Dem Leader Reaches Out, At Home And Abroad

(The Politico)  By The Politico's Roger Simon.

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Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean has been meeting with world leaders to repair "the extraordinary damage" that the Bush administration has done to America's image and to prepare the way for a new Democratic president.

"I am trying to build relationships with other governments in preparation for a Democratic takeover," Dean told me. "I want to make clear that there is an opposition in America and that we are ready to take power and that when we do, we are going to have much better relationships with them."

In an hour-long interview at Democratic National Committee headquarters Tuesday, Dean also revealed that he has been quietly meeting with well-known Christian evangelical leaders in order to build new bridges between them and the Democratic Party.

"We're never going to convince them on civil rights for gay people or abortion rights," Dean said. "But we certainly can focus on the things that we both care about a lot: global warming, poverty and the materiality of our culture."

And, oh yeah, Dean could run for president again.

"I have no idea," Dean replied when I asked him if he would. "I hope we are going to elect a Democratic president, and I won't have to think about it until 2016. In which case, I will be a lot older than I am now."

Dean would be 68 in 2016, which is younger than John McCain is now.

I asked Dean if he missed running.

"Oh, of course. Are you kidding? Who wouldn't miss it?" he said seriously. "I don't miss the 18-hour days, seven days in a row. But the adrenaline rushes and the tactics and all that kind of stuff, I miss that. But I like what I am doing, and I never wish I were running in this cycle."

Though Dean's presidential candidacy flamed out early in 2004, he made at least three significant contributions to the Democrats: He legitimized opposition to the Iraq war within the party leadership, he ushered in a new era of aggressive in-your-face campaigning, and he recast the party as willing to fight for Democratic ideals rather than compromising with Republicans.

And he hasn't changed his style.

When I asked him if Republicans would always be seen as tougher than Democrats when it came to national defense, he said: "It is possible to be tough without filling Walter Reed with 12,000 wounded kids and then not taking care of them."

Dean went on: "Now that we have a real problem with Iran, there's not much we can do about it because of the president's incredible foolishness in running our armed forces through the gauntlet in Iraq, which wasn't necessary."

He also said that having "the moral high ground" is part of defending the country.

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[forthepeaple]

TO SINGINRICK, HAVE YOU SEEN HOW MR BUSH SPELLS..I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE NOTE.AND IF YOU DID HE DIDN'T WRITE IT. SO ANYTHING MORE TO SAY

[forthepeaple]

Every time new information comes out, it proves that the White House was not telling the truth."

If there is one fact, one truth, one solid irrefutable bit of gold panned out of the muck we Americans have slogged through for the past 6 years; it is that every member of this administration, from the very top down to the lowest assistant is incapable of telling the truth. This aversion to truth appears to be deep in the DNA of this crowd. It is a knee jerk, unconscious reaction to any question. And why should it be that way?

Because these men went after the offices they now occupy with a specific plan that had nothing to do with the duties of their office. Those duties specifically were to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and to promote the fulfillment of its Preamble.

And what did they do? They schemed and plotted to enrich themselves and their backers. They lied us into a self serving war they and their friends could profit from. They spied on us out of fear we would find them out. They scared us into giving them the powers of a police state. The subverted our courts to protect themselves and persecute their enemies.

And all based on lie after lie after lie. Over and over again to cover their collective @ss. To hide their true purpose: the unbridled accumulation of power and wealth over the rights and freedoms and even the bodies and blood of those they swore to serve and protect.

Prison cells are too good for these criminals

[tulcak]

Howard Dean is a god-send. I was angry with the democrats after the botched election of 2000 for not fighting for the core democratic beliefs and angry at the republicans for their corruptness which is destroying our nation. Dean came in and kicked the democrats in the rear. He told them to stand for something and fight for it and don't apologize for being democrat. He told the republicans that we are not going to stand around ringing our hands and letting them get away with all their corruptness.

Go Dean!!!!

[forthepeaple]

i agree and the americans do have a american to protect them,and my name is david a belanger,vet and ready to protect all americans,and to take back AMERICA from the washington crime family.just look at what has happen in just a few days look this is your ssn money the pork went from 94 billion to now over 130,000,000,000,000 billion in a week that your money. gone and now all of them are saying wait i need some pork for me to...wake up america.. that why you need me in washington and we need more average americans to come down and change our government back to the government for the people by the people.vote for me david a belanger for president and lets clean house.at [e-mail] send me a line.until then god blass our troops and god blass america..

[forthepeaple]

i agree and the americans do have a american to protect them,and my name is david a belanger,vet and ready to protect all americans,and to take back AMERICA from the washington crime family.just look at what has happen in just a few days look this is your ssn money the pork went from 94 billion to now over 130,000,000,000,000 billion in a week that your money. gone and now all of them are saying wait i need some pork for me to...wake up america.. that why you need me in washington and we need more average americans to come down and change our government back to the government for the people by the people.vote for me david a belanger for president and lets clean house.at [e-mail] send me a line.until then god blass our troops and god blass america..

[forthepeaple]

i agree and the americans do have a american to protect them,and my name is david a belanger,vet and ready to protect all americans,and to take back AMERICA from the washington crime family.just look at what has happen in just a few days look this is your ssn money the pork went from 94 billion to now over 130,000,000,000,000 billion in a week that your money. gone and now all of them are saying wait i need some pork for me to...wake up america.. that why you need me in washington and we need more average americans to come down and change our government back to the government for the people by the people.vote for me david a belanger for president and lets clean house.at [e-mail] send me a line.until then god blass our troops and god blass america..

[forthepeaple]

i agree and the americans do have a american to protect them,and my name is david a belanger,vet and ready to protect all americans,and to take back AMERICA from the washington crime family.just look at what has happen in just a few days look this is your ssn money the pork went from 94 billion to now over 130,000,000,000,000 billion in a week that your money. gone and now all of them are saying wait i need some pork for me to...wake up america.. that why you need me in washington and we need more average americans to come down and change our government back to the government for the people by the people.vote for me david a belanger for president and lets clean house.at [e-mail] send me a line.until then god blass our troops and god blass america..

[forthepeaple]

i agree and the americans do have a american to protect them,and my name is david a belanger,vet and ready to protect all americans,and to take back AMERICA from the washington crime family.just look at what has happen in just a few days look this is your ssn money the pork went from 94 billion to now over 130,000,000,000,000 billion in a week that your money. gone and now all of them are saying wait i need some pork for me to...wake up america.. that why you need me in washington and we need more average americans to come down and change our government back to the government for the people by the people.vote for me david a belanger for president and lets clean house.at [e-mail] send me a line.until then god blass our troops and god blass america..

[forthepeaple]

i agree and the americans do have a american to protect them,and my name is david a belanger,vet and ready to protect all americans,and to take back AMERICA from the washington crime family.just look at what has happen in just a few days look this is your ssn money the pork went from 94 billion to now over 130,000,000,000,000 billion in a week that your money. gone and now all of them are saying wait i need some pork for me to...wake up america.. that why you need me in washington and we need more average americans to come down and change our government back to the government for the people by the people.vote for me david a belanger for president and lets clean house.at [e-mail] send me a line.until then god blass our troops and god blass america..

[forthepeaple]

i agree and the americans do have a american to protect them,and my name is david a belanger,vet and ready to protect all americans,and to take back AMERICA from the washington crime family.just look at what has happen in just a few days look this is your ssn money the pork went from 94 billion to now over 130,000,000,000,000 billion in a week that your money. gone and now all of them are saying wait i need some pork for me to...wake up america.. that why you need me in washington and we need more average americans to come down and change our government back to the government for the people by the people.vote for me david a belanger for president and lets clean house.at [e-mail] send me a line.until then god blass our troops and god blass america..