I just got finished reading “Howard Dean: In His Own Words,” a quickie campaign book of sayings – akin to Mao’s Little Red Book in more ways than one.
But that’s not the way it was devised.
In fact, readers of this little tome are advised right off the bat that the leading candidate for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination is anything but a lefty.
The introduction warns: “Although the media, his fellow Democratic candidates and Republicans alike are painting Dean as a card-carrying liberal, those who knew him as governor say he’s being mislabeled.”
Of course, that’s pretty easy to say, given there are fewer people who knew him as governor of Vermont than live in the average Brooklyn housing project.
But the book doesn’t leave it there. To underscore Dean’s non-liberal credentials, it quotes Tom Salmon, former two-term governor of Vermont: “His being called a liberal is one of the great white lies of the campaign. He’s a rock-solid fiscal conservative and a liberal on key social issues.”
Rock-solid fiscal conservative?
Let’s examine that claim, using only Dean’s own words.
“These [George W. Bush] tax cuts are incredibly bad for the economy. I believe their purpose is essentially to defund the federal government so that Medicare and Social Security, the icons of the New Deal, will be undone.”
Do you know any other “rock-solid fiscal conservatives” who think that way?
“The good thing about the president’s tax cut is that $1.6 billion will fund an awful lot [if it’s eliminated].”
Actually, no it won’t. Not when you consider the president’s prescription-drug bill alone cost $395 billion.
Here’s a related quote: “If you say should we get rid of the president’s tax cuts, people are going to say, ‘No,’ because they never want to get rid of a tax cut. But if you say the truth, which is you have a choice: You can have the president’s tax cut or a prescription benefit, or you could fully fund special education, or a road budget could be restored. Most people are going to pick roads, education and health care every single time.”
Now, wait a minute: Just how far will $1.6 billion go? Would it really fully fund special education nationwide – or is Dean confusing the national education budget with Vermont’s?
And here’s my absolute favorite: “No Democrat has a chance of winning in 2004 if the economy is good.”
To me that suggests Howard Dean and all of his Democratic Party friends are rooting for the economy to tank. They are betting on it. They are hoping for it. They are praying for it. Is that the kind of leader you want running the executive branch of the federal government?
Maybe not. But Al Gore is supporting him. And have you asked yourself why? Let me explain.
Al Gore’s endorsement of Dean means he’s back in for a run at the presidency in 2008. He plans to challenge Hillary Clinton for the nomination and he wants the support of the man he believes will be the head of the party at that time.
It’s a pretty clever and calculated move – shrewd by Gore standards. Both Gore and Clinton know Dean stands little chance of winning. Why? Because they know Dean’s right about one thing – the Democrats can’t win if the economy is good.
And, unfortunately for Dean, the economy is getting better and better.
Now what’s his only hope? To make Americans believe the economy is no good.
