Howard Dean letter to the NY Times (Written in 1988!)

OverLawyered ^ | December 24, 2003 | Howard Dean

[FormerACLUmember]

An eagle-eyed reader draws our attention to the June 29, 1988 New York Times, where the then-Lieutenant Governor of Vermont writes to the editor about a Times story on large damages awards in a libel case.

To the Editor:

Randall Bezanson and Gilbert Cranberg detailed a situation that I hope will get far worse. As a physician, I have been frustrated for years by the reluctance of state legislatures and the United States Congress to deal with liability problems of all kinds.

I have long maintained that until the legal profession and the news media are also afflicted with the increasingly severe consequences of a tort system that benefits few people outside the legal profession, there will be no return to a fair and reasonable system of justice.

The trends toward lawyers suing one another for malpractice and toward outrageous-size punitive damages in libel cases give me hope that the crisis in our tort system may finally come to the attention of those who can make this a public issue and improve the situation for all of us who require liability insurance to do business.

HOWARD DEAN, M.D. Montpelier, Vt., June 17, 1988

[FormerACLUmember]

Dean does have his good points, and makes a lot of sense here. I guess he was on the proper medicine in those days, since he is obviously a raging unmedicated manic at this point!

[Dane]

Uh this was written in 1988, if Dean was honest, he would be a Republican today, and not chasing the amour of the leftist whackos.

[laishly]

This comes out as part of his lurch to the center. He must feel confidant that he has the demo nomination sewed up.

[Dane]

This comes out as part of his lurch to the center. He must feel confidant that he has the demo nomination sewed up

Yeah center in 1988, leftie whacko in 2003.

[Akron Al]

I wonder what Edwards has to say about this?

[Dane]

Yeah center in 1988, leftie whacko in 2003

Please let me revise my above passage.

Yeah "supposed" center in 1988, true leftie whacko Dean in 2003.

[FormerACLUmember]

I predict Dean will run to the center after he has the rat nomination.

...Of course that is assuming he is sane. There is a growing body of evidence unfortunately that he is psychotic, a real Manchurian Candidate.

[woodyinscc]

Uh this was written in 1988, if Dean was honest, he would be a Republican today, and not chasing the amour of the leftist whackos.

With the help of their complicit press, the dims constantly change positions when it is politically expedient. It is in their nature, it is what they do....!!!!

[Tacis]

All right, that is just inappropriate! You've gone too far! This letter, which many dem plantiffs' lawyers find grossly offensive, was supposed to have been sealed. It is unfair that some media outlets (the NYT, itself, for god's sake) comply with this exercise of privacy while others try to dig up facts just to use to prove Dean is lying. We all KNOW he is lying and it is but to prove it simply isn't the dem, neocommunist, traitor, anti-American thing to do.

[ZOOKER]

This self-serving letter says nothing about his political leanings.

He was an MD, paying for high malpractice insurance. How do you think he should feel about lawyers?

If anything it tells me that Dean shares a trait with most all Democrats -- situational ethics.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Dean was one of the most conservative Democrats in the country as Gov. of Vermont-- he cut taxes, cut spending, endorsed the Gingrich Medicare Plan etc.

I suspect that Dean is a lot like Nixon in reverse-- catering to the party's base in the primaries as a calculated move, but would govern towards the center (although Nixon went the other way and governed as a price controlling socialist).

[evolved_rage]

Dean is nuts...

Well 1988 is not that long ago since Dean recently suggested that the Soviet Union should put preasure on Iran... He'll want a meeting with Breshnev next.

[FormerACLUmember]

lol

[FormerACLUmember]

Dean scares me these days. I don't know if his current wacko positions are dishonest manipulations of his loony left political base, or if he really believes half the crazy things he says.

Either way, he is grossly unfit and inappropriate for High Office.

[Brilliant]

Too many lawyers, not enough doctors.

[Boss_Jim_Gettys]

"Uh this was written in 1988..."

Don't take any part of this letter to the editor seriously. He has grown since then.

[FormerACLUmember]

bttt

[Jaysun]

Dean drastically changed his policy recently. The new Dean refuses to listen to any of the voices in his head until they provide him with a "secret password". This is in stark contrast to his former policy which only omitted those voices that stuttered or spoke in "pig latin". He's a nut-job.

[FormerACLUmember]

Is it just me, or does it seem to you that the rat candidates are nearly all mentally ill?

[July 4th]

Both deaniscrazy.com and deanisinsane.com are still available to register. Someone go for it.

[Grut]

With the help of their complicit press, the dims constantly change positions when it is politically expedient.

As opposed to the 'pubbies, who constantly change in order to avoid taking a position....

[mountaineer]

Dean shares a trait with most all Democrats -- situational ethics.

Exactly.

[FormerACLUmember]

John Edwards is deeply saddened!

[Dane]

The letter should be forwarded to each of the other contenders, they may find it very interesting

They probably already have it(opposition research and all), but decided not to use it. Dean is getting a major head rush from the attention of toking from the leftist bong of the leftist whackos, and the rest of the dwarves are following.

Tommy Chong is very proud, after all to him(and other children of the 60's) it is about how someone feels at the moment, damn the future consequences.

[Solamente]

I over-write like that when I'm drunk.

[Solamente]

'Nuff Said...

[JSloth]

Probably the last time he was on the right side of any issue.

[FormerACLUmember]

Post #27: I guess that's what they mean when they say Dean is driping with venom.

[Jaysun]

Is it just me, or does it seem to you that the rat candidates are nearly all mentally ill?

It's not just you. Lots of people agree that they look like they just stepped off of the cast of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".

[FormerACLUmember]

The cast of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was at least entertaing. The rat dwarves are not humorous.