Dean rips Bush, sees victory by Dems
Draws parallels between Bush, Nixon
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Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean speaks in Burlington Tuesday. AP Photo/Toby Talbot |
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By Darren M. Allen Vermont Press Bureau - Published: November 2, 2006
BURLINGTON - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Wednesday that President Bush is a lot like Richard Nixon, except that the disgraced former president wasn't incompetent.
In remarks to reporters at Vermont Democratic Party headquarters, the former Vermont governor who briefly ran for president in 2004 cited what he described as similarities between Bush and the late former president, who is the nation's only chief executive to have resigned from office.
"Let me think carefully about this," Dean said in a political riff reminiscent of his days as governor. "I think George Bush is the most incompetent president we've had in our lifetime. I mean, nobody would accuse President Nixon of being incompetent."
Dean was quick to point out that Nixon was dishonest, and that he wasn't endorsing that president's conduct in office. Still, he said Bush and his administration share some of characteristics of Nixon and his administration.
"I think there's a lot of similarities between Nixon and Agnew and Bush and Cheney," Dean said, referring to vice presidents Spiro Agnew - also forced to resign from office - and Vice President Richard Cheney.
"They're both using the IRS for political purposes. They're both spying on people they don't like and not just terrorists, but also American citizens. Neither one of them particularly believes in judicial rights. They've both been dishonest with the American people."
Dean's remarks came during a 40-minute meeting with reporters, during which he predicted that if the election were held today, Democrats would take control of the House of Representatives next January and would win the same number of seats as Republicans in the Senate.
"But the election is not being held today, although we're optimistic nonetheless," Dean said.
Dean - who arrived in his trademark rumpled style, his tie clip hanging from one side of his nonstarched collar, his American flag lapel pin upside down - said that even though Democrats are angry with Bush and the Republicans, they would not embark on impeachment proceedings if they were to regain control of Congress. Rather, Dean said, they would refocus on the middle class.
"If we win this, it will be because people want a different direction for the country," he said.
Dean predicted a Democratic Congress would pass legislation to lower middle class taxes, to roll back some of the tax cuts given to high-income families and corporations, to extend health care to more people and to raise the minimum wage.
"And we're going to balance the budget, something that, incredibly, Democrats do these days and that Republicans can't seem to do anymore," Dean said.
Dean said he doesn't expect Bush to endorse such an agenda, and he reiterated his belief that there is no guarantee Democrats actually will succeed in taking control of one - let alone both - chambers of Congress.
Asked if he expected Democrats to repeat the performance of Republicans in 1994 - when they took dozens of seats and wrested control of Congress from the Democrats in dramatic fashion - the former governor said no.
"We've had some bitter disappointments in the last six years," Dean said. "But I think we're in a better position than we've been."
Dean also said he was pleased his party has begun to speak out against the Iraq war, something that propelled him to the top of the Democratic list of presidential hopefuls two years ago. The strategy fizzled out and the party nominated Sen. John Kerry to be its standard bearer.
Asked if he found it frustrating that the party is only now visibly supporting his anti-war position of 2004, Dean said dryly, "I was ahead of my time. Unfortunately, 'I told you so' is a lousy campaign slogan."
Contact Darren Allen at darren.allen@rutlandherald.com
Can't wait till 2008, I know you and kerry will be MIA!
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