This is from Atrios. Howard Dean stood up to Bush supporter, I mean CNN host Wolf Blitzer. Makes it pretty obvious where Blitzer stands, reading this--that he favors continued war in Iraq and GOP corruption at home. As Atrios notes, the transcript fails to note Blitzer's exasperated sigh as he thanked Dean for his "bluntness and candor." He and his fellow media toadies are trying to make Dean out to be crazy, but we know who's telling the truth here. My only gripe is Dean spews the usual talking point about inadequate body armor--Kerry did that, too. The best way to increase troop longevity is to pull them out of Iraq, which we never should have invaded. As for Blitzer, he's a warmonger who made little whoops of delight when Bush dropped those bombs you and I paid for on Baghdad:BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about Iraq. The president sought to reach out to some of his critics earlier in the week, bringing in some former secretaries of state, including Madeleine Albright, among others -- William Cohen, the former defense secretary during the Clinton administration.
Are you satisfied right now that the president's getting enough information from a variety of sources to better move forward as far as the situation in Iraq is concerned?
DEAN: Well, most of the reports that came out of that meeting, Wolf, were that the president engaged in a filibuster of his own in there. He talked at them for some time and then went in for a photo op and really didn't bother to ask most of them for their advice at all.
So, I think these photo op ideas that he's going to get advice and they're really nothing more than photo ops -- I think we're in a big pickle in Iraq.
The president, frankly -- I was disgusted when I read in the New York Times yesterday that 80 percent of the torso injuries and fatalities in the Marine Corps could have been prevented if the Pentagon, the secretary of defense and the president had supplied them with armor that they already had.
They requested that from the field; the Pentagon refused. You know, I, two years ago, thought Secretary Rumsfeld ought to resign. He ought to resign.
These people are not qualified. They haven't served themselves; they don't know what it takes. They ought to protect our troops. Our troops are doing a hell of a job and they deserve better leadership in Washington than what they're getting.
I was incensed when I saw that story, 80 percent of the torso- based wounds that led to fatalities in the Marine Corps -- surely our Marines are worth something more than that.
BLITZER: About a month ago, Senator Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic vice presidential nominee spoke out, urging his fellow Democrats, including yourself, to restrain themselves in criticizing the president's position on Iraq. Listen to what Lieberman said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: It's time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that he will be the commander-in-chief for three more critical years, and that, in matters of war, we undermine presidential credibility at our nation's peril.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: What do you think? Is that advice good advice from Senator Lieberman?
DEAN: No. This president has lacked credibility almost from the day he took office because of the way he took office.
He's not reached out to other people. He's shown he's willing to abuse his power. He's not consulted others. And he's not interested in consulting any others.
And I think, frankly, that Joe is absolutely wrong, that it is incumbent on every American who is patriotic and cares about their country to stand up for what's right and not go along with the president, who is leading us in a wrong direction.
We're going in the wrong direction, economically, at home; we're going in the wrong direction abroad.
...
BLITZER: Should Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, who has now pleaded guilty to bribery charges, among other charges, a Republican lobbyist in Washington, should the Democrat who took money from him give that money to charity or give it back?
DEAN: There are no Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, not one, not one single Democrat. Every person named in this scandal is a Republican. Every person under investigation is a Republican. Every person indicted is a Republican. This is a Republican finance scandal. There is no evidence that Jack Abramoff ever gave any Democrat any money. And we've looked through all of those FEC reports to make sure that's true.
BLITZER: But through various Abramoff-related organizations and outfits, a bunch of Democrats did take money that presumably originated with Jack Abramoff.
DEAN: That's not true either. There's no evidence for that either. There is no evidence...
BLITZER: What about Senator Byron Dorgan?
DEAN: Senator Byron Dorgan and some others took money from Indian tribes. They're not agents of Jack Abramoff. There's no evidence that I've seen that Jack Abramoff directed any contributions to Democrats. I know the Republican National Committee would like to get the Democrats involved in this. They're scared. They should be scared. They haven't told the truth. They have misled the American people. And now it appears they're stealing from Indian tribes. The Democrats are not involved in this.
BLITZER: Unfortunately Mr. Chairman, we got to leave it right there.
Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic Party, always speaking out bluntly, candidly.
Further to the subject of the above mentioned photo op with the former secretaries of state (from left i on the news)
"Mr. Bush allowed 5 to 10 minutes this morning for interchange with the group." "Let's call it 8 minutes. 13 former Secretaries. A grand total of 37 seconds for each one to offer Bush their advice."
(I know that I have my own politicians to hate right now, but sometimes it spills over the border)
did you see David Letterman with Bill O'reilly last week? It was intense, Letterman really gave it to him.
|
This is from Atrios. Howard Dean stood up to Bush supporter, I mean CNN host Wolf Blitzer. Makes it pretty obvious where Blitzer stands, reading this--that he favors continued war in Iraq and GOP corruption at home. As Atrios notes, the transcript fails to note Blitzer's exasperated sigh as he thanked Dean for his "bluntness and candor." He and his fellow media toadies are trying to make Dean out to be crazy, but we know who's telling the truth here. My only gripe is Dean spews the usual talking point about inadequate body armor--Kerry did that, too. The best way to increase troop longevity is to pull them out of Iraq, which we never should have invaded. As for Blitzer, he's a warmonger who made little whoops of delight when Bush dropped those bombs you and I paid for on Baghdad:
- tom moody 1-09-2006 3:58 am
Further to the subject of the above mentioned photo op with the former secretaries of state (from left i on the news)
"Mr. Bush allowed 5 to 10 minutes this morning for interchange with the group." "Let's call it 8 minutes. 13 former Secretaries. A grand total of 37 seconds for each one to offer Bush their advice."
(I know that I have my own politicians to hate right now, but sometimes it spills over the border)
- L.M. 1-09-2006 7:26 pm
did you see David Letterman with Bill O'reilly last week? It was intense, Letterman really gave it to him.
- martin (guest) 1-10-2006 2:16 am