 Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Wednesday that his frequent verbal volleys at the Republican Party aren't aimed at typical GOP voters like those in South Dakota. Dean, who appeared in Rapid City as part of a 50-state outreach to Democratic voters, said his battles with GOP leaders don't reflect his feelings about rank-and-file Republicans. "Look, I don't believe in putting what I call civilians in the line of fire. The Republican officeholders, I think, have been a deep disappointment to the country," Dean told reporters. "The Republican voters are Americans first, and then they are either Republican or Democrat second. I don't think Republican voters should be in the line of fire, and I don't put them in the line of fire."
| Howard, I've got bad news for you: Publican offieholders have been a deep disappointment to the country because they're not Republican enough. |
Dean is sharply critical of the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress for policies on the Iraq War and the nation's huge budget deficits. Republican officials argue that he goes beyond criticism to divisive attack politics. South Dakota GOP officials issued a statement Monday that included a Dean quote that said, "I hate Republicans and everything they stand for ..." as an example of his style.
| That, and screaming. Or maybe it was shrieking. |
| “'What the Republicans do is attack people with lies. And it's gutter politics,' Dean said.” |
Republican National Committee officials contend that Dean's attacks show disrespect for GOP voters. RNC spokesman Kevin McLaughlin said by e-mail Wednesday that Dean's "wild-eyed, hate-filled rhetoric short-changes not only South Dakotans, but all Americans. People deserve to have leaders that are more interested in solutions than they are insults."
| When you're hollering and rolling your eyes and calling people names, nobody's supposed to notice that you've only got opinions, not ideas. |
A group of young Republicans planned a "scream-alike" contest outside a Democratic reception for Dean and party candidates Wednesday night, to parrot one of Dean's more emotional public speeches.
| Sounds like fun, though I don't think my throat would be up to it. |
| Wonder if I can reset my ululator? |
Dean said national Republican officials "massage" his words to manipulate their meaning and mislead the public. "What the Republicans do is attack people with lies. And it's gutter politics," Dean said. |