It depends what the meaning of 'misspeak' is (Howard Dean)

Townhall.com ^ | June 10, 2005 | David Limbaugh

[OESY]

It's rather amusing, frankly, to see certain Democrats trying to distance themselves from Howard Dean's latest round of vitriol against the Republican Party, when you consider the systematic slandering most of them have heaped upon President Bush for more than four years.

Assuming you're not dwelling in a cave with Osama, you've heard that Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said that many Republicans "never made an honest living in their lives," and that the Republican Party is "pretty much a white, Christian party." (As to the former, remember when Democrats, in their post-election, grief-born introspection promised to redouble their efforts to reach out to the Christian right and "values" voters? As to the latter, I haven't heard whether Howard cynically attempted this time to pepper his remarks with scriptural passages, as he is wont to do.)

Most of the Democrats who are even bothering to dissociate themselves from Dean's remarks are ones who aspire to the presidency, such as Sen. Joseph Biden and New Mexico gov. Bill Richardson, who said, variously, that Dean doesn't speak for all Democrats.

Oh? That's news to me, since he is occupying precisely the position of one who does speak for Democrats. Indeed, Democrat honchos were well aware of Dean's proclivity for GOP villification when they deliberately placed him in his current position. And need I remind you that Dean is a perfectly logical successor for Terry McAuliffe, who character-assassinated Republicans for sport?

Democrats knew what they were getting with Dean, and they chose him with malice aforethought. They either affirmatively support his endless defamation or have concluded it's the price they have to pay to mollify their antiwar, anti-Bush base. Either way, Dean's words were entirely foreseeable, even predictable.

Which is why it is a little hard to take Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid's disingenuous suggestion that Dean's comments were a mistake. Reid said, "Well, I think, as all of you know, that there isn't a single person that hasn't misspoken."

How true, but don't insult us by trying to pass this off as a misstatement. Did the faux mild-mannered Reid misspeak when he called President Bush a loser to school kids and a liar? As far as I know, he didn't retract the latter.

Did Hillary Clinton -- also, by the way, a Democrat presidential hopeful, who to this point has been coated with a newly acquired Teflon that has immunized her from serious criticism for her intermittent, intemperate remarks -- misspeak when she charged that, "There has never been an administration, I don't believe, in our history more intent upon consolidating and abusing power?"

Or, did someone fail to deliver the memo to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who said Dean had "energized the base of the party. He has a plan for building the infrastructure of the party. People feel very involved in terms of issues, organization and communication?"

So, which is it? Did Mad Howard misspeak, or are his remarks calculated to "energize the base"? (That was a rhetorical question.)

No less a paragon of verbal restraint than Sen. Ted Kennedy said that though some of Dean's phrases have been "inartful," he has been an effective party chairman. One has to ask what criteria Kennedy has in mind, given that Dean is reputedly having difficulty raising funds for his party, which one would assume would be the chairman's primary duty. Or is it to incite the loony Left base, which apparently gets a little antsy between Michael Moore mocumentaries?

And since we're debating whether Howard Dean said what he meant to say, perhaps we should consider his own reflections after he had a couple of days to ponder the uproar his remarks generated.

Well, in full-throated Bill Clinton mode (attacking his accusers), Dean said, "You know, I think a lot of this is exactly what the Republicans want, and that's a diversion." He elaborated that Republicans are feigning outrage to divert the public's attention away from their problems on Social Security, gas prices and the war in Iraq.

Does this sound repentant to you? Next time I get caught robbing a bank, I'm going to accuse the police of diverting attention away from their failure to bring white-collar crime under control.

I agree with House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, who properly noted that "Democrats, while quick to publicly distance themselves from Dean, can't hide the fact that their national party chairman remains a sought-after presence in closed-door strategy sessions."

I'm afraid that Democrats know exactly what they're doing with Dean. They've decided, as a matter of strategy, that they have to vilify and berate President Bush and Republicans because it's the only real weapon remaining in their arsenal. For now, they've quit competing in the marketplace of ideas.

[anniegetyourgun]

Did Mad Howard misspeak, or are his remarks calculated to "energize the base"?

Yes.

[xJones]

I'm afraid that Democrats know exactly what they're doing with Dean. They've decided, as a matter of strategy, that they have to vilify and berate President Bush and Republicans because it's the only real weapon remaining in their arsenal.

Perhaps so, but they made a ridiculous choice. Dean isn't like a hired Dem gunslinger stalking into the Republican corral; he's a loose cannon on the SS Dem, firing all over the place and hitting anything but the iceberg ahead.

[mad puppy]

Keep talking Howard. Please, keep talking.

[Brilliant]

"Did Mad Howard misspeak...."

No. It was his "Evil Twin."

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Keep talking Howard. Please, keep talking."

So funny. I tell my lib friends to write to chairman Dean and insist he take a harder line with the Republicans.

They just don't get it. Better off that way.

[D-fendr]

Soros and moveon bought and paid for the party and they said, "Dean."

If the other dems want Dean out, they're gonna have to buy it back.

[gridlock]

Soros and moveon bought and paid for the party and they said, "Dean."

If the other dems want Dean out, they're gonna have to buy it back.

They could always become Republicans... The Republican Party is probably closer to the values of your typical Democrat voter than Howard Dean and George Soros.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Dean isn't like a hired Dem gunslinger stalking into the Republican corral; he's a loose cannon on the SS Dem, firing all over the place and hitting anything but the iceberg ahead.

It may be too soon to tell. If Howard Dean has got the stuff, he'll get past these early difficulties in his reign as DNC chair, perhaps with his vitriol intact but better maneuvered.

[QueenBee3]

hoping and praying Dems keep Dean!!! please please please.

[CyberAnt]

As usual, David is right on.

I loved the comment from Teddy - "inartful" - but if a repub has said anything even remotely similar to the things Dean has been saying .. I doubt Teddy would have categorized it as "inartful".

[Redfeather]

The Party of Screamers

It occurs to me that Howard Dean, the doctor had the responsibility to find remedies to medical problems his patients' faced. That was his job--the reason he was in practice. One would think that Howard Dean, the politician, would have transfered his remedial qualities into his political arena. Instead, he has chosen to broadcast, blast and blame the "other party". His latest demeaning remarks led me to his bio web site where his stand on abortion is clear: "A third trimester abortion may be needed to save the mothers life. This may not be the best thing for the child, but it can be necessary to save the mother."
Huh? Not the best thing for the child? Hey Howie! Death for the innocent is never the "best thing."

Then I hear where human population is the biggest problem we face--therefore same sex marriages should be honored. This produces fewer children---the same goes for abortion. 5.6 Billion plus people must be reduced to 1 or maybe 2 billion, according to enviros. Promotion of same sex life style and abortion are ways we can make it happen.

Then I wonder why Dean, Kennedy, Clinton, Pelosi, et., al never speak of the scams, scandals, money laundering and all the rest of the warts growing on the United Nations. Could it be that they drink from the same cup, read from the same page and prefer business as usual? They would no longer be satisified with control of the United States when they were on a fast track to a global government that could been seen hanging right beyond the reach of their short sighted visions. In my humble opinion, this is the main reason why they cannot tell any of us their solutions, remedies or positions on government.
They would be crushed under the weight of their voice.



Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

[Liz]

The thesis of Dean and the Dumocrats' moral relativism---upon which legalized abortion is enforced----appears to be that mankind exists in a guiltless vacuum, and is merely the sum of its private parts.


Relativism---and Dumocrats---demand that all of society kneel in obeisance to its incessant need for gratification. The language of laws, societal customs, and cultural institutions must be gutted and should exist only to feed this carnal obsession.


The abortion savages, ACLU, NARAL, Planned Parenthood, together with left liberal and church-separation groups, are employed in this destructive objective.


The Political Correctness battering ram has been used by the Dummo's and the moral relativists---better known as the Secular Taliban and their acolytes--- to beat back believers, to silence moral people of every faith, to keep them out of the public square.


Let the word go out----Political Correctness is dead----killed by a wounded culture corrupted and devastated by the Dummos' hydra-headed PC monster.


It only remains for good people to bury it six feet under.

[outfield]

Blunt also made another good point when he said some of Dean's remarks have been "below the belt."

The Dimocrats are in real trouble and Dean running his mouth like that is not helping.