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Dean Ducked Troops Question. " repeatedly declined to say whether he thinks the United States should withdraw its troops immediately from Iraq, as some vocal war opponents urge. Responding to questions before and during the event, Dean declined to call for the troops’ return, saying he didn’t know the implications for geopolitics and soldiers’ safety and wasn’t privy to intelligence on the ground in Iraq. ‘I didn’t get us into this,’ Dean said. ‘Unfortunately, I’m not president now and I can’t get us out of this.’" (Joanna Weiss, "Dean Ducks Prescription For Quitting Iraq," The Boston Globe, 3/27/03)
FLIP: Dean Then Berated Bush For Suggesting American Troops Could Come In 18 Months. "If the President thinks our troops will be out in 18 months, he is smoking something he forgot about when he was at Yale." (Rebecca Cook, "Howard Dean Rallies Supporters In Seattle," The Associated Press, 5/15/03)
FLOP: Dean Said U.S. Should Not Pull Troops Out Of Iraq. "We can’t leave Iraq. We can’t pull out, because if we do that, chaos ensues or else a fundamentalist Shiite regime may arise with undo Iranian influence, both of which would be more dangerous than Saddam Hussein." (Howard Dean On CNN’s "Crossfire Goes Inside Politics," 9/1/03)
FLIP: Only Three Days Later: In Debate, Dean Said Our Troops Should Come Home From Iraq. "We need more troops. They’re going to be foreign troops, as they should have been in the first place, not American troops. Ours need to come home." (Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Albuquerque, NM, 9/4/03) FLOP: Now Dean Says Just Some Troops Should Come Home. "Ultimately, over a period of time, assuming you can get the cooperation of the Europeans and others, I would like to reduce by half the number of troops the Americans have in Iraq and increase dramatically so that we get up to a troop strength of between 170,000 and 200,000 in Iraq." (NBC’s "Today Show," 9/8/03)
DEAN FLIP-FLOPPED ON PUBLIC FINANCING OF HIS 2004 CAMPAIGN Summer 2003 Public Financing Flip-Flop: Dean "backed away from his pledge to adhere to spending limits, saying some advisers want to explore opting out of the Watergate-era public financing system because of his sudden fund-raising success. … ‘Could we change our mind? Sure,’ he said. … "Dean signed a letter to the promising to abide by the program’s rules, including its spending limits." (Ron Fournier, "Dean Pulls Back On Spending Limits Pledge," The Associated Press, 8/15/03)
DEAN ALSO FLIP-FLOPPED ON PUBLIC FINANCING OF HIS 2000 CAMPAIGN! July 2000 Public Financing Flip: "Gov. Howard Dean is challenging his Republican opponents to accept a $300,000 campaign spending cap even if a federal judge overturns the limit. … ‘This law is important in restoring public faith in the election process,’ Dean said in a prepared statement. ‘Vermonters need to know that their small donations are just as important as a $1,000 check from a multi-national corporation or PAC (political action committee).’ Dean said he was at a financial disadvantage, first because he had a lower spending limit as an incumbent, but also because he faced two challengers who were likely to have at least $300,000 apiece." ("Dean Challenges Republicans To Spending Limits," The Associated Press, 7/21/00) August 2000 Public Financing Flop: "Gov. Howard Dean abandoned public funding for his re-election campaign, saying he couldn’t take the chance he would be outspent 4-1 by his Republican opponent. Publicly financed campaigns were part of strict campaign finance reform legislation championed by Dean, who signed it into law in 1997. … Progressive Party gubernatorial candidate Anthony Pollina, the only candidate now using public funding, criticized Dean’s decision. ‘I am not surprised. In some way it shows his true colors,’ Pollina said. ‘Ultimately, it’s a victory for big money and bad for average citizens.’" (Wilson Ring, "Governor Abandons Public Funding," The Associated Press, 8/18/00)
DEAN FLIP-FLOPPED ON YUCCA MOUNTAIN 1996 Governor Dean Yucca Mountain Flip: "I am urging you to support changes in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act that would ensure that the federal government meets its responsibility to electricity consumers to begin accepting spent fuel from commercial power plants in 1998. … Opponents assert that the shipment of nuclear waste is highly unsafe, but the facts prove otherwise. Over the past 30 years, more than 2000 shipments of spent nuclear fuel have been made on the nation’s highways and railways. No shipment has ever resulted in a release of radioactivity or public harm. … I sincerely hope you will support S. 1271 to establish an integrated spent fuel management program that includes a centralized, interim storage facility, continued site characterization of the potential repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, and an appropriate transportation system to move spent fuel." (Gov. Howard Dean, Letter To Sen. Patrick Leahy, 5/1/96) 2003 Candidate Dean Yucca Mountain Flop:
REPORTER: "As governor, you supported a plan to store the nation’s waste at Yucca Mountain, Nev. Do you still think this is a good solution?" DEAN: "As governor of Vermont, it was a grand idea because it would get the waste out of Vermont. But now that I’m running for president, I’ve got to reassess it and see what the science looks like." (Amanda Griscom, "Q&A: Howard Dean On The Environment," Alternet Website, www.alternet.org, Accessed 6/4/03)
DEAN FLIP-FLOPPED ON FEDERAL MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORM 1994 Federal Medical Liability Reform Flip: DEAN: "We’ve absolutely got to have malpractice reform. Absolutely. And I think it ought to be done at the federal level. In fact, that’s- I think all 50 governors think that." (CNN’s "Viewers Call In With Health Care Questions," 7/18/94) 2002 Federal Medical Liability Reform Flop:
DEAN: "As a doctor, I’d love to have all kinds of malpractice reform. That is not the federal government’s business. This administration, for all its talk about states’ prerogatives and local control, doesn’t believe in it. They simply substituted conservative micromanagement for what used to be liberal micromanagement. It’s like gun control. That is a state matter, not a federal matter." (CNN’s "Capital Gang," 10/5/02)
DEAN FLIP-FLOPPED ON RETIREMENT AGE 1995 Governor Dean Retirement Age Flip: DEAN: "Secondly, I am very pleased to hear Bob Packwood because I absolutely agree we need to … increase the retirement age. There will be cuts and losses of some benefits, but I believe that Senator Packwood is on exactly the right track. … " (CNN’s "Crossfire," 2/28/95)
2003 Candidate Dean Retirement Age Flop: RUSSERT: "Would you raise retirement age to 70?" DEAN: "No. No." (NBC’s "Meet The Press," 6/22/03)
DEAN FLIP-FLOPPED ON CUTTING SOCIAL SECURITY 1995 Governor Dean Social Security Flip: "The way to balance the budget, Dean said, is for Congress to cut Social Security, move the retirement age to 70, cut defense, Medicare and veterans pensions, while the states cut almost everything else. ‘It would be tough but we could do it,’ he said." (Miles Benson, "And Politicians Wonder Why They Aren’t Trusted," Times-Picayune , 3/5/95)
2003 Candidate Dean Social Security Flop: RUSSERT: "But you would no longer cut Social Security benefits?" DEAN: "But you don’t--no. I’m not ever going to cut Social Security benefits." (NBC’s "Meet The Press," 6/22/03)
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