MR. RUSSERT: Tom DeLay--you raised him [incidentally, of course]; he was at a dinner on May 12 being honored by Republicans and conservatives. He had this to say about you, Howard Dean. Let's watch.
(Videotape, May 12)
REP. TOM DELAY, (R-TX): Democrats around the country are growing more and more alienated every day because they see that the once-great party of Roosevelt and Kennedy has become the party of Howard Dean.
(End videotape)
DR. DEAN: Well, you know, there are so many ethics problems here that I thought I'd actually have to write them down. [Good one! I’m sure you’ll explain this well.] He has been--the majority leader has been admonished for offering campaign money to a congressman's son to get a congressman's vote, providing an energy company with a seat at the table in exchange for campaign contributions, using the Department of Homeland Security to track down the private plane of some political enemies; now, he's under investigation for taking a golf vacation in Europe, $100,000, paid for by lobbyists. He's said that judges he disagreed with ought to be impeached. [“Admonished”: 4; Indicted/Convicted: 0] This is a culture of corruption and abuse of power in Washington. [Like filibustering to block congressional votes on judicial nominees with whom you disagree politically.] This is what happens when one party is in charge of everything. We need a change here.
And it's not just Tom DeLay. Look what's going on in the rest of the administration: paying journalists to write positive articles about unpopular policies; allowing lobbyists to sell access, like Jack Abramoff in the White House; hiding scientific reports when they come out with their mercury bills, for example, that show that mercury is much more devastating, and hiding that report in order to get that out there. [Remember this mercury story because Mr. Dean apparently studied for this topic, too (despite its irrelevance).] These things are not good for America, and this is abuse of power. And, you know, Tom DeLay is welcome to say whatever he wants about me, but I don't think people like that ought to be leading Congress, no matter what party they're in. [People who are admonished for unproven, unsubstantiated allegations and other non-crimes?]
MR. RUSSERT: But, Governor, you did on May 14 say something about Tom DeLay that raised a lot of eyebrows. Let's watch Howard Dean on Tom DeLay.
(Videotape, May 14)
DR. DEAN: I think Tom DeLay ought to go back to Houston, where he can serve his jail sentence down there courtesy of the Texas taxpayers.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: "Serve his jail sentence"? He--what's he been convicted of?
DR. DEAN: He hasn't been convicted yet [which is why people serve jail sentences], but he is also, in addition to the things that I just mentioned, under investigation in Texas by a district attorney down there for violating the campaign finance laws of Texas by funneling corporate donations, which is illegal, into certain campaign activities. [Innocent until proven guilty, anyone?] This gentleman is not an ethical person [because he's repeatedly investigated by political opponents?], and he ought not to be leading Congress, period. And it is endemic of what happens in Congress when one party controls everything.
MR. RUSSERT: You said in December of 2003 that we shouldn't prejudge Osama bin Laden. How can you sit here and have a different standard for Tom DeLay and prejudge him?
DR. DEAN: To be honest with you, Tim, I don't think I'm prejudging him. [H.D., 5/14/05: “I think Tom DeLay ought to go back to Houston, where he can serve his jail sentence down there courtesy of the Texas taxpayers.”] The things that I just read off--offering the congressman's son campaign money, providing Westar, the energy company, with a seat at the table in exchange for contributions, using the Department of Homeland Security to track down the private plane of political enemies--those are things that he has already been adjudicated for [and convicted for how many?]. Now, the question is: Where is this going to end up? I think there's a reasonable chance that this may end up in jail. [A reasonable chance? That’s why he should serve a jail sentence?] And I don't think people ought to do these kinds of things in public service. I do not think they ought to do these kinds of things in public service. [What? Deny that you defended Osama Bin Ladin from American prejudgment while prejudging Tom Delay?] And I don't think Democrats should, either.
MR. RUSSERT: But shouldn't that be for a jury to decide and not you?
DR. DEAN: A jury will decide that. [Whoa! Sounds like more than just a reasonable chance now. Mr. Dean, what’s MY horoscope say?]
[That’s now the second assumption of H.D.’s that he’s tried to pass off as factual – the first being that Republicans will use the nuclear option with Social Security reform. Count along as you read!]
MR. RUSSERT: Barney Frank, a liberal Democrat [and great “Tigger” impersonator], said, "That's just wrong. I think Howard Dean was out of line talking about DeLay. The man has not been indicted. I don't like him, I disagree with some of what he does, but I don't think you, in a political speech, talk about a man as a criminal or his jail sentence."
DR. DEAN: As I said before, we're not speculating here. [H.D., 5/22/05: “[Delay] hasn't been convicted yet.”] Three of the things I've mentioned he has already done and been admonished for by the House Ethics Committee. [As criminal?] Look, Harry Truman was campaigning in 1948, and a guy went up and said, "Give 'em hell, Harry!" And HarryTruman said, "I don't give 'em hell. I just tell the truth and the Republicans think it's hell." [Well, it’s true Delay hasn’t been indicted for anything. But that’s hell to Democrats, not to Republicans.]
There's a lot of problems in Washington now. You know, for example, the administration withheld information – essentially lied to Congress – when they were passing the Medicaid prescription bill. They concealed the cost. Even the Republican conservatives were outraged, as they should have been. [Evidence?] You can't do this. You've got to be ethical in government. [So far you’ve already been caught lying or contradicting yourself at least four times on this show alone.] I think one of the things that we're going to insist on is ethics in government. [Like letting Terri Shiavo starve to death after bitching about being dragged to a special session for the debate.] I'd like some real political and campaign and electoral [because you keep losing] reform as part of the Democratic Party platform as we offer a different vision to the American people. [That Americans have turned away increasingly since 1998.] I think honesty in government is important, and it's something that's lacking in Washington right now.
[Howard Dean, 5/22/05, in the first fifteen minutes of his Meet The Press interview:
* “If the filibuster is gotten rid of, it means the president can put 10 judges on the bench that we believe are not qualified to serve."
* “I have no way of knowing what the vote counts are in the Senate."
* “Look, I have nothing against up or down votes on people."
* “When the Republicans were in power, they kept a much larger percentage of President Clinton's nominees to the bench."
* “The point is not to bring up Tom DeLay, which I'm sure we will, and his ethics problems…."
* “To be honest with you, Tim, I don't think I'm prejudging [Tom Delay]."]
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