We shouldn't underestimate Dean- his debate performances are good. He's Clintonian, without the skirtchasing. The man is dangerous.
Funniest comments of the night came from Al Sharpton, though, when he threatened to sic some of his homeboys on the LaRouche disruptors.
Edwards Critical of Dean Over Race Remark
By NEDRA PICKLER
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrat Howard Dean's claim that he is the only white politician who talks about race to white audiences drew criticism Wednesday from his presidential rivals. Sen. John Edwards said the entire field discusses racial issues on the campaign trail.
``I think what Howard Dean said last night does a disservice to everyone he stood next to and all the people before us who have raised this issue over and over again in front of all audiences,'' the North Carolina lawmaker said one day after the nine candidates debated in Baltimore.
Dean, defending himself against criticism that his supporters are mostly white, told the predominantly black debate crowd, ``I'm the only white politician that ever talks about race in front of white audiences.''
Dean was wrong.
Edwards urges racial tolerance in nearly ever speech he gives on the campaign trail, including addresses to white crowds. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut talks about his efforts as a student during the 1960s civil rights movement. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has discussed race and its role in his Vietnam service.
``What he said last night was divisive and divisive is exactly what we're trying to overcome. He's right about one thing, politicians should talk about civil rights wherever they go. And in the future, I hope he leads by example instead of by attack,'' Edwards said in a telephone interview.
``Sen. Lieberman marched with Martin Luther King. Sen. Kerry talks about his experience in Vietnam. I grew up in the segregated South. Fighting for civil rights is part of who I am which is why I talked about it in front of every audience and whoever I'm with,'' he said.
The North Carolina lawmaker had avoided attacking his rivals until Wednesday, but his criticism is another sign that Dean's eight rivals are throwing elbows at the front-runner in an effort to force their way to the front.
``Governor Dean's statement was as false as it was inflammatory,'' said Jim Jordan, campaign manager for Kerry. ``John Kerry has been speaking out bluntly, in front of all audiences, on the issues of race relations and discrimination since he became a pubic figure more than 30 years ago.''
In previous appearances together, the candidates have looked more like a ragtag team of underdogs hankering to make the big leagues and take on President Bush. The sharpest barbs have been aimed at the president, while the candidates largely have avoided challenging each other by name.
Not so Tuesday night at a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. Some of the sharpest exchanges were between front-runner Dean and Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000.
Lieberman said comments Dean made last week about the Middle East ``break a 50-year record in which presidents, Republicans and Democrats, members of Congress of both parties have supported our relationship with Israel.''
The former Vermont governor responded that his position was the same as former President Clinton's, and Lieberman, who is Jewish, interrupted by saying, ``Not right ... not right.''
``It doesn't help, Joe, to demagogue this issue,'' Dean replied.
And so the gloves were off.
Several other Democrats said Lieberman's performance illustrated why his rivals shied away from attacking Dean, even at the risk of allowing Dean to build on the momentum he developed over the summer.
``It basically sounded shrill to me,'' said Joe Shanahan, veteran Democratic activist in Iowa. ``Lieberman didn't make his point well, and Dean responded strongly.''
One candidate who didn't take on Dean was the one who may be most threatened by him, Kerry. Dean has taken over Kerry's early lead in the early primary state of New Hampshire. Kerry has decided not to go negative now, although some of his supporters and even some advisers have been pressing him to do so.
The debate was at Morgan State University, a historically black college, and the Democrats took pains to stress their support for civil rights and other concerns to blacks - although Al Sharpton said black voters shouldn't allow themselves to be taken for granted.
``We need to correct the party so we can beat Bush with one expanded pie,'' he said in remarks critical of what he sees as Democratic inattentiveness to black concerns.
But international affairs dominated the debate. It opened with questions on Iraq, and some of the candidates tried to maintain their focus on Bush by criticizing his handling of the postwar reconstruction.
But those who opposed Bush's attack on Iraq put some of the blame on their fellow Democratic candidates who voted for the war resolution - Kerry, Lieberman, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt.
Without mentioning any names, Sen. Bob Graham of Florida said they handed Bush ``a blank check.'' Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun said they gave the president ``the right to go on a free-for-all.''
Sharpton threw one of Gephardt's favorite lines - that Bush's foreign policy is a ``miserable failure'' - back at him and the other war supporters.
``I've never heard of people acting like they didn't know we needed an exit when we gave him an entrance,'' Sharpton said. ``That is a miserable failure for us to allow this president to play these kinds of games.''
09/10/03 11:08 EDT
(My bold and underline)
Funniest comments of the night came from Al Sharpton, though, when he
threatened to sic some of his homeboys on the LaRouche disruptors.Hey, I'm votin' for ole Al, I tell ya !! ...
"If I can slap this donkey I can make it kick George Bush
out of the White House."--Al Sharpton
... not !!! :O)
