Wallace asked Dean about Kerry:

[ProSense]

Wallace interview with Howard Dean

WALLACE: John Kerry's botched joke.

DEAN: Overstated.

WALLACE: You didn't put him in the cellar? The party didn't put him in the cellar for the last week?

DEAN: No, no, no. John Kerry did a lot for this party while we were trying to win back. He campaigned like crazy, raised a bunch of money, gave us a bunch of money. I'm not going to go after John Kerry, and I don't think most Democrats will either.

more...

[Mass]

1. Thank you Chairman Dean.

[Olney Blue]

2. Now that's how Dems should treat each other. Good job, Dr. Dean.

[Cha]

25. Especially Dems who

deserve repect like Kerry does.

[rocktivity]

3. Shut your stupid face, Stimpy!

rocknation

[bluestateguy]

4. It just drives Fox up the wall that Kerry's remark didn't doom the Democrats

Wasn't Wallace's Clinton interview supposed to doom them too, or that fantasy movie on ABC, or Jim Webb's racy lines in his book, or Michael J. Fox's ad, or Karl Rove's "secret weapon" 72 hour GOTV drive?

[_dynamicdems]

34. From the people I talked to, the Repug BS over the remark helped Dems.

Everybody I know thought the entire episode was ridiculous. It further disintegrated their respect for both the Repugs and the media. Even my nephew, who voted for Bush, was appalled that they attempted such a lame and desperate tactic. He's no Kerry fan, but even he admitted that it didn't take a genius to realize that Kerry was referring to the Bush Administration (and probably Rumsfeld) as having gotten us stuck in the quagmire that is Iraq.

FOX just don't get it: the era of people blindly believing televised news (and FOX "news" in particular) is over. They have about as much cred as Bush does. If we could have elected our media in the midterms, we would have thrown all the FOX bums out and many at CNN, MSNBC, etc.

In other words: baseless attacks against Democrats are backfiring big time. Every time they "swiftboated" another Dem, people got more and more disgusted. Then they voted.

[rodeodance]

5. i watched. Dean did just fine.

[Fridays Child]

6. Howard Dean is straightforward, honest, and ethical. They can't STAND that.

[Hand]

8. Plus he beat them all over the map!

Repukes' worst nightmare. :evilgrin: :rofl:

[John Q. Citizen]

16. Remember when they all predicted that Dean's election to Chair the DNC

was the end of the Democrats?

I've been having fun throwing that into freepers faces lately.My locally based ISP has a discussion board and I keep resurrecting their posts from a couple of years ago where they earnestly warn us lefties about the perils of a Dean Chairmanship to the Democratic party.

Of course, not one has admitted to being wrong about that. They are still clinging to hope.

[Fridays Child]

22. At what point does "clinging to hope" turn into "delusional?"

Well, we are talking bout freepers here. They were born in the delusion patch.

[Fridays Child]

33. My dream ticket is Gore-Dean or Dean-Clark.

I know it's not going to happen but, if it did, I would enthusiastically work for either campaign.

[Evergreen Emerald]

7. Were there any questions about the rumor that he was going to be replaced?

[theoldman]

9. It would be stupit to replace a winner.

[theoldman]

11. And some guys cannot spell Stupid, Sorry about that.

[Evergreen Emerald]

I agree with you (on both counts!)

There has been a rumor going around that Dean will be replaced. I think it would be a mistake, as he is doing a fantastic job. I wondered if the rumors were addressed.

[Mass]

10. Here

...
WALLACE: The election results were barely in when a top Democratic strategist, James Carville — you can see where I'm headed with this — a former adviser to Bill Clinton, started going after you. And let's take a look at what he had to say.

"The RNC —" this is from Carville — "The RNC did a better job than the DNC —" that's the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee, "— this year. He says the House and Senate Campaign Committees made up for your shortcomings and that Congressman Harold Ford should replace you as chairman of the DNC.

First of all, what do you make of this criticism, and do you have any intention of stepping down?

DEAN: I have to say I get a laugh out of that one. Here we have — let's leave the federal races aside, because the DCCC and the DSCC did do a wonderful job. But the truth is we got six additional governors. We got nine additional legislative chambers. New Hampshire now has a Democratic house and senate for the first time in a century.

We did great. And I think the time really has come now, now that we're in power, at least in the Congress, to pull together, to be unified. We've got a lot to do in the next two years. We've got to elect a Democratic president, and so...

WALLACE: Do you have any intention of stepping down?

DEAN: No. I talked to Harold last night, and he has no — he doesn't want the job. This is some kind of inside the Beltway silliness.

[eleny]

12. thanks!

[sandnsea]

13. Good to hear

Dean is handling all of this very well. Good for him.

[Evergreen Emerald]

15. It is as if Carville was attempting to start dissension among the ranks

Dean is right: it is time to unify. Carville's antics make no sense unless he is attempting to undermine the party.

[ChoralScholar]

18. Yeah, I'm a little disappointed in Carville

too much boinking of a Republican has rotted his brain. And no telling what else.

[WildEyedLiberal]

28. Perfect response by Dean

Without losing his temper, he managed in just a few sentences to make Carville look ridiculous, petty, and out of touch. Not to mention that Dean, unlike some cowards within the party, stood WITH a fellow Dem when he was getting swiftboated. More than anything, what the Kerry pronoungate controversy showed us was who has honor and who does not. Dean passed the test with flying colors, which is sadly something that cannot be said of all leading Democrats.

[waiting for hope]

14. He's a class act, no matter

what.

[fooj]

17. Finally. Someone who speaks truth.

How f*cking refreshing.

[karynnj]

19. Dean is wonderful

I am so glad he was so strong on this. (I hope Kerry will return the favor in helping Dean fight Carville & co

[blm]

27. I think Dean and Kerry know full well they're in the same trench and have been for

some time now.

Remember, Kerry first thing dumped alot of money on Dean when he first took control of the DNC. And helped Dean with candidates who needed money .

Dean and Kerry are smart enough to know they've both been targets for the coverup Dems since the day after the 2004 election.

[AtomicKitten]

31. tell us that story again

about how the DLC knocked out Dean in the 2004 primary to replace him with Kerry, and then the DLC went on to sabotage Kerry's run.

I love that one.

[blm]

32. Never said that and never would. I said media went after Kerry first. Then turned on Dean.

And then went back to beating up Kerry in the general.

DLC didn't lift a finger FOR Kerry, and directed no money his way.

You're cracking yourself up over something that was never said.

[LittleClarkie]

20. Dean gets a cookie

Thank you Chairman. I support you. What Carville said was laughable. In fact, at my monthly Dem breakfast, we did indeed laugh at your Martian ass.

[Catchawave]

21. Thank you Dr. Dean !

:hug:

[cassiepriam]

23. Bad joke vs torture, murder, war, treason, loss of US treasury.

Duh what is worse?

[_dynamicdems]

38. Maybe I'm easy to please, but I liked the joke. I KNEW it was aimed at Bush, Rummy & Co.

So he left out one word from his prepared statement. With our without the word "us" there is still no way you would interpret what he said to mean troops instead of the Bushco idiots who've created the debacle in Iraq.

Contrary to popular belief: JK is pretty funny at times. I've been there and seen it. So what if once in a while he tells a joke that fall flat? So has Letterman, Leno and Maher, and these guys do funny for a living. You don't hear about their botched jokes, just Kerry's.

You're right: it is a less egregious blunder to bomb at at joke than to bomb a sovereign nation because you want to one-up your Daddy.

[cassiepriam]

39. Actually I liked it too, was acidly funny. But he got swiftboated again.

The press tells us what to think and feel.

[_dynamicdems]

41. The press and the pundits are the devil's minions more often than not. n/t

[cassiepriam]

42. Karma time. Minions everywhere not faring well. nt

[globalvillage]

24. Thank you Dr Dean

He's a stand up guy. I had no doubt he'd defend Sen Kerry.
With some people, it just in their nature to do the right thing, and Chairman Dean is just such a person.

People like Jack Murtha, Bob Casey, Joe Sestak (WTG PA) and a few other straight shooters who stood up for Sen Kerry, as he did for them. They may not be perfect, but I'd take a dozen of each, and gladly leave the Hillary types behind.

We lost in '04 because we didn't have enough willing to stand up and do the right thing when one of our own was being attacked. Very few have learned the lesson.

:applause: for Howard Dean.

[wisteria]

26. Dean is a class act. I appreciate his defense of Kerry. n/t

[Diane R]

29. And this is why I support Dean and not Carville/Hillary n/t

[ohtransplant]

30. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

Credit where credit is due and no circular firing squad - revolutionary concept!

Dems who sabotage other Dems should be put in the cellar!

[_dynamicdems]

35. Dean knows something about honor and about loyalty.

He's one of our staunchest Democrats and a stand up guy. I've been disgusted with some Dems who have put their own personal ambition above the welfare of the Democratic Party and of their fellow Democrats. Dean has never done that.

Kerry put himself in the cellar because he didn't want to have media attention on himself rather than the candidates during the final stretch of the campaigns. It was a smart move and it was all Kerry's. He didn't want the attacks on him to hurt anyone else. So he took the fire and stepped away from anyone who else might be hit by a ricochet. Honorable of him, as well.

Two good Democrats. Love them both.

[politicasista]

36. Thanks Chairman Dean!

I will take him over Carville anyday! :)

[Blue_In_AK]

37. Howard Dean has class. n/t

[Azathoth]

40. Memo to Carville from Dean

Dems shouldn't be stabbing each other in the back.

[Laelth]

43. That is very impressive.

Many thanks to both Dean and Kerry for showing true leadership.

Shame on other Democrats (except maybe Ford in TN) for using this media non-issue as an excuse to knife fellow Dems. in the back.

-Laelth

[oc2002]

44. Dean was way too nice to that shit eater, he should of taken him to the wood shed like clinton did.

nt.