DIZZY DEAN

I was wrong.

I predicted that Tim Russert would go easy on Howard Dean this morning on Meet the Press. He didn't. In fact, he had Dean backtracking and slipping up and contradicting himself within the same sentence.

Dean's performance was everything I hoped it would be. He was abrasive and illogical and made the Democrats seem to be the party of the fringe, completely out of the mainstream.

Transcript

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

On the filibuster of judicial nominees:

Dean was on defense right out of the gate. Russert illustrated the Democrats' hypocrisy on the issue, citing the flip-flops of Byrd and Leahy. Dean fumbled saying, "Look, I have nothing against up or down votes on people. I think that's a good thing."

He revealed that he believes in up or down votes only when it favors his party.

On Tom DeLay:

Dean said, "He's not an ethical man and shouldn't be running Congress."

"We're going to insist on ethics in government"

"Honesty in government is important."

UNBELIEVABLE! When it comes to preaching about honesty and ethics in government, the Dems don't have a leg to stand on.

Russert showed the mug shot of Tom DeLay that is currently on the DNC website. He asked Dean if that was appropriate. Dean replied, "I don't think it's appropriate for DeLay to be in Congress."

He went on to say, "We're not going to stoop to the divisiveness of the Republican party, but we're going to be tough as nails."

Right, Dr. Dean. A mug shot of a Republican congressman isn't divisive. You have to marvel at how this man's mind works. Does he really believe his own loony rhetoric?

When asked if he would retract his extreme comments about DeLay, such as the jail sentence remark, Dean said, "Absolutely not!"

On Social Security:

Russert asked what Democrats planned to do.

Dean, almost foaming at the mouth at this point, said, "What will Democrats do? We're going to get the President to be serious about the issue."

He likened private accounts to Enron, saying that the was only one reason to use private accounts--it helps Republican contributors and puts risk on individuals rather than the government.

This is right out of the stale, ineffectual Democrat playbook; yet he hangs on to it.

Dean basically said that the Democrats will do nothing until Bush takes private accounts off the table, demanding that he's "got to stop this nonsense."

On Dean's "red meat" style:

Russert brought up a number of quotes, using Dean's own words to illustrate how bent out of shape he is.

When confronted with the "I hate Republicans" statement, Dean fumbled around and claimed that was "out of context."

Dean said, "I don't hate Republicans as individuals, but I hate what they're doing to this country."

Dean then went off a tangent, always a sign that he's looking for a way to deflect from the issue at hand. Dean said he was sick of Republicans saying Osama bin Laden (OOPS! Does he mean Saddam Hussein?) was connected to the 9/11 attacks. He claimed that although the 9/11 commission has disputed such a connection, Bush continues to make it.

Then, he started babbling about mercury pollution. Suddenly, he switched to Iraq. It was all very Robin Williams-like.

Russert probed Dean on when Bush said SADDAM was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

Dean said, "He didn't." However, Bush "nuanced it by things he said."

This one had me laughing out loud. I was getting dizzy from Dean's spinning.

Russert brought up Dean's mimicking of Rush Limbaugh as a drug-snorting addict. Russert asked if this was appropriate, particularly since Dean is a physician. Dean insisted that, "Republicans spin this around."

Dean continued to squirm. He said, "It's galling to be lectured about values by people who have their own moral short-comings." Dean said that Limbaugh has "made a career out of belittling people. He shouldn't do that."

Dean also cited Bill O'Reilly as doing the same thing.

Dean said, "I will use whatever position I have to root out hypocrisy."

This is really funny, but frightening as well. Some people actually believe what Dean says.

On abortion:

Dean invoked Terri Schiavo in the discussion, saying Republicans are intrusive. He kept referring to Tom DeLay making personal decisions for people. Again, he reverted to Dem talking points, spewing that it's an "issue about who gets to make up the minds."

That's a direct quote. It sounds sort of awkward, doesn't it? Dean has some syntax issues.

Although Dean wanted to offer a more centrist message on abortion, Russert brought up the Democrats' support of abortion on demand and Clinton's veto of the partial-birth abortion ban. Russert pointed out that every time there's a vote, Dems are staunchly pro-abortion. Dean dodged Russert when he countered that even many doctors came out against partial-birth abortion, while Dems defended it.

Dean stuck to his notion that Dems should eliminate the term "pro-choice" from the party lexicon. He said he wanted to strike the term, that it was hurting the Democrats. In the next breath, Dean used it to refer to abortion supporters. He said, "It's time for pro-life and pro-choice people to work together."

I'm lost. Does Dean want to stop using "pro-choice" or not?

On politically exploiting Terri Schiavo:

Russert asked why didn't one Dem senator stand up in the senate and stop the legislation.

Dean responded, "Because we were in the middle of the Social Security fight." He said, "In the middle of the huge Social Security fight, I didn't want to get dragged into that."

With all due respect, that is utterly lame. He's got to be kidding! Dean stammered a bit and said he wasn't making excuses. He claimed, "At the time I did say this was wrong." What was that Dean was saying earlier about hypocrisy?

On faith:

Russert showed a Pew poll on the "Dean Activists." By enormous percentages they are secularist, white, liberals.

Dean said that he doesn't "get to church much." He went on to say, "I'm a committed Christian." Again, he brought up Rush Limbaugh and his ilk, criticizing them about values, saying he will not be lectured by the "Pharisees."

On Bernie Sanders:

Russert said Sanders was a socialist. Dean said, "No, he's not." Russert then quoted Sanders saying he's a socialist.

Dean floundered and said, "We're talking about words here." How Clintonesque of Dean!

On the 2008 presidential election:

Russert ended the interview asking if Dean had plans to run for the presidency, citing three previous DNC chairmen that did.

Dean said he promised he would not run in 2008.

When asked about the party's frontrunner, he refused to comment, saying he has sworn off speculation.


My favorite moment:

At one point Dean said, "Don't forget, I've only been in office 100 days."