WHO IS HOWARD DEAN? (RNC RESEARCH)

-- Governor Dean “Supported And Signed” A Law Requiring The State Of Vermont To Formally Recognize Same-Sex Civil Unions. “[Dean] supported and signed the state’s famous and controversial ‘civil unions’ law, allowing gay and lesbian couples to participate in a formal ceremony that confers on them all the legal benefits of marriage.” (David S. Broder, “For ‘04 Run, A Walk In Carter’s Shoes,” The Washington Post, July 12, 2002)

--If Elected President, Dean Would Honor Civil Unions As A Matter Of National Policy. “‘As president of the United States, I will recognize civil unions, which will then allow full equality under the law as far as the federal government is concerned,’ Dean said in a speech to the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association convention in Philadelphia.” (Ross Sneyd, “Dean Would Recognize Civil Unions As President,” [Barre-Montpelier] Times Argus, September 14, 2002)

--The Centerpiece Of Governor Dean’s Presidential Platform Is Budget-Busting Universal Health Care.

--Dean Has Said He Would Repeal Most Of President Bush’s Tax Cut In Order To Fund His National Health Insurance Program. “Dean not only advocates universal health insurance but also tells audiences that Vermont already has moved in that direction. . . . How to pay for this? Simple, says Dean. Roll back virtually all of President Bush’s tax cut of 2001 . . . .” (David S. Broder, “For ‘04 Run, A Walk In Carter’s Shoes,” The Washington Post, July 12, 2002)

--Governor Dean Routinely Attacks President Bush’s Bipartisan Education Reform.

--To Avoid The Accountability Requirements Of The New Law, Dean Threatened To Refuse Federal Title I Money For The Poorest Of Vermont’s Schoolchildren. “The Bush education plan is a bad plan . . . . [W]hat we are looking at in Vermont is not accepting the money . . . .” (Caryn Rousseau, “New England Governor Tests Waters In Arkansas,” The Associated Press, August 16, 2002)

--As Governor, Dean “Impressed Feminists By Opposing Occasional Legislative Efforts At Restricting Abortion.” (Jonathan Cohn, “Invisible Man,” The New Republic, July 1, 2002)

--Dean Supports Abortion On Demand, Which He Believes Is “None Of The Government’s Business.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” July 21, 2002)

--Dean Speaks Out Proudly About His Role In The Passage Of Vermont’s Civil Unions Law. “Speaking before an audience of gay and lesbian rights advocates Sunday, Dean [said]. . . . ‘[I]t was in many ways the most important event in my political life. . . .There aren’t many people who get to do what I did.’” (“Gov. Dean Touts Civil Unions In Pennsylvania Address,” The Associated Press, January 28, 2002)

--Dean Believes Public Support For Civil Unions Is So Widespread That There Should Be A National Law Conferring The Legal Benefits Of Marriage On Homosexual Couples. “I think civil unions will continue to sweep across the country . . . . As president, I would recognize civil unions federally, because equal rights under the law doesn’t just mean equal rights under state law. It means equal rights under federal law.” (Carla Marinucci, “Democrats Go West To Get To White House,” The San Francisco Chronicle, October 19, 2002)

--Vermont Is The Only State In The Country That Formally Honors Same-Sex Civil Unions. As of fall 2001, 35 states had formally refused to recognize homosexual marriages. (Saskia Kim And Drew Liebert, “A Primer On Civil Unions,” Assembly Judiciary Committee Of California State Legislature, October/November 2001)

--A Plurality Of Americans Oppose Civil Unions And A Majority Do Not Approve Of Legal Marriage For Homosexuals. In a poll conducted by The Associated Press, 46% opposed civil unions, that would give gays and lesbians all the rights and benefits of marriage. Just 41% of respondents supported civil unions for gays. In the same poll, 51% believed gays and lesbians should not be allowed to legally marry, while only 34% thought they should. (The Associated Press Poll, Conducted By ICR, May 17-21, 2000; N=1,012 Adults Nationwide; MoE ± 3)

--In Vermont, Dean Pushed For The Same Type Of Liberal Health Care Policies That Failed Under President Clinton. “Dean . . . work[ed] closely with the Clinton team and champion[ed] for Vermont a ‘managed competition’ scheme similar to the one the administration was pushing for the country as a whole.” (Jonathan Cohn, “Invisible Man,” The New Republic, July 1, 2002)

--Dean Does Not Comprehend That Universal Health Care Would Be A New, Sweeping Government Entitlement. “In his appearances, Howard Dean champions universal health care patched together with a government-supported program to guarantee health insurance for the young, prescription benefits for the elderly and insurance support for small-business employees. ‘This is not a big government plan,’ Dean said. ‘Insurance companies should like this plan.’” (C. David Kotok, “Presidential Hopeful Travels To Nebraska, Stumps For Stormy,” Omaha World-Herald, October 9, 2002)

--Dean Says That, If Elected President, He Would Repeal The Tax Cut In Order To Fund Universal Health Care. He admits that universal health coverage “can’t be done without a new infusion of money ‘which can’t be done without eliminating the president’s tax cuts. Somebody has to tell the truth about health care policy . . . .’” (Mike Glover, “Dean Sees Corporate Scandals Damaging Republican Image,” The Associated Press, July 16, 2002)

--During Eleven Years As Governor Of Vermont, Dean Enacted Only One Limited Tax Reduction And Opposed Cutting Taxes When The State Was Running A Large Surplus. “As unwilling as Dean was to raise taxes, he cut them only once, in 1999, and then only moderately. In the late ‘90s, when the state suddenly had large surpluses on its hands, Dean opposed larger tax cuts . . . .” (Jonathan Cohn, “Invisible Man,” The New Republic, July 1, 2002)

--Dean Has Come Out Strongly In Favor Of Repealing President Bush’s Tax Cuts, Calling Them “Bad Economic Policy.” “I think most of the [P]resident’s tax cut ought to be repealed. It’s very bad economic policy.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” July 21, 2002)

--Dean Also Supported Repealing Tax Cuts That Benefit Working-Class Americans. When asked whether he would repeal tax relief even for low and moderate income taxpayers, Dean responded, “[s]ure, because no middle class and working class people that I know noticed they got a tax cut.” (CNN’s “Capital Gang,” October 5, 2002)

--Dean Believes He Knows Which Americans “Need” Tax Relief And Which Do Not. “‘The Bush tax cuts don’t go to the people who need help,’ said the governor. ‘Rather the bulk of the tax cuts go to people in the top 2 percent of income earners. They are people who don’t need a tax cut.’” (Bob Andersen, “Vermont Governor Visits Clayton County As He Seeks Democratic Presidential Nomination,” Clayton County Register, September 11, 2002)

--Dean Called The President’s Education Reform “A Terrible Mistake.” “Dean . . . has called President Bush’s education plan ‘a terrible mistake.’” (Krista Larson, “State Awarded Federal Education Funds,” The Associated Press, July 11, 2002)

--The No Child Left Behind Act Is Supported By Most Republicans And Democrats. The No Child Left Behind Act conference report passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the Senate, by a vote of 87 to 10. The conference report also passed in the House by a vote of 381 to 41. Only six Senate Democrats and six House Democrats voted against the bill. (H.R. 1, House Roll Call #497: Passed 381-41: R 183-33; D 198-6; I 0-2, December 13, 2001; H.R. 1, Senate Roll Call #371: Passed 87-10: R 44-3; D 43-6; I 0-1, December 18, 2001; Public Law No. 107-110, January 8, 2002)

Potential Presidential Rivals Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), John F. Kerry (Mass.) And John Edwards (N.C.) All Voted In Favor Of The Education Bill In The Senate. (David S. Broder, “For ‘04 Run, A Walk In Carter’s Shoes,” The Washington Post, July 12, 2002; H.R. 1, Senate Roll Call #371: Passed 87-10: R 44-3; D 43-6; I 0-1, December 18, 2001)

Dean “Rebell[ed]” Against The Education Law, Suggesting That Vermont Reject Federal Money For Its Schools In Order To Escape New Accountability Requirements. “Rebelling against new school-testing demands, Vermont’s governor says he wants his state to consider rejecting $26 million in federal education money to escape the requirements attached to it. The testing component is a key part of President Bush’s education plan, which Gov. Howard Dean called ‘a terribly flawed bill.’ He also said provisions on school prayer and access to student information overstep the limits of federal oversight.” He later avoided taking this tough position on funding by leaving the decision to his successor. (Greg Toppo, “Vermont Governor Considers Refusing Federal Funds So Schools Can Opt Out Of Testing,” The Associated Press, April 19, 2002; David S. Broder, “For ‘04 Run, A Walk In Carter’s Shoes,” The Washington Post, July 12, 2002)

Dean Scoffed That The No Child Left Behind Act Will Eventually Be Known As The “Every Child Left Behind Bill.” (Wilson Ring, “Dean Says Bush Ed Policies Showing True Colors,” The Associated Press, August 28, 2002)

As Governor Of Vermont, Dean Earned Points From Feminist Groups By Fighting Any Legislation That Would Strengthen Abortion Laws. (Jonathan Cohn, “Invisible Man,” The New Republic, July 1, 2002)

Dean Maintains That Regulating Abortion Is “None Of The Government’s Business.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” July 21, 2002)

Most Americans Think The Government Should Impose Some Legal Limitations On Abortion. In a 2001 Gallup poll, 56% believed that abortions should be legal only under “certain circumstances.” 43% supported legal abortion “only in a few circumstances,” while just 12% supported it in “most circumstances.” (Gallup/CNN/USA Today Poll, Conducted By The Gallup Organization, Conducted August 10-12, 2001, N=1,017 Adults Nationwide)

Dean Claims He Is Leaving The Vermont Governorship With A Balanced Budget In Place. “[W]hen Dean claims that he is departing office with a balanced General Fund budget, honesty ought to compel him to confess just how he got it to balance: robbing other funds, increasing local share property taxes, and levying an unlegislated tax on health insurance paid by individuals, small businesses, and self-insured companies.” (John McClaughry, “Climbing Out Of The Hole,” Rutland Herald, December 18, 2002)

--Reduced the General Fund’s required contribution to the Education Fund by $9.3 million

--Shifted $9.2 million from the tobacco settlement fund, $6.4 million from the Transportation Fund and $2.1 million from elsewhere to claim a year-end surplus projection of $80,000

--Drastically reduced payments to doctors, hospitals, and other caregivers to make up the shortfall in the state’s Medicaid bills, increasing health care costs to non-Medicaid patients

--Forced an increased local share property tax by reducing the state contribution to the Education Fund

(John McClaughry, “Climbing Out Of The Hole,” Rutland Herald, December 18, 2002)

“Seeking To Prove” He Is Leaving Office With A Balanced Budget, Dean Took The Unusual Step Of Releasing His Own Outline For A 2004 State Budget. “[E]ager to underscore the fiscal discipline he believes is part of his legacy, [Dean] released the outlines of a 2004 state budget . . . . He was seeking to prove that the state’s books are in balance as he prepares to leave office, despite warnings from the incoming administration that a deficit of $30 million to $40 million could be looming. . . . The plan tends to hide how difficult the budget situation is, though, because it would require departments to spend no more next year than they are now even though state employees are due negotiated pay raises.” (Ross Sneyd, “Dean Offers Outline Of ‘04 Budget,” Burlington Free Press, December 12, 2002)

Incoming Governor Jim Douglas Sees A Bleak Budget Picture. Douglas is “writing a plan for the 2004 budget that will rely on general fund revenues that appear to be much softer than even the reduced estimates that outgoing Gov. Howard Dean and legislative leaders settled on . . . . Douglas said he was anticipating some fundamental changes in state government to hold down spending, including eliminating some programs, leaving some jobs unfilled and possibly laying off workers.” (Ross Sneyd, “Douglas Appoints Cabinet Secretaries, Discusses Budget,” The Associated Press, December 5, 2002)

Dean Disagrees With Every Other Major Democrat Candidate On The Tax Cut. Dean is the only candidate advocating a repeal of most of the President’s tax cuts, while Kerry, Lieberman, and Edwards have called for freezing various portions of the tax relief act. Gephardt has not taken a clear position on freezing or repealing the tax cut. (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” July 21, 2002; NBC’s “Meet The Press,” December 1, 2002; NBC’s “Meet The Press,” October 6, 2002; CNN’s “Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer,” October 13, 2002; Ronald Brownstein, “Lieberman Urges Tax Cut Rollback,” The Los Angeles Times, May 21, 2002)

Dean Disagrees With Kerry, Lieberman, Edwards, And Gephardt On The Bipartisan Education Reform Law. Dean repeatedly criticizes the No Child Left Behind Act, which he calls a “terrible mistake.” But Kerry, Lieberman, Edwards, and Gephardt each voted for the bill. (Krista Larson, “State Awarded Federal Education Funds,” The Associated Press, July 11, 2002; H.R. 1, House Roll Call #497: Passed 381-41: R 183-33; D 198-6; I 0-2, December 13, 2001; H.R. 1, Senate Roll Call #371: Passed 87-10: R 44-3; D 43-6; I 0-1, December 18, 2001; Public Law No. 107-110, January 8, 2002)

Dean Disagrees With Lieberman,And U>Gephardt On Gay Marriage. Dean signed legislation that extends all the legal benefits of marriage to gay couples in Vermont. However, Lieberman, and Gephardt all voted in favor of the 1996 “Defense of Marriage Act.” (David S. Broder, “For ‘04 Run, A Walk In Carter’s Shoes,” The Washington Post, July 12, 2002; H.R. 3396, Senate Vote #280: Passed 85-14: R 53-0; D 32-14, September 10, 1996; H.R. 3396, House Vote #316: Passed 342-67: R 224-1; D 118-65, July 12, 1996)

Dean Disagrees With Lieberman, Kerry, And Gephardt On Balancing The Federal Budget. Dean is campaigning on the claim that he will bring a balanced budget to Washington, and he supported the 1995 attempt to create a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. But Lieberman, Kerry, and Gephardt each voted against balanced budget legislation. (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” July 21, 2002; CNN’s “Crossfire,” February 28, 1995; S.J. Res. 1, Vote #24: Rejected 66-34: R 55-0; D 11-34, March 4, 1997; H.J. Res. 1, Vote #158: Rejected 64-35: R 52-1; D 12-34, June 6, 1996; H.J. Res. 1, Vote #98: Rejected 65-35: R 51-2; D 14-33, March 2, 1995; H.J. Res. 103, Vote #65: Rejected 271-153: R 172-1; D 99-151; I 0-1, March 17, 1994)

Dean Disagrees With Kerry, And Lieberman On Giving Fast Track Trade Negotiating Authority To President Bush. While Dean supported fast track trade authority under President Clinton, he has since changed his position, telling unions and other interest groups that he would not vote to give such trade negotiating power to President Bush unless strong labor and environmental standards were guaranteed by the bill. Senators Kerry, and Lieberman voted for the Trade Act of 2002, which gave fast track trade authority to President Bush. (David S. Broder, “For ‘04 Run, A Walk In Carter’s Shoes,” The Washington Post, July 12, 2002; H.R. 3009, CQ Vote #207: Adopted 64-34: R 43-5; D 20-29; I 1-0, August 1, 2002)

News

Vermont's Gay Representative Backs Dean In Race for Governor

Excerpt:

Vermont’s only gay state representative, who spearheaded passage of the state’s historic civil unions law, says that Gov. Howard Dean and legislators who voted for the measure will be fighting for their political futures in November’s elections.
Bill Lippert said in an Aug. 12 interview during the National Stonewall Democratic Federation convention in Palm Springs, Calif., that conservative Republicans and their allies are mounting an offensive to defeat Dean, whom he called the national gay community’s strongest ally among gubernatorial incumbents. And, because Vermonters are evenly divided in their opinions on civil unions, legislators who voted for passage are risking their seats.

Susan Estrich was on "Weekend" this morning, touting Howard Dean. It was sooooo funny ... even Tony was laughing at her. Our friend, Rich Galen (who was a guest speaker at FRIVA), made a good point about Dean - he said that Dean was going to have a hard time getting face time in the press, because all the other dem candidates would or could have a Senate floor format from which to broadcast their policies.

Susan didn't seem to think it would matter, and said that Dean would be the next Hollywood candidate. Does she actually believe Hollywood can elect a president??

Welcome, fellow Vermonter!

I hope you will fly our flag proudly on your FReeper profile page.

Here is a link with info on how to do so.

It's wonderful to know there are more of us on Free Republic!

With Dean, and the Green's Nader the left would appear well represented.

Dean looks out of step with the American electorate; wrong on gay-unions, wrong on Iraq for example.

That should, therefore, stand him in good stead with the demo party.

Dean seems to be a pretty improbable threat right now. Nevertheless, it concerns me just a little bit that over the past century, with the singular exception of JFK (and this is ONLY an exception because of massive vote fraud in Chicago), the only Democrats that have ever unseated incumbant Republican Presidents in an election have all been governors.

Exactly my thoughts - and will HRC let this democrat gain momentum? He is making remarks like these to our young people...Millions of regular Americans are sleepless over the state of our nation today. More than 3 million jobs have been lost under President Bush, and Americans are worried about their own economic future. It is time to stand up for fiscal responsibility, so that we can have health care for every American, funding for our public schools, and true homeland security.

President Bush did not loose those jobs for people, ENRON and the others did by ridding high on the Clinton era of get rich quick-any-way-you-can! Let’s not loose sight of just who did America in economically and morally.

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