Sharpton targets ex-governor's hiring practices, endorsements
By George E. Condon Jr. and Toby Eckert
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
January 12, 2004
DES MOINES, Iowa – Howard Dean came under heavy attack last night in the final Democratic debate before the crucial Iowa caucuses Jan. 19 and was forced to defend his hiring practices as governor and his statements about the Confederate flag and the role of the caucuses.
Participating in a debate designed to focus on issues important to blacks and Latinos, Dean clashed with several of the other candidates on race, war and taxes.
The exchanges were noticeably more spirited than those seen in most of the nearly two dozen debates that preceded the showdown in Iowa's capital city.
New polls show former Vermont governor Dean and Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri locked in a tight battle for first place and Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina scrapping for third place.
A Zogby tracking poll of Iowa Democrats out yesterday put Dean at 25 percent and Gephardt at 23 percent. Kerry was third at 15 percent, edging Edwards, who was at 14 percent.
The poll, taken for MSNBC and Reuters, was conducted Thursday through Saturday and surveyed 500 Democrats who said they are likely to vote at the caucuses.
The eight candidates gathered at the Des Moines Convention Center for a "Brown and Black Presidential Forum," which was broadcast by MSNBC and hosted by the network's Lester Holt and Maria Celeste Arraras of the Spanish-language network Telemundo. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark is not competing in Iowa and did not take part in last night's debate.
For the first time in the debates, the prime target was not President Bush. This time, Dean was under almost constant fire.
The first question brought up Dean's remark four years ago that the Iowa caucuses were primarily for extremists. The remark was unearthed last week.
"That was something that was said four years ago and I, frankly, think that people are a little tired about who said what four years ago or who said what six years ago or 10 years ago," he said last night.
Dean then seemed a little flustered when activist Al Sharpton pressed him on his hiring record during his years as governor.
"You keep talking about race," Sharpton said. "In the state of Vermont . . . not one black or brown (person) held a senior policy position, not one."
Dean quickly stated that Sharpton's numbers were wrong and challenged his source. But Sharpton would not back down, and repeatedly pushed Dean to say if he had any minority members in his Cabinet. Finally, Dean relented and responded, "No, we did not."
When Dean tried to defend himself again, Sharpton cut him off, saying, "If you want to lecture people on race, you ought to have the background and track record in order to do that."
When the moderator asked Dean about his earlier appeal for the votes of Southerners who drive trucks with Confederate flag decals, Dean called the flag "a painful symbol to African-Americans" and tried to change his target to "NASCAR dads."
But Edwards, the only Southerner in the group last night, pounced on Dean, saying the flag is also repugnant to whites and mocking Dean's promise to promote more conversations on race among whites.
"This is not just about talk; this is about doing something," Edwards said. "This is not conversation; this is about creating real equality."
Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, who rarely said a contrary word in any of the earlier debates, criticized Edwards as being too supportive of Bush, Gephardt as ineffective in Congress and Sharpton for provoking what she called "a racial screaming match" with Dean.
Edwards rebutted her with voting numbers, and Gephardt blamed Republicans in the House. But Sharpton fired back: "I've heard throughout this campaign . . . the governor lecture us on race. To ask him his own record is not a racial screaming match; it is to make one accountable to what they said."
Sharpton also mocked Dean for talking about his endorsements from black and Latino leaders. "You only need co-signers if your credit is bad," Sharpton said.
Under fire from Kerry and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut for his insistence on repealing all of Bush's tax cuts, Dean has promised to come up with a tax plan to help the middle class. But Dean said his top priority is to balance the budget and suggested that any tax relief would have to wait.
The debate also had its moments of humor. When Lieberman asked a seemingly endless question, Kerry joked that it "lasted longer than a Britney Spears marriage." And when asked about Bush's plan to go to the moon and Mars, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio suggested that perhaps the president is "looking for the weapons of mass destruction" there since they have not been found in Iraq.
Because of the debate, it was a relatively light campaign day for the other candidates despite the dwindling number of days before the caucuses.
The most surprising development in the race was the unexpected endorsement of Edwards by The Des Moines Register, the state's most influential newspaper. The Register acknowledged that Edwards lacks the experience of most of the other candidates, but it said he is superior to them.
"John Edwards is one of those rare, naturally gifted politicians who doesn't need a long record of public service to inspire confidence in his abilities," the newspaper said.
www.signonsandiego.com
By George E. Condon Jr. and Toby Eckert
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
January 12, 2004
DES MOINES, Iowa – Howard Dean came under heavy attack last night in the final Democratic debate before the crucial Iowa caucuses Jan. 19 and was forced to defend his hiring practices as governor and his statements about the Confederate flag and the role of the caucuses.
Participating in a debate designed to focus on issues important to blacks and Latinos, Dean clashed with several of the other candidates on race, war and taxes.
The exchanges were noticeably more spirited than those seen in most of the nearly two dozen debates that preceded the showdown in Iowa's capital city.
New polls show former Vermont governor Dean and Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri locked in a tight battle for first place and Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina scrapping for third place.
A Zogby tracking poll of Iowa Democrats out yesterday put Dean at 25 percent and Gephardt at 23 percent. Kerry was third at 15 percent, edging Edwards, who was at 14 percent.
The poll, taken for MSNBC and Reuters, was conducted Thursday through Saturday and surveyed 500 Democrats who said they are likely to vote at the caucuses.
The eight candidates gathered at the Des Moines Convention Center for a "Brown and Black Presidential Forum," which was broadcast by MSNBC and hosted by the network's Lester Holt and Maria Celeste Arraras of the Spanish-language network Telemundo. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark is not competing in Iowa and did not take part in last night's debate.
For the first time in the debates, the prime target was not President Bush. This time, Dean was under almost constant fire.
The first question brought up Dean's remark four years ago that the Iowa caucuses were primarily for extremists. The remark was unearthed last week.
"That was something that was said four years ago and I, frankly, think that people are a little tired about who said what four years ago or who said what six years ago or 10 years ago," he said last night.
Dean then seemed a little flustered when activist Al Sharpton pressed him on his hiring record during his years as governor.
"You keep talking about race," Sharpton said. "In the state of Vermont . . . not one black or brown (person) held a senior policy position, not one."
Dean quickly stated that Sharpton's numbers were wrong and challenged his source. But Sharpton would not back down, and repeatedly pushed Dean to say if he had any minority members in his Cabinet. Finally, Dean relented and responded, "No, we did not."
When Dean tried to defend himself again, Sharpton cut him off, saying, "If you want to lecture people on race, you ought to have the background and track record in order to do that."
When the moderator asked Dean about his earlier appeal for the votes of Southerners who drive trucks with Confederate flag decals, Dean called the flag "a painful symbol to African-Americans" and tried to change his target to "NASCAR dads."
But Edwards, the only Southerner in the group last night, pounced on Dean, saying the flag is also repugnant to whites and mocking Dean's promise to promote more conversations on race among whites.
"This is not just about talk; this is about doing something," Edwards said. "This is not conversation; this is about creating real equality."
Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, who rarely said a contrary word in any of the earlier debates, criticized Edwards as being too supportive of Bush, Gephardt as ineffective in Congress and Sharpton for provoking what she called "a racial screaming match" with Dean.
Edwards rebutted her with voting numbers, and Gephardt blamed Republicans in the House. But Sharpton fired back: "I've heard throughout this campaign . . . the governor lecture us on race. To ask him his own record is not a racial screaming match; it is to make one accountable to what they said."
Sharpton also mocked Dean for talking about his endorsements from black and Latino leaders. "You only need co-signers if your credit is bad," Sharpton said.
Under fire from Kerry and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut for his insistence on repealing all of Bush's tax cuts, Dean has promised to come up with a tax plan to help the middle class. But Dean said his top priority is to balance the budget and suggested that any tax relief would have to wait.
The debate also had its moments of humor. When Lieberman asked a seemingly endless question, Kerry joked that it "lasted longer than a Britney Spears marriage." And when asked about Bush's plan to go to the moon and Mars, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio suggested that perhaps the president is "looking for the weapons of mass destruction" there since they have not been found in Iraq.
Because of the debate, it was a relatively light campaign day for the other candidates despite the dwindling number of days before the caucuses.
The most surprising development in the race was the unexpected endorsement of Edwards by The Des Moines Register, the state's most influential newspaper. The Register acknowledged that Edwards lacks the experience of most of the other candidates, but it said he is superior to them.
"John Edwards is one of those rare, naturally gifted politicians who doesn't need a long record of public service to inspire confidence in his abilities," the newspaper said.
www.signonsandiego.com
