing the party back to life the last four years was appreciated.

He made it clear that under our new president there would probably be strings attached to the bailout, that the auto industry needed to modernize.

Here's the video:

Dean on Morning Joe

They pointed out what Dean had accomplished in getting life back into the party in red areas where we had not been before. His goal had been rebuilding dysfunctional state parties.

Things he said a couple of years ago.

"We had existing parties in every state, but most ... were dysfunctional because they had no resources," Dean said. "Therefore they couldn't produce; therefore nobody would invest in them; therefore they couldn't produce."

The Democrats' status as a national party may have reached a nadir in 2004, when President Bush was re-elected, and they lost five open Senate seats in the South, despite discontent over events in Iraq. The Democrats targeted a minimal number of states in that year's presidential race, to give them just enough votes in the Electoral College to eke out victory. Huge swaths of the South and West were surrendered.

....."Dean reached an epiphany when meeting with angry Democratic state chairmen during the 2004 convention in Boston, said DNC executive director Tom McMahon. Dean vowed to rebuild the local parties by dispatching money and manpower from the capital. The state chairs formed the core of his support in the chairmanship race, and do so today. So was born the 50 State Strategy.

Morning Joe and Mika and Barnicle give credit due. It was not at all hard for them to do.

Keep that DNC hat off, Howard Dean.

[kirby]

1. That is my concern...

"He made it clear that under our new president there would probably be strings attached to the bailout, that the auto industry needed to modernize."

My concern is this is why the auto industry is trying to force something through during the lame duck session. They want the money now with no string attached.

[madfloridian]

2. I think he was careful to use the word "probably".

Yes, they are going to ram through whatever they can.

[madfloridian]

3. And then Paulson's appearance today was so odd.

Looks like Dean's appearance was very early morning. Paulson later.

Paulson was strange.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Maybe someone kicked Paulson's ass for giving away $700 Billion with no strings attached.

and he decided to reconsider the deal.

[amitta]

5. i love Dean but

i disagree with giving a penny to failed businesses even with strings.
but my opinion doesn't matter and they will get the money without any strings.

[Pastiche423]

6. Dean gave the only reason that they may get some money

The jobs of those Americans working in the auto industry.

It is great watching Dean now. He was a little naive about national politics five years ago. That naivety has vamoosed.

I eagerly await hearing about his positision in the Obama administration.

[madfloridian]

8. Right...the millions of jobs in the auto industry and the parts industry.

I like watching him discuss stuff. He is far better at digging into issues than just speaking.

[petgoat]

7. "Modernize" means "Automation"

If we're saving the Big 3 to save jobs, why do we want to
use taxpayer money to automate the plants?

I've got a better idea. Just leave the plants the way they
are, and keep building the shitty 2009 model cars for the
next ten years. We'll all buy them just to be patriotic,
and those who want a decent car can buy a foreign one used.

[madfloridian]

12. But also could mean more fuel efficient cars

Could be.

[psychmommy]

9. i saw it this morning too.

howard looks great. they kept trying to get him to speak negatively about the party but, he stayed positive. i love how our party puts up a united front and love dr dean. would he make a great surgeon general or what!

[madfloridian]

11. Yes, he was very positive.

Good interview.

[defendandprotect]

10. Let's not miss the fact that keeping the Dem Party short on wheels

wasn't an oversight --

It was a long-term purposeful effort to keep party non-competitive and

that's the DLC agnda --