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Clinton Briefings Preceded Dean Gaffes
Newsmax ^ | December 28, 2003 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

Posted on 12/28/2003 9:48:01 AM PST by nwrep

Some of Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean's worst campaign gaffes have followed briefings by former Clinton administration officials who were sought out by the Vermont Democrat to tutor him on foreign policy.

In August, Dean's campaign staff turned to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who conducted a six-hour "private class" for the Vermont Democrat on Middle East issues, reported the Boston Globe in Sunday editions.

A few weeks later, Dean caused an uproar by suggesting Israel and the Palestinians should be treated in an "evenhanded" way, the paper noted.

After that blunder, President Clinton began personally advising the Vermont Democrat, ostensibly in a bid to head off any further poltically damaging gaffes. But the results have been anything but stellar for the presidential front-runner.

Shortly after his talks with the ex-president, Dean began touting Clinton as a special Middle East envoy, saying that President Bush should tap Clinton for the job now, and that he would do so if elected. In the weeks that followed Dean loaded up his campaign staff with ex-Clinton officials like Anthony Lake and Susan Rice.

Lake was regarded by critics as a security risk when he was nominated by Clinton to be National Security Advisor in 1993.

Rice has been accused of spurning efforts by Sudan in the late 1990s to improve relations with the Clinton adminisration, which included an offer to arrest 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden and turn him over to the U.S.

Coincidentally or not, since he's been under the tutelage of Clinton, Albright, Lake and Rice, the Democratic front-runner has careened from one rhetorical blunder on foreign policy after another.

In the last four weeks alone, Dean has accused the White House of being complicit in the 9/11 attacks, citing suspicions that President Bush received advanced warning from the Saudis but decided not to act on the tip.

Under sharp questioning by Fox News Sunday's Chris Wallace a few days later, Dean declined to back away from the conspiracy theory or apologize, saying of the bizarre allegation: "We don't know [if it's true] and it would be a nice thing to know."

Two weeks ago, Dean insisted that the U.S. was "no safer" after the capture of Saddam Hussein, and that security measures undertaken by the Bush administration had left the country no less vulnerable to terrorist attack than it had been before 9/11.

And in what promises to be the most damaging gaffe of all, Dean told a New Hampshire newspaper on Friday that it was wrong to prejudge bin Laden's guilt, even though the 9/11 mastermind had bragged of plotting the attacks in a videotape released by al Qaeda two years ago.

In what may be a window into the kind of bizarre advice Dean has been getting, Albright herself was caught ten days ago indulging in some wild-eyed conspiracy mongering, when she told Fox News commentator Morton Kondracke that she wondered if the Bush administration had already captured bin Laden, but was keeping the news on ice until just before the 2004 election.

Albright later said she had been joking.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2004; albright; clinton; clintonalumni; clintonhaters; dean; electionpresident; gaffe; howarddean; x42
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1 posted on 12/28/2003 9:48:02 AM PST by nwrep
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To: *Clinton Alumni; *Clinton Haters; *Election President
PING
2 posted on 12/28/2003 9:48:56 AM PST by nwrep
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To: nwrep
Does tutor mean the same as minister?
3 posted on 12/28/2003 9:50:02 AM PST by al baby (Ice cream does not have bones)
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To: nwrep
The blind leading the blind.
4 posted on 12/28/2003 9:51:47 AM PST by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker
Hmmm. Could Clinton be feeding foolish suggestions to Dean in an effort to pave the road to the WH for Hillary?
5 posted on 12/28/2003 9:54:06 AM PST by Quilla
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To: LibWhacker
I guess Dean will have the very best advice on how to kiss Kim Jong's little wrinkled ass.
6 posted on 12/28/2003 9:54:43 AM PST by Abcdefg
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To: nwrep
I thought the Clintons were behind Clark.
7 posted on 12/28/2003 9:56:58 AM PST by Tired_of_the_Lies
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To: nwrep
Would you take advice from this human tapeworm?

Here it is seen just after a ceremony in which the mayor of Paris made her an honorary French citizen. Yup. That's where I'd get my advice..........

I hope that she's the model for the 72 virgins that Allah must be mass producing these days.

8 posted on 12/28/2003 9:57:41 AM PST by 11B3 (Democratic Socialsts of America: 78 members in Congress. Why???)
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To: nwrep
After that blunder, President Clinton began personally advising the Vermont Democrat, ostensibly in a bid to head off any further politically damaging gaffes. But the results have been anything but stellar for the presidential front-runner.

Macadamia Nuts 101
Cigar Tricks for the Rudderless Head of State
9 posted on 12/28/2003 9:57:50 AM PST by aruanan
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To: Abcdefg
What is happening is that clinton is a sociopath, a smart, glib one. He is tutoring DEan who lacks his ability to charm the birds from the trees. Without the charm and fancy talking and pseudo just like us manner, we can see the real thoughts. Dean is Clinton's mouthpiece without the fog of Clinton's ability to lie and charm. It is amusing. We are seeing the Clinton truth, unvarnished, and it is not pretty.
10 posted on 12/28/2003 9:57:56 AM PST by cajungirl (I adore the Brits!! Tony Blair is my hero!!)
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To: nwrep
Dean began touting Clinton as a special Middle East envoy, saying that President Bush should tap Clinton for the job now, and that he would do so if elected.

If that comes to pass, Israel will probably nuke Washington as a pre-emptive defensive measure.

11 posted on 12/28/2003 9:59:07 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.)
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To: Quilla

12 posted on 12/28/2003 9:59:07 AM PST by al baby (Ice cream does not have bones)
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To: 11B3
one ugly hag
13 posted on 12/28/2003 9:59:26 AM PST by petercooper (DEAN = Democrats Experiencing Another Nightmare)
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To: nwrep
Democrats schooling Dean on foreign policy (Maddy the school marm)
14 posted on 12/28/2003 9:59:31 AM PST by BigWaveBetty (HAPPY NEW YEAR!!)
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To: Quilla
"Hmmm. Could Clinton be feeding foolish suggestions to Dean in an effort to pave the road to the WH for Hillary?"


Now, where EVER could you have come up with such an outlandish conclusion as that?!? (tongue planted firmly in cheek)

15 posted on 12/28/2003 10:01:42 AM PST by Maria S ("…the end is near…this time, Americans are serious; Bush is not like Clinton." Uday Hussein 4/9/03)
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To: nwrep
Despite the media's constant mantra that Clinton was brilliant, I never found him so. Articulate, yes, until one actually reads what Clinton says and then you realize it makes no sense but is only a bunch of feel-good crap.

IF Clinton is coaching Dean, it must be quite interesting, considering that Dean has said if elected president he would remove the Clinton's bagman, Terry McCauliffe.

This would explain the gaffes that Dean has made, seemingly EVERY day. Clinton doesn't want Dean to win, for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the Clinton's need McCauliffe.
16 posted on 12/28/2003 10:05:34 AM PST by Peach (The Clintons have pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: nwrep
President Clinton began personally advising the Vermont Democrat

Clinton, briefs, Vermont DimRAT?

Do we have a new twist developing in the ongoing saga of the Bent Member's legacy?

17 posted on 12/28/2003 10:07:06 AM PST by putupon (-; Hey ArbustoRobustezas, those rose colored glasses ain't what's making Jorge look Pinko! ;-)
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To: nwrep
Is Dean stupid enough to believe that the Clinton administration would actually HELP him?
18 posted on 12/28/2003 10:15:10 AM PST by McGavin999
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To: nwrep
Wait a minute,what did BeelzeBubba EVER know regarding foreign affairs?I thought it was"The Economy,Stupid"!!
19 posted on 12/28/2003 10:19:18 AM PST by bandleader
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To: LibWhacker
Dear LibWhacker,WELL SAID!!!!!!!!
20 posted on 12/28/2003 10:20:15 AM PST by bandleader
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