Video: Dean on NBC today says Democrats need to respond more forcefully.

[madfloridian]

Here is the video from NBC today.

He says the Republican party is great at being the opposition. He says Democrats need to respond more forcefully. I agree 100%.

He again spoke out on having a public option in health care.

Former Vt. Gov. Dean backs public health choice

WASHINGTON - Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean says there can be no meaningful health care overhaul in America without a public option for individuals not now covered.

Dean, a medical doctor and former chairman of the Democratic Party, said in a nationally broadcast interview that the strong Republican opposition to the plan that President Barack Obama is pushing doesn't surprise him. Dean said, "We've had a government system for 50 years. The Republicans didn't like it then. It's called Medicare."

He also said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show that he can't imagine any health care overhaul without a government-funded option, asking "why would you put a trillion dollars into something that hasn't worked."

Dean maintained that "the only way you could really reform the health system and bring down the costs ... is give Americans a choice between a public and private system."

He also stood with Obama in the way he is handling Iran.

From MSNBC

Dean defends Obama on Iran stance.

I noticed his use of the word covert and overt.

WASHINGTON - Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean gave the Obama administration high marks Thursday for its arms-length response to the disputed presidential election in Iran.

"For the United States to overtly interfere with this would be a big mistake," Dean said in a nationally broadcast interview.

The former Vermont governor said whatever moral support the U.S. can give to opposition forces in the Persian Gulf nation must be carefully measured. "Our government is doing exactly the right thing," Dean said on NBC's "Today" show.

David Gregory annoys me. Even watching him online is annoying.

Dean is right that our Democrats need to be more forceful.

[YOY]

1. YOY on DU today says "No shit Howard."

Agreed with him 100%

[madfloridian]

19. Agreed.

.

[tekisui]

29. I get challenged every time I make that same claim on DU.

We need leaders with a backbone, not afraid to fight. Not afraid to use the bully pulpit.

[tom_paine]

2. That attitude is why the DLCers kicked him out of the DNC.

DLCers want complaint Bushpublican-Lite, and that is what they get, almost every time.

[madfloridian]

4. That is why he is out of the national party leadership....too outspoken.

[OHdem10]

6. Dean is spot on. He understands rank and file Americans much

better than the Democrats on the Hill.

[kenny blankenship]

7. And that's why he had to be stopped.

[democracy1st]

13. he's to smart for these dumb a...

[madfloridian]

14. And what bothers me...

is that his efforts don't get attention here at DU much. In fact they are ignored and criticized by several in the single payer movement which claim that the public option is unacceptable.

Notice the posts usually drop about his efforts. Yet it is probably our only chance at reform at this time.

It is discouraging.

[democracy1st]

16. I've learned alot about people ,some will totally ignore whats right in front

of their eyes and go along with bs. All these crazy a.. centrist appointments,Max Baucus having influence on health care reform. Just weak bs,and when the dems get attacked they just sit their and take it. When the president talked about Faux being bias I was like to hell with complaining just make a plan to combat it,and hold those dems that go along with they're program responsible.



Now checkout this post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8482569&mesg_id=8482569

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. The Dems need to hire Ed Schultz as a debating coach.

Ed is rare in that he seems to be able to cut through the rude behavior of those currently carrying water for the right. we had a good thread on this earlier in the week - the style makes many of us uncomfortable...but it is not about comfort. It is about effectively fighting and countering the bullshit and misinformation and attacks.

[madfloridian]

8. Ed is forceful. I have been impressed by him.

I was not fond of him on radio at the start. But he is for the everyday person, and we really need that now.

[kenny blankenship]

5. Leadership. You shouldn't have to beg for it!

You don't have leadership vacuums when the issue of the day is something your "leaders" care about.

[madfloridian]

9. Exactly right.

And when what your leaders care about is so much like the other side...they tend not to lead.

[WI_DEM]

10. Dean really should have been kept on as DNC chair.

[madfloridian]

11. The DNC has become part of Obama's campaign network now.

Dean made it clear that he did not want to answer to the WH because it was a more political job then.

It's a shame though.

[madfloridian]

12. Kick before archiving

[marlakay]

15. Totally agree we should be out on the streets about this

if we were out in millions and millions all of the senators would have to take notice.

So who is leading that? and it should be done in all states as we can't all go to DC. I would travel to Seattle 3 hrs away, I am in the mountains.

I think we should have marches in every big city across america. People just have to get off their lazy asses and do something!! Dean is right!

[madfloridian]

17. I have not heard other Democratic leaders speaking out

on such an option. We are too divided on the left to accomplish what we need to do.

[madfloridian]

18. Kick because he keeps trying.

Even though half the left is against the public option plan

[Frisbee]

20. I've got a little news for Howard....

everybody already knows this, except the Dems who are in a position to actually do something about it. Kinda makes me wonder who they are REALLY representing.

[humbled_opinion]

21. Yes something must be done with Health Care

The hard part is the what. I have read blogs where some Conservatives were actually wishing that a form of Government health care would be mandated as well as many of the cost controls and patient compliance standards that Obama spoke of at the AMA.

Their poistion as I understood it was to use Patient Compliance requirements to pass Conservative Social agendas, i.e., having the government mandate patient compliance, i.e., weight standards, diet restrictions, anti-smoking etc, and then refusing care based on non-compliance i.e., you never reduced your cholestoral for the last 15 years and so we are refusing to give you a new heart, because patient B would be more suited for said heart since they are more compliant.

The Conservatives view appeared to be Government health plan would give birth control to both males and Females and then charge that any Pregnancy must be planned or that it was non-compliance, thereby allowing the government to refuse abortion as a choice. Others further went into how the same thing could be used in the treatment of various STD's.

It really started me thinking about how far some groups could press these issues if they are government controlled and the wrong people eventually get back in charge of government.

[madfloridian]

22. Give him credit for trying.

That's not so hard to do, is it?

Others if they know it are not saying it.

They are not speaking out forcefully on anything.

[Frisbee]

23. Don't misunderstand me...

I give Howard HUGE credit. He always seems to be on the right side of the discussion. It is the CURRENT elected officials that I am criticizing. Give me a Dean-Kucinich ticket any day! :-)

[tooeyeten]

24. Who to believe?

Greed ridden insurance companies and the lobby that feeds the legislature, or Dean?

[shadowknows69]

25. Sometimes I really wish Dr. Dean would take his 50 State Strategy

Which I don't think I've even heard a thank you from our party for. And start the Progressive Democratic Party. Competition is good for quality right?

[madfloridian]

26. I find myself thinking the same thoughts sometimes.

Oddly enough, he is at heart an independent thinker. I am transcribing a part of one of his books which really shows that. And it also shows why he is not in the national party leadership. He really lambasted the party leaders and their corporate ties coming out of the 90s. He spared no one.

[shadowknows69]

27. That's why I had planned on voting for him for President

[tavalon]

28. Definitely

They need to lead or get the fuck out of the way of Howard Dean. Why did we let them manipulate us out of having this great man as our President.