Column on Dean

[Firestarter 0]

it was off the record anyway which is why I'm not going to say the one/ones who said it.

Didn't expect you to; wasn't asking you to. Still, I would have expected that any politician would have preferred to have his balls yanked off with a rope before admitting to a reporter that he expected his party to lose, off the record or not.

[Firestarter 0]

Fot those who were too tired to read Marney's post, here's a one-sentence summary:

 

Other candidates, Rush Limbaugh's brother, and the WSJ opinion page do not like Howard Dean.

A more accurate two-sentence summary:

 

Dean has contradicted himself more than once, significantly and unequivocally, and it's clearly documented. Other candidates have meaningful and pertinent criticisms to make of him in light of that.

[Styles 0]

MMMMMM Waffles.... http://www.wafflepoweredhoward.com/

[Firestarter 0]

Dean's retort exposes a more serious flaw... his joy in sticking it to others isn't really about the target of the moment. It's about him.

Until now, this belligerence has served Dean well. In a nine-candidate field, he has distinguished himself by constantly attacking the "Washington Democrats" who stood with Bush on this or that issue. Each time an opponent counterattacks, Dean's campaign exhorts his followers to send the opponent a message by sending Dean money. "It's a polite way of saying where you can take it," Dean explained Friday.

But after a while, telling people where they can take it becomes a problem. The list of constituencies to whom you've given the finger grows. "Them" starts to outnumber "us." Clinton warned of such self-destruction when he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992: "For too long, politicians have told the most of us that are doing all right that what's really wrong with America is the rest of us: them... We've nearly them'd ourselves to death. Them, and them, and them. But this is America. There is no them; there is only us."

Dean... recognizes malice and pettiness only when he's the target.

- Howard Dean Needs to Grow Up by William Saletan for Slate

[EricMM 0]

Dean does seem to waver.

 

He's just such a fucking POLITICIAN

[Firestarter 0]

Recently Dean said Job was his favorite book in the Bible and placed it in the New Testament...

I... don't think Dean deserves to be beaten up for misplacing Job in the New Testament. Speaking extemporaneously is tricky, especially after months on the road, and slips of the tongue are both expected and forgivable.

But Dean's biblical slip, which merely underscored his awkward foray into the religious realm, damages most for casting light on his blinding insincerity. One day he scolds the South for casting votes around guns, God and gays. A few weeks later, he confesses to devotion to Christ and starts invoking the Lord.

He's like the carnival barker who says what potential suckers want to hear: "You want Jesus? Have we got Jesus!"

...George Bush and Joseph Lieberman can talk about their faith with impunity. Faith is part of who they are rather than something they dust off at election time...

Dean would have fared far better had he stuck to his true grit, rather than his Southern impression. Religion is personal, he might have said, and even Southerners could understand that. What they can't understand, and are less likely to forgive, is a man who bears false witness.

 

Proverbs. Old Testament.

- Jesus is just all right with Dean by Kathleen Parker

[Guest Wildbomb 4:20]

Probably in the wrong spot, but because it concerns one of the issues that I feel Dean doesn't waver on (the environment), I figured it would fit well here.

 

Mercury from coal-fired power plants in Georgia is one of the most persistent, toxic and harmful pollutants in our environment.

 

This invisible poison ends up in our waterways and accumulates in the fish we catch and eat, threatening public health and Georgia outdoor recreation. Despite this threat to our health and way of life, the Bush administration announced last month that it will push to overturn Clean Air Act protections and allow as much as six times more toxic mercury over many more years than currently allowed. To do this, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to declare mercury a non-hazardous pollutant under the Clean Air Act --- clearly not a decision based in science.

 

This decision is bad news for America's $35 billion-a-year sport fishing industry, and for the nearly one of every seven Georgia residents who hunts or fishes, according to the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. It is also terrible news for anyone who eats fish.

 

Methylmercury is formed when elemental mercury --- such as that emitted from power plant smokestacks --- makes its way into bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and oceans.

 

Methylmercury is a potent neurodevelopmental toxicant that interferes with brain development. The fetus in the womb is especially vulnerable to mercury exposure. High doses can result in low birth weight, small head circumference, severe mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness and seizures. Severely affected children may be born to mothers who exhibited no symptoms of methylmercury exposure during pregnancy.

 

More relevant to fish-eating Georgians today are the effects of lower dose prenatal exposure. Even moderately contaminated fish, when eaten by women in significant quantities before or during pregnancy, may be enough to cause subtle neurodevelopmental damage in children that is not expressed until later in childhood.

 

To protect against these risks, Georgia and more than 40 other states issued mercury advisories last year, warning people to limit consumption of fish from 12 million acres of lakes and 450,000 miles of river. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division alone issued more than 100 mercury advisories for certain fish in state waterways, including the Chattahoochee River and Lake Allatoona, in 2002.

 

The good news is that we don't have to choose between fish and public health. There is a common-sense way to make fish fit to eat --- keep toxic mercury out of the environment and out of the food chain by cutting mercury from power plants, the largest unregulated source of mercury emissions in the United States.

 

More than 500 coal-burning power plants emit about 100,000 pounds of mercury into the air in the United States each year, more than any other industry. According to the EPA, power plants in Georgia emitted 2,549 pounds of mercury in 2001, ranking the state 12th in the nation for mercury pollution from power plants. Southern Co., parent company of Georgia Power, ranked third in the nation among utilities for mercury emissions.

 

While other sources of mercury, such as garbage incinerators, are already subject to stringent emission control requirements, mercury emissions from power plants are completely uncontrolled.

 

If we are to address the problem of mercury contamination in fish, we must close this gap. In 2001, EPA reported that it could, under the Clean Air Act, reduce power plant mercury emissions 90 percent (from 50 tons to five tons per year) by 2008 using available pollution controls.

 

Reducing power plant mercury emissions by 90 percent would likely result in rapid reduction in mercury levels in local waters and fish. The Bush administration should favor the public health of Georgia's mothers, children and other residents over the wishes of a few big polluters, such as Georgia Power.

 

From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today's edition.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

If you asked me what testament Job was in when I was a religious person, I wouldn't have been able to tell you.

 

I'm never sure why everyone sees Dean's religion thing as any sort of backtrack or waffle. It wasn't exactly like he called himself The Athiests' Candidate or something.

[Lando Griffin 0]

Mmmmm, I loves me some mercury!

[Vyce 0]

If you asked me what testament Job was in when I was a religious person, I wouldn't have been able to tell you.

 

I'm never sure why everyone sees Dean's religion thing as any sort of backtrack or waffle. It wasn't exactly like he called himself The Athiests' Candidate or something.

That's incredibly apologetic.

 

Hell, one of the first things that they taught us in Sunday school was the books of the Bible. If he's going to campaign as this guy with a deep-seated Christian faith, he should at least know which fucking book goes where.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

That's incredibly apologetic.

Of course it is. I'm not exactly a Dean supporter, but I didn't exactly agree with the way he's getting attacked there either. Just 'cause I'd vote for him doesn't mean I'm going to be the first guy to stand up and defend him, same with Clinton.

 

Hell, one of the first things that they taught us in Sunday school was the books of the Bible. If he's going to campaign as this guy with a deep-seated Christian faith, he should at least know which fucking book goes where.

 

Well, maybe in your school. In my school it never really happened. I think the most we got as to knowing who goes where was that the disciple books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, etc) were in the New Testament.

[EricMM 0]

See, no one can deny Bush's fuck-uping the EPA.

 

Hey MikeTheSC, do you think mercury really exists? Maybe science can prove that mankind really CAN'T add mercury to water after all.

 

Or maybe they'll try and say that it is not hazardous to humans

 

...

 

OH WAIT THEY DID!

 

This THIS is why he'll never eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeever get my vote.

[Guest MikeSC]

See, no one can deny Bush's fuck-uping the EPA.

 

Hey MikeTheSC, do you think mercury really exists? Maybe science can prove that mankind really CAN'T add mercury to water after all.

 

Or maybe they'll try and say that it is not hazardous to humans

 

...

 

OH WAIT THEY DID!

 

This THIS is why he'll never eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeever get my vote.

Even though I've not been involved in this for a few days, I'll respond since you asked so smarmily.

 

The difference between the levels that they are to the levels that they want them to be would be unbelievably expensive for a negligible improvement.

-=Mike

[BX 0]

I guess babies with brain damage aren't that important in the grand scheme of things.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Of course not -- they're brain damaged.

 

Yet some still manage to lead semi-productive lives.

 

A few even post at wrestling message boards...

[Vern Gagne 0]

U dohnt tink mi whas ifekted bi merkerie neer mi huos.

 

Blu favrit culer

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I have this theory that Dean is supported by the people that don't like Bush...but it will all blow up in the democrats faces when he opens his mouth for the debates and lets all manner of CRAZY out.

 

I swear Dean will set the democrats back two more terms after they lose this election.

 

...

 

AND I'M A DEMOCRAT

[Guest Wildbomb 4:20]

I have this theory that Dean is supported by the people that don't like Bush...but it will all blow up in the democrats faces when he opens his mouth for the debates and lets all manner of CRAZY out.

 

I swear Dean will set the democrats back two more terms after they lose this election.

 

...

 

AND I'M A DEMOCRAT

You're probably right half of the time, but as I've said: Bush has done decently. I think Dean has the views and the *possible* opportunity to do a better job.

[EricMM 0]

Mike, there's a huge difference between the levels of Mercury allowable in the environment, and trying to get the Environmental Protection Agency to say that Mercury is NOT HAZARDOUS.

 

You're such a fucking tool.

[Guest MikeSC]

Mike, there's a huge difference between the levels of Mercury allowable in the environment, and trying to get the Environmental Protection Agency to say that Mercury is NOT HAZARDOUS.

 

You're such a fucking tool.

If calling me names makes you feel better, feel free.

 

I put your opinion of me somewhere on the same level of a chimpanzee's opinion of me.

 

Well, maybe a step lower.

 

I take your comments on what happens in the world with a frickin' TON OF SALT.

-=Mike

[EricMM 0]

You know, it really does.

 

But you dispute the comment that Mercury is a hazardous material?

[Guest MikeSC]

yada yada yada. Yada yada. yada yada yada.

Yawn.

-=Mike

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

I guess babies with brain damage aren't that important in the grand scheme of things.

If only we could know about their brain damage when they're in the womb... then we could suck their brains out, no worries.

[Vyce 0]

I put your opinion of me somewhere on the same level of a chimpanzee's opinion of me.

 

Well, maybe a step lower.

If Lancelot Link were to insult me, I think I might cry.

[BX 0]

And people accuse ME of flame-baiting.

 

Jesus fucking Christ..

[EricMM 0]

I'm just trying to clarify this right now:

 

You're ... giving up?