I thought Kucinich was brilliant last night, that is, until his comments to reporters after the debate left me with the impression he felt he was the only candidate consistent on Iraq.
Probably like the majority of the candidates he was experiencing tunnel vision and possibly fixated on the target of his campaign’s press release earlier in the day [see the extended entry]. But in doing so he was rudely dismissive of Rev. Sharpton who offered terrific and supportive comments and Moseley-Braun who seemed to be in agreement with both.
Why do people like Howard Dean? He’s a stumbler who struggles to maintain an image he adopted when it was convenient to do so. I think it’s irritating how he screws up his face when confronted with the contradictions like a little boy who’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It doesn’t convey a candidate confident in his platform. Some say his malleability is a positive indicative of a willingness to adjust but then why does the discussion of it make him so angry? He called Afghanistan a success, criticised the handing over of power to the warlords, then stated the constitutional process is a model Iraq should follow? My impression is he will be too dependent upon his cabinet and advisors for direction just like the incompetent currently in the WH.
Joe Trippi spanking the ‘spin room’ afterwards smelt like censorship. If your candidate is forthright then the worst of the spin can be spun back to your advantage.
Gen. Clark should rethink his strategy of promoting the entirety of his NATO campaign in Yugoslavia as a success story, no? Some people have figured out how to travel from candidate’s websites to other places on the web.
The most stunning moment in all of it was Ted Koppel’s chastising of some candidates for being ‘naive’ about the importance of controlling Iraq’s oil resources. He lent legitimacy to what not so very long ago would have been attacked as a conspiracy theory.
My how times change.
For Immediate Release: December 9, 2003
Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich today released the following statement:
“Al Gore’s endorsement of Howard Dean is further evidence that the only electable candidates in this race are the ones who opposed the Bush administration’s illegal and unjust war in Iraq. Candidates who chose to stand with George W. Bush in the most consequential vote of the last decade will continue to struggle as the casualties and cost of our misadventure in Iraq escalate.
“To the surprise of some in the media, the list of candidates who will soon struggle over their record on the war and occupation will include Dr. Dean himself.
“In fact, a new flyer mailed out by the Dean campaign in Iowa raises concerns about a pattern of misrepresentation.
“Because the honesty of the administration will be a major issue in the coming election, it is essential for any potential Democratic nominee to try to be straightforward.
“A close inspection of the factual record reveals that Dr. Dean, during the buildup to the War on Iraq, spoke in favor of preemptive war. He said unilateral action might be unavoidable. Once the war started, he declined to challenge the President’s actions.
“After the invasion, Dean called for a NATO-led effort and said ‘A democratic transition will take between 18 to 24 months, although troops should expect to be in Iraq for a longer period.’ Throughout the course of the occupation he said we’re ‘stuck’ in Iraq and ‘cannot leave.’ On various occasions, including the presidential debates in New York and Phoenix, Dr. Dean supported spending another $87 billion on the occupation.
“On other occasions, including the most recent debate, Dean claimed to have opposed the $87 billion. The news media has chosen to ignore the obvious frequent discrepancies in Dr. Dean’s public statements.
“I led the effort in the House of Representatives last year that challenged the Bush Administration’s march toward war. Other presidential candidates also opposed the war.
“Dean ran television ads in New Hampshire last month claiming that his opponents had all supported the war and implying that he had opposed the increased spending. After I protested, he publicly recanted at an AFL-CIO meeting in New Hampshire and then stopped running the ads.
“Dean’s new flyer says in bold at the top: ‘Only Dean Opposed the War from the Start.’ The flyer begins with the line ‘Newsweek calls it “Bush’s $87 Billion Mess.”‘ The flyer claims that Dean has a plan for Iraq that differs substantially from President Bush’s policies.
“We as Democrats running against a president who has taken us into a fraudulent war must not distort the records of our opponents if we are to challenge Bush on the issue of integrity.
“The media has an obligation to ask Dr. Dean to explain his mailing in Iowa.”
The Dean campaign’s flyer is available by fax on request.
For documentation of Dr. Dean’s record on the war, see http://www.kucinich.us/antiwar.php