DARTH CHENEY ATTACKS HOWARD DEAN

Dick Cheney, probably the most hated man in American politics-- not enough people know Tom
Delay-- viciously attacked Howard Dean on the Far Right's pet TV network, Faux News, today. Cheney,
who's views are so far from the mainstream of American thought that he has way more in common with Benito Mussolini's views than with Dwight Eisenhower's, claimed Dean is "over the top." The far right fears Dean more than the tame Democrats like Lieberman, Feinstein or Biden, because he doesn't play by rules stacked against progressives. In short-- he tells the truth. Republicans can't handle that. "I've never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I've  never met anybody who does," Cheney told Fox News Channel. Something tells me Cheney doesn't meet too many real Democrats, among whom Dean is wildly popular. Cheney, who never admits much, admitted it "doesn't matter so much what I think; I'm a Republican," but said some Democrats he had talked to thought Dean was "doing more damage to the party than he is good." I'd almost like to see that list as much as the list of which energy company executves and Enron criminals were part of his energy planning committee. (By the way, scroll down and take a look at the story from a couple weeks ago about another right wing extremist, Bob Novak, also claiming he talks to Democrats and offering us his wisdom.)

Even if Dean's serious remarks don't get covered by the Right-wing owned mass media in this country, we can always count on the free press in Britain to carry what is ACTUALLY said instead of just GOP spin. The GUARDIAN ran this piece yesterday on this brouhaha. (And if you read it and you're wondering who Donna Brazile, quoted below, is, let me tell you. She's an inside the Beltway political hack-- yes Dems have lots of that species too-- of mediocre intelligence who had more to do with Al Gore losing in 2000 than almost any other single person. Currently she is an often-called-upon TV talking head, useful when Republicans need an idiot who can be counted on to make progressives look bad.)

Dean Tells Dems: 'People Want Us to Fight'
Saturday June 11, 2005 9:16 PM
By WILL LESTER
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Howard Dean said Saturday that positive responses from supporters have reinforced his determination to keep talking tough despite suggestions from some congressional Democrats that the party chairman should tone down his rhetoric.

``People want us to fight,'' Dean told the national party's executive committee. ``We are here to fight.''

Over the past week, Dean described Republicans as ``pretty much a white, Christian party'' and said many in the GOP ``never made an honest living.''

Several Democratic lawmakers distanced themselves from their chairman. Republican officials called on him to apologize. After weathering the criticism, Dean forged ahead with the GOP scolding at the meeting of Democratic National Committee leaders.

Yet some Democrats say the former Vermont governor should not remain the center of attention.

``Privately, people have said they don't want Howard Dean to become the story because we have more important issues to talk about,'' said Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2004.

``But publicly we will continue to give Howard Dean our strong support,'' she said.

One of Dean's predecessors at the DNC, Don Fowler said, ``The controversy over this statement or that statement is a blip and only a blip.'' But Fowler complained about leading Democrats who aired their gripes last week. ``Even if they don't like it, they should have enough sense not to make those comments,'' Fowler said.

At the session in a downtown hotel, Dean accused Republicans of trying to suppress the vote, selling access to the White House for lobbyists and basically being dishonest with the public.

``The reason the Republicans are in trouble is because there are so many cases where they say one thing and do something else,'' Dean said.

He said President Bush's education initiative, the ``No Child Left Behind'' program, cuts school spending and a clean environment plan, the ``Clear Skies Initiative,'' permits more pollution.

A spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee said Dean would rather sling mud than discuss serious matters.

``Dean's inflammatory rhetoric makes it clear that Democrats have no vision and would rather pander to the maniacal fringe than talk about the important issues facing our country,'' Tracey Schmitt said.

Dean said that Republicans, in the public's mind, have the upper hand on moral values because Democrats have done a poor job of explaining where they stand.

He said the party will do more to win over military veterans. It also will call on thousands of lawyers who helped in the 2004 presidential election to aid Democrats' push for changes in election laws.

On political fundraising, the DNC trails the Republican Party by more than 2-to-1 despite Dean's reputation as a potent fundraiser. The Democrats have raised almost $19 million so far this year.

Dean said he is bringing in $1 million weekly. Records show the DNC took in $13.8 million over the first three months of 2005, compared with $8.4 million during the same period in 2003, the last year without a federal election. Terry McAuliffe was party chairman then.

Dean has given more than $1 million from the DNC to state parties. He said the DNC plans to share some of the money Dean raises for the national party when he is in a state. Both of these moves are winning him support from state party leaders.

In his remarks, Dean made few references to the recent brouhaha.

But when a DNC member joked that the best way to get the chairman's attention was to ``jump up and down,'' a grinning Dean fired back: ``That's my job.''

The crowd of Democratic activists burst into applause.