Text 16015, 84 rader
Skriven 2005-10-23 16:41:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Howard
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Notice how this clown sounds just like Ski ?  They all eat from the same 
trash can...

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http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/051023dean.shtml

Dean calls for end to 'culture of corruption' 


By JOSIE HUANG, Portland Press Herald Writer


LEWISTON — The Bush White House is the most corrupt administration in 
U.S. history since President Warren G. Harding's, said Howard Dean 
during his first visit to Maine as chairman of the Democratic National 
Committee. Dean's comments Saturday came as top White House advisers are 
being investigated for their roles in the outing of a CIA operative and 
Tom DeLay, the former second-ranking Republican in the House of 
Representatives, faces conspiracy and money-laundering charges. 

"The first thing we're going to do is we're going to have ethics come 
back to Washington again," said Dean, the keynote speaker at Saturday 
night's annual fundraising dinner for the Maine Democratic Party at the 
Lewiston Armory.

To deal with the "culture of corruption," Dean said, there needs to be 
an ethics code in Congress and stronger campaign finance laws.

Dean, a former Vermont governor who was once a front-runner in the 2004 
campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, alluded to 
criticism that Democrats have been too timid and vague in their message 
and have not capitalized on Republicans' weaknesses.

Dean said that if Democrats don't stand up for themselves, voters won't 
have any reason to believe they would be well-represented. 

"We have to stand up and say who we are and why we believe what we 
believe," he said.

Dean said if the Democrats were to regain power, the party would be 
strong on national defense. He said the party never would send troops 
abroad without telling them the truth about why they were going, and 
without adequately arming them.

Dean said that Democrats also would make sure every American has access 
to health insurance.

"If 40 industrial nations can do it and balance the budget at the same 
time, it's time to have somebody in the White House who can chew gum and 
think at the same time," he said.

More than 400 party loyalists listened as Dean described Democrats as a 
party of moral values, while criticizing Republicans as trying to divide 
Americans over race, sexual orientation and country of origin.

Dean said Republicans should not have interfered in the Terri Schiavo 
right-to-life case.

"I'm tired of the ayatollahs of the right wing," Dean said. "We're 
fighting for freedom in Iraq. We're going to fight for freedom in 
America."

Dean urged Maine Democrats to run for state office in 2006, and to 
maintain Democratic control of the State House that Gov. John Baldacci 
needs to push through his initiatives.

Maine is the 33rd state Dean has visited since taking over as chairman 
this year. He received several standing ovations during a program that 
also included Baldacci and Democratic U.S. Reps. Tom Allen and Michael 
Michaud.

The purpose of the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner was to raise money 
and rally the party faithful, and the event often took a light-hearted 
tone. Allen made one of several DeLay jokes of the night when he said he 
heard there was a new television show called "Desperate House Leaders."


Staff Writer Josie Huang can be contacted at 791-6364 or at:



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