This probrably has already been posted in another diary, but here is the link to the transcript of HD's interview with Gwenn Ifill on PBS's NewsHour. I think that this interview is one of Howard's best, if not the best, that I have seen, since the first one I saw in Nov-Dec'03 (forgot who the interviewer was). I was quite moved while reading it. Kudos, Governor!
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june05/dean_6-22.html
You can read the whole thing yourself, but here are annotated highlights:
1) Defending our own, honestly and defensibly (and effectively pivoting out of spin machine talking points)!
GWEN IFILL: If that's true should Senator Durbin have apologized?
HOWARD DEAN: I'm not going to handicap Senator Durbin. Senator Durbin is one of the most fantastic people in the United States Senate, an honest, decent person. Whether he apologizes or not is up to him; not up to me. It's up to him. But I think he's terrific. And I think he's right at the top of my list of great people.
All I'm going to say about this stuff is the Republicans want to focus on personal attacks. What we want to focus on is making sure Social Security works and isn't wrecked by people who can't balance the budget.
What we want to focus on is a defense policy, which includes watching out for things like Iran and North Korea and not letting them -- putting them on the back burner when they're more of a danger to us than Iraq. These are fundamental national security issues and economic issues, which are not being addressed by the Republicans and it's why they attack people like me and Dick Durbin.
2) Messenger Vs Organizer
GWEN IFILL: How do you do that? As a DNC chairman, are you the messenger for the party or are you the organizer for the party?
HOWARD DEAN: Well I think I wouldn't call myself the messenger. I think Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have done a great job in Congress making sure that the president doesn't turn Social Security over to the same people that gave us Enron, for example. But I certainly am part of the message team. And I certainly have a lot to do with trying to organize the party.
3) Responding to the "PARTY OF NO" spin:
GWEN IFILL: The president has called the Democrats essentially the party of no, who put up the rhetorical stop sign every time that he proposes something. What is the danger that the party will get tagged as being simply obstructionist?
HOWARD DEAN: I think it would be irresponsible for us to say yes to most of the president's agenda. The president's proposing people who are way outside the mainstream to sit on the bench. People, for example, who supported programs that most Americans wouldn't agree with are now sitting on the court; proposed a crazy scheme for Social Security, which would undermine the budgetary integrity of the United States, not to mention undermining Social Security itself. But these are things we have to say no to, to protect America.
But we're going to have a positive agenda that's going to be centered around a strong national defense, a strong economic system with a balanced budget in Bill Clinton's tradition and not in the tradition of Republicans who have not balanced the budget for 35 years -- around a health care system that's comprehensive and around a strong public education system. That positive agenda I think will lay before the American people at election time and then they'll have a choice. Do you want some people who are seriously interested in policy, or do you want to go back to this kind of culture of corruption that we now have in Washington?
[Neo: Talking about corruption, this artilce on how lobbyists have been having a field day since the Highway Robbery on this scale started 4+ years ago, should make things crystal clear in numerical terms on whom the GOP caters to:
The Road to Riches Is Called K Street: Lobbying Firms Hire More, Pay More, Charge More to Influence Government, By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, June 22, 2005; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/21/AR2005062101632.html ]
4) Lighter moment (yet, makes you think):
GWEN IFILL: Finally, I have to ask you this: Dick Cheney said he doesn't know who loves you except perhaps your mother. What does your mother think about that?
HOWARD DEAN: She doesn't think much. You know, the first time she ever voted Democratic for president was this past election. She's one of those Republicans who have had it. That's why my mother is a Democrat now even after 75 years, it took her 75 years to change her mind.
5) On Moral Values:
".. making sure that we have -- everybody has an opportunity. I am including everybody in the American dream. Those are the real Christian values. And those are values that appear to be absent from the Republican platform."
"You know, the Republicans talk about two issues: Abortion and gay rights. .... So I don't think that the Republicans have any right to lecture Democrats about morals because our morals really are pretty biblical when you look at them. They really are about being good stewards of the earth that God gave us, they really are about helping children, helping the disenfranchised, making sure that everybody gets included. Those are pretty good values."
All in all, its a 10+ on 10, and the transcripts are an absolute must read for every democrat and every progressively minded person.
cheers
Neo