Al calls Dean out

New York Daily News ^ | 1/12/04 | MAGGIE HABERMAN

[kattracks]

Howard Dean found himself on the defensive last night after the Rev. Al Sharpton forced him to concede he never had a black or Hispanic cabinet member in his 12 years as governor of Vermont. "You keep talking about race," said Sharpton, who's at the bottom of the heap in Iowa and New Hampshire. "But no black or brown held a senior policy position, not one."

Sharpton threw his punches in Iowa's famous Black and Brown Forum, a debate that focuses on minority issues.

"It seems as though you have discovered blacks and browns during this campaign," Sharpton said.

Dean "begged to differ" and shot back that he had a minority-group member on "senior" staff. But when Sharpton pressed him about his top cabinet, Dean acknowledged: "No, we did not [have a minority member]."

"I will take a backseat to no one in my commitment to civil rights in the United States of America," Dean fired back.

The Dean pile-on has only intensified ahead of next week's crucial Iowa caucuses, where Dean is in a dead heat with Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt.

He also took hits on his plans for fixing the economy from Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who's hoping to resuscitate his sputtering campaign in Iowa so he can be competitive in New Hampshire's Jan. 27 primary.

Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, normally Dean's harshest critic, was largely ignored during the debate. His campaign, along with that of retired Gen. Wesley Clark, closed up shop in Iowa months ago.

Clark, who has emerged as Dean's biggest challenger in national polls, was the only one of the nine Dem candidates to skip the forum.

Before the debate, Kerry, who some pundits think is in a race with Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina for third place in Iowa, tried to take some of the wind out of Dean's endorsement from popular Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin on NBC's "Meet the Press."

He accused Harkin of endorsing Dean only because he thinks he will win. Kerry produced what he said was a Harkin E-mail that has him calling Gephardt his real choice.

The Harkin camp didn't dispute Kerry's assertion.

The senator believes Dean "can beat George Bush," said a Harkin spokeswoman.

In New Hampshire, the big story continued to be Clark, whose numbers continued to creep up and who campaigned while his fellow Democrats debated.

Clark will fly to New York tomorrow for political meetings and two fund-raisers, which will net about $500,000, campaign aides said.

He also plans a real-time forum to respond to President Bush's State of the Union address next week.

Originally published on January 12, 2004

[Dahoser]

Oh yeah, that's going to resonate in Iowa and New Hampshire where the minority population is barely 5% in each.

[Support Free Republic]

God Bless This Great Country!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[Thebaddog]

Why can't democrat ever tell a bro that the racial profiling of his staff is in fact against the law?

[chiefqc]

Ah yes, deanie the arrogant, is no hothead. It's just a understandabhle reaction of his when anyone has tough questions. As a matter of fact if they ever question him.

Yea, he's the type of stable, calm leader that the U.S. needs to have his finger near the trigger.

[DustyMoment]

"He accused Harkin of endorsing Dean only because he thinks he will win. Kerry produced what he said was a Harkin E-mail that has him calling Gephardt his real choice.

The Harkin camp didn't dispute Kerry's assertion."

The state of political campaigns in America - DISGRACEFUL!!!!!

[stevem]

This is an honest question since I've never been to Vermot. Do any blacks or Hispanics live there?

I find it better than entertaining that Sharpton is among Dean's biggest critics regarding race. Sharpton is the most intense racist of the bunch. Or perhaps he just works the hardest at trying not to hide the fact.

[samtheman]

Sharpton, like Jesse Jackson, is a huckster punk gangster who rose to fame by bullying, lying and intimidating, and the RAT party is a bunch of toe-sucking wimps who must crawl at his feet in fear of being called racist. I'm voting for Punk Al in the New Jersey primary. I want him up there on the podium mooning the stupid white liberals who will cringe and fawn on camera so that the nation will see how appropriately obsequious they are.

[MoralSense]

There may be some blacks or browns in places like Rutland or Montepellier, but in other spots, I haven't seen any.

[arasina]

Interesting that Clark skips debates and goes to New York for fundraisers. Sharpton can't call him out about any racial inequities if he's not there to debate. Very Hillary-like, that Clark.

[hellinahandcart]

This is an honest question since I've never been to Vermot. Do any blacks or Hispanics live there?

Yes, but you could go a long time between sightings.

[Graymatter]

Vermont is about 97% white. Dean had six cabinet members so it's not surprising that he didn't pick one of the 2% black people. But over 12 years? That is a trifle peculiar for a Dem with his eye on the Prize.

[niteowl77]

No surprise there- Dungheap Harkin is the biggest opportunist in the history of Iowa politics (and we've had a couple of dandies). On the state level, he's pure teflon with this endorsement- even should Howard implode in the primaries, Dunga Din's loyal cornfed enablers will find no fault in their little satrap.

How this plays out in Tommie the Commie's real constituency (Washington D.C.) may be another matter.

[Batrachian]

I have the same problem as Dean. I don't mean that I never hired blacks to my cabinet. I mean that I'm not that quick with a great comeback and only think of one after the fact. Bums me out.

What he should have said was: "You're right Al, but then I've never started a race riot either, so who the hell are you to lecture to anyone about race, anyway? By the way, Al, did you ever pay back that money you owe to Steven Pagonis?"

But maybe he can't say things like that when he's pandering to certain constituencies. Somehow I just can't see black voters getting all fired up about voting for Mr. Whitebread Dean.

[capt. norm]

Rev. Al had one great comeback for Dean when Dean defended himself by mentioning endorsements from prominent blacks.

Al's response:"You only need co-signers if your credit is bad."

[Drango]

"It seems as though you have discovered blacks and browns during this campaign,"

It seems he also found Jesus during the campaign.

[smiley]

Dean should have asked Sharpton if Big Al has any WASP in his cabinet...

[goldstategop]

A classic Al Sharpton quote. Vermont is practically lily white. And of course Howard Dean knows all about making America look like Vermont - or is that the other way around? Anyway, Fat Al's got a good point that Dean's politically crafty to the point that he imagines he gets away with just about anything til he gets called on it. Could Fat Al be a Karl Rove plant? You just never know... ;-)

[ItsOurTimeNow]

LMAO...you just can't make this stuff up!

This is classic entertainment!

[Naspino]

His "take a back seat" statement would offend me -- if I cared.