Dean: We want to talk respectfully to people who disagree with us.

[madfloridian]

This was an interview that showed the path the Democrats will take if we win a part of congress back. I was impressed Dean said he wanted to try to heal the country from the divisiveness of the last 6 years.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/03/sitroom.01.html

BLITZER: You know, there's going to be a lot of demoralized Democrats out there. They can taste victory, certainly in the House, almost in the Senate. It's going to be much more difficult in the Senate, as you well know. There's going to be a lot of demoralized, depressed Democrats out there if you don't win.

DEAN: Well, maybe so. But I would hope that that wouldn't happen, because this is a long-term struggle to take back this country so that we can be the great moral leader of the world once again We're going to do things a lot differently than we have in the past, should we prevail, should the voters restore Democrats to power.

The first thing we're going to do is avoid the polarization that the president has used to govern for the last six years. We're going to welcome everybody. We're going to respectfully talk to the people who don't agree with us, because they probably have some good ideas about how to run-America, as well. We're going to respect people's beliefs in their families.

We want to heal America and yes, there will be a lot of partisanship, because the Republicans have basically divided this country bitterly in the last six years.

We need -- if you want to make America work, we've got to be in it together.

[Justitia]

1. Dean is a better person than me. I just want to bitchslap them.

Which is why he is our awesome chairman and I am not.

}(

[madfloridian]

2. I was thinking the same thing. I am still so angry.

But we have managed to have a friend from TN who loved Bush for a visit, and he said enough to let us know he thought we were right....and we could let it go then.

Had our Republican son here recently. Military industrial complex and all that stuff. We have been rather estranged politically, but things were different this time. We avoided most political stuff, but I could see they had changed their views.

I think that makes the difference, I can let it go when I see they are showing they are changing. I don't need to hold on to the anger as much. It would be nice to talk more of it, but it is changing.

[sandnsea]

3. A friend of ours apologized

He was basically humiliated and said he couldn't believe he was fooled so completely. There's not much you can say when somebody so genuinely 'repents'. Let's just work together to get things on the right track seems to be the best response.

[madfloridian]

5. Right. I was surprised at how the visits went.

My hubby was so tense thinking I would blow things and say too much. But since I knew they were coming around, it was easier than I thought to leave the anger behind.

[Justitia]

4. A funny "son" story....

My son was recently in the hospital (out now & okay), I was sitting by his beside reminding him to vote when he got out.

He said he hadn't had much time to evaluate the candidates since he had been sick. I told him it was easy, just look for the (D)s after their names. He said "maybe" to a straight ticket, and I launched into rapid fire reasoning why someone in his position (young, no health care & sick) should always vote for Dems, since we invented Medicare and we were the only ones who could save it. etc., etc.

He looked at me like I had just sprouted another head.

[madfloridian]

9. I can relate to that.

My family is mostly Republican, and they looked at us like we were not really normal since 2003...now they are coming around. The media has been powerful in what it has done by turning the word "liberal" into almost the same as "communist" years ago.

[Generic Brad]

18. How fortunate for you

I was excommunicated from my family because I am not a faith based supporter of the president. I was given the option of converting or permanently going away. They had no idea I would take them up in their challenge.

I cannot forgive people who drove me away over politics.

[madfloridian]

19. I can believe that would happen.

We came close to blows about some of the bigoted stances the GOP was taking, their attacks.

Even members of my family who never went to church at all became so pious when they spoke of their Christian president.

That is so sad. What Bush has done to this country is really unforgiveable.

[Generic Brad]

21. Katrina was the final trigger for me

When a family member told me that the misery in New Orleans was the fault of the "lazy darkies" I went ballistic. The line of decency had finally been crossed. I have an interracial marriage and overt racism pisses me off to no end.

[SharonAnn]

23. Thank you for your courage. It helps us all. To stay would be to enable

their behavior and actually would enable *.

My reasoning? People need to face up to the consequences of their actions. They created an ultimatum and they refused to accommodate anyone whose thinking was different. Therefore, you did what you had to do to survive as an individual. You left. I am sure that was difficult, but you saved yourself.

If we compromise by putting up with that intolerance from them, then we're enabling them to continue. We're giving them energy and removing any negative consequences from their experience.

[Tigress DEM]

17. You'll get there. We ALL WANT to bitchslap them, hence the appeal.

Dean is reminding US to make sure WE stand up and stand out as the party who comes in and gets the job done.

As cathartic as it might be to spend a month or two bitch slapping people who deserve it, that isn't what the country needs and DEMs gotta be about putting this country back in ONE piece and pulling together to make certain that this kind of shit can't happen again for a long, long, long time.

[williesgirl]

20. AMEN to that! recommended

[EST]

6. Clinton tried to heal the country by letting the Iran-Contra

criminals off the hook and it just made him look weak and allowed the same crooks to re-organize and attempt to imprison him. Ford tried to heal the country by pardoning Nixon for his illegal activities and it allowed the continued growth of what later became the neo-clowns.

In order to heal, as with Nazi Germany, the miscreants and crooks have to be singled out and punished. Otherwise, and "healing" is a false assurance and the culprits, seeing the lightness of their public accounting, will be encouraged to do it again.

They will not learn from the failure of their policies: merely supposing the source of their failures to be individual incompetence and poor timing-as well as bad luck-rather than the total failure of idea, ideology and execution.

[ima_sinnic]

8. I couldn't agree more!! I am STILL so ANGRY about Iran-Contra

and how it just sort of "went away" without anybody ever really being punished for it--and how the * "administration" now includes FELONS from that abominable scam.

[EST]

15. The world is really upside down.

We have to fight the battles as we find them, I suppose.

[madfloridian]

12. Bush has shut us out for 6 years.

That has worked really really really well. I think that is what he is trying to say, that being inclusive is necessary.

All Bush has done is anger Democrats by shutting us out. If we do the same how will things change at all.

This is not closing books like Clinton did, this is about trying to dialogue.

The shutting out of the opposition has nearly destroyed our country.

I disagree it makes us look weak.

[EST]

14. I agree that inclusion is necessary and should be such an

"elemental" part of the way we think and work that a discussion of it would seem oddly out of place, perhaps quaint.
Also, I'm suggesting that it made Clinton seem weak-particularly to the neoconsters who dug and tore up things around him like a coon at a garbage can.

I will allow that the attacks on Clinton did, by extension, reflect on us because they emboldened the bullies to reinforce and practice their disparaging act.

I am not wishing to tar the entire republican party, although I do at times, because normal people can get caught up in things and wind up in a mob mentality moment or some other silly season shenanigans. If I were to dismiss them out of hand it would mean dismissing a big part of myself; we are not so different.

One of the first ways we need to cooperate is in the area of law and order: we have to get back to a rule of law that admits of no exceptions, at least in the area of law makers and executors.
Those whose business it is to handle the laws ought to be held to a higher standard, but they must be held to at least the same standard as is the rest of the populace and the intentional breaking of important laws, specifically promulgated to regulate them, has to have proportional consequences.

The Odd Squad that has driven this country into bankruptcy and has broken law after law, national and international, as well as failed miserably at Ethics 101, has to be held accountable and responsible.

[Tigress DEM]

16. OMG can you open your mind just a little?

First, you CAN respectfully impeach the hell out of people. Get Fitzgerald on it right away.

Second, Dean is talking about being respectful to people whose opinions differ from our own and working together to heal the country and the ONLY people you think he is talking about are the "villians" in this scenario.

NEWSFLASH

There are other people in this country whose views differ from the main of the Democratic party besides *ushco.

Progressives.
Libertarians who are tired of *ushco and see us as the best way to rid the country of an administration run amok.
Independents.
Greens.
30 year Republicans disgusted with their party and crossing that line for the first time this year.
Former freepers who may have come to DU to laugh at us, but found facts and support and tolerance among DEMs is usually the norm and switched.

Each and every American should pull together and set this country to rights and we should refuse to helping hand at all and keep all this freaking criticism to a minimum.

There is a HUGE JOB to do. You want to shovel out all the shit this administration has piled up on us all by yourself? Not me. People who will pitch in and help out are welcome in my book. People set on whining about the past aren't being helpful as I see it.

Just my opinion and I hope you prove me wrong by welcoming opposing viewpoints with respect.

[iconocrastic]

7. Right

[bigwillq]

10. Dean is my hero!

:bounce:

[madfloridian]

11. In Toledo...he can not resist digs at the administration.

Ignore the tone of the article, it contains several obvious digs.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061104/NEWS09/611040397

"Mr. Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told a packed VFW hall that Republicans have damaged the country by dividing Americans — and that Democrats, if they work hard enough, can ride a desire for change to big wins in Ohio and nationwide next week.

He invoked Republican scandals in Columbus and Washington, including a nod to the Tom Noe theft trial here.

“God knows,” Mr. Dean said, drawing cheers, “in Ohio you can’t trust Republicans with your money.”

"The VFW crowd was filled with base voters. When Mr. Dean said it could be difficult to convince “a right-wing President” to go along with Democrats’ ideas, someone in the front row shouted, “Impeach him!”

“Well, if you do that,” Mr. Dean replied, “you get Dick Cheney.”

Someone shouted again: “Impeach him too.”

Dean, Marcy Kaptur, and others.

[Cha]

27. Impeach 'em both..neither one should

be left standing in front of us.

[madfloridian]

13. Video of Dean discussing the importance of bloggers.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/552

He says the blogosphere is a reform movement to help restore America to its greatness. He says the blogosphere can sometimes not be unifying, but that in the end they usually make the best choice for change.

One comment, he says we may not always get the progressive candidate we want and that's ok. We keep trying.

A little over two minutes, comprised of video clips done at Yearly Kos.

He shows he is aware of the potential of the blogs for change at this time. He seems to respect them.

[Clarkie1]

22. K & R. nt

[merbex]

24. If we win the trifecta - House,Senate, and Governorships that have eluded Dems

for so long...

We deserve a night of celebration

Acting magnanimous can come a couple of days later.

[many a good man]

25. We need a Truth & Reconciliation Commission

just like South Africa had following apartheid.

Justice demands that the truth comes out about the enormous crimes committed and abetted the past six years.

If I recall the criminals were not prosecuted, in the name of national reconciliation, but were forbidden from future participation in politics.

[Cha]

26. Dean is right about that..

There's something else we have to do, too. And that is get a new media.

Our country is at a disadvantage having a media like cnn, msnbc, abc, cbs, nbc, faux..whose corporate heads are only looking out for themselves.