Dean/AP/Republican Heaven

[JHS]

Ouch! Or should I say Yikes! I guess I should let the AP say it:

The Associated Press, July 29, 2003

Vt. Republicans plan to use Dean to portray Dems as leftists

Vermont Republicans plan to use the reputation Howard Dean has built nationally during his presidential campaign to portray the state's Democrats as leftist liberals.

Their reasoning is that if Dean, known as a centrist during his nearly 12 years as governor, is one of the most liberal of the Democratic presidential candidates then the liberals in his own party back home with whom he so often fought must be way off the left end of the scale.

"This whole Dean candidacy, I think, is doing Vermont Republicans a big favor because it's highlighting just how far left the Vermont Democratic Party really is," said Jim Barnet, GOP state chairman.

. . .


Barnet's observations are an opening signal of how the Republicans plan to wage their campaigns to preserve the advances they've made in the past four years and extend them even further.

Gov. James Douglas already has begun raising money toward his own re-election and will be the party's top statewide spokesman. Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie also will be seeking a second term and unsuccessful 1998 U.S. Senate candidate Jack McMullen is preparing for a rematch against Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

. . .


The jockeying for position in Vermont is taking place against the backdrop of Dean's presidential candidacy. Based largely on his opposition to the war in Iraq, Dean has gained a reputation as an unabashed liberal and a darling of the left side of his party.

However, his reputation while governor was a lot different. He proudly described himself then as a fiscal conservative whose tight balanced budgets allowed the more liberal social programs he advocated to survive.

Barnet said the Republicans will be questioning just how moderate Dean's record was as they seek to position themselves to maintain their majority in the state House and take back the state Senate.

"Howard Dean goes around trotting his balanced budget," Barnet said. "The fact of the matter is everyone had a balanced budget during the mid- and late-'90s. It was pretty easy to balance the budget when you had a growing economy and surpluses."

Dean's campaign has proudly pointed out that, while dozens of states have struggled to keep their books in balance, the last state budget for which he was responsible ended June 30 with a $10 million surplus.

Barnet claims credit for that for Douglas and the policies he pursued as state treasurer before becoming governor.

"We were able to put some money aside during the '90s because of the booming economy," he said.

Parker points to the state's fiscal condition, including an unemployment rate lower than the national one and the budget surplus, as reasons the Republicans now in charge should appreciate Dean.

But he predicted it would be state Democratic candidates energized by Dean's campaign who will benefit the most.

"People in the Dean camp are entering the Democratic Party, thinking about running for office, finding a kind of energy and hope that is encouraging and will allow us to build on our successes in the last year in the House and Senate," he said.

[LuminousX]

1. Oh please,

Okay, so the three ultra-reactionary fascist GOPpers in Vermont may think this is a good idea, but the rest of the Vermont GOP will shake their head at it and sigh.

[blm]

2. JHS...

you have to edit it down. Can you provide a link?