Howard Dean Thinks You Have No Right To Know

I've finally figured out why national health care can't come fast enough for the Democrats. They simply can't wait for the private sector to cure Democrats like Harry Reid and Howard Dean of foot in mouth disease.

The head of the Democratic Party said Wednesday that the best way to get presidential candidates to talk frankly about issues is to lock out the media.

During the Mortgage Bankers Association conference, a banker expressed frustration with candidates who only talk in sound bites and wondered how that could be changed. Howard Dean, once a presidential candidate, offered a simple solution.

"I suggest you have candidates in to meetings like this and bar the press," Dean said.

Apparently Howard Dean doesn't believe the average person is capable of understanding what it is he has to say. Come to think of it, he may have a point! Yeahhhhh!

Comments

[Kelvin]

Hmm - sounds like Cheney's Energy Task Force. RIP Kennyboy!!!

[Zifnab]

"I suggest you have candidates in to meetings like this and bar the press," Dean said.

Could Dean be suggestion that politicians lie when there's a camera around? Or maybe he's giving a nod to Alberto "I have no recollection of the event in question" Gonzales?

Or, I suppose, it's possible that Dean actually wants to destroy the free press and bath in the ashes of the First Amendment. Anything's possible.

[bloodrage bob]

"we'll tell you little people what we've decided for you when we're done." which, come ta think, was pretty much how hillary operated her ultra-secret 'planning commission' on the creation of hillarycare back in '93-'94.

woodward wrote, in his book about THAT debacle, "...in the end, they eventually just used numbers that were essentially made up."

figuring they'd get away with it, because - like all good liberals secretly yearn to do - they were operating in *secrecy*. no reporters. no pesky citizens around. no *accountability*.

saaaaay, what political party do hillary and howard dean belong to again? *what* party is it that's seen fit to make them senior LEADERS??

[seekeronos]

Hillycare = Canada's Socialized Medicine Program of waiting 22 years for a critical liver transplant.

[Zifnab]

"Hillycare = Canada's Socialized Medicine Program of waiting 22 years for a critical liver transplant."

I fail to see how that's worse than the American "sorry, you need to be a millionare to afford a liver transplant" system.

[BARRASSO]

I prefer Chinas' kill a political dissident and sell his liver to the highest bidder system.

So all liberals secretly yearn to operate in secrecy, just what the hell does that mean even if I were a surgeon? I guess that is just the liberal opposite of all conservatives being secretly gay.

[nowinger]

STRASBOURG, France, April 25 (Reuters) - The European Parliament on Wednesday called for the resignation of World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, adding to mounting pressure on the head of the lending organisation to step down.

The successes just keep on coming, maybe after Wolfowitz has finished damaging the World Bank and further eroding our relationship with "old" Europe, he can be appointed Bush's health care czar, or sumpin.

[bigshybear]

I read Dean's comments a little different - the way politics are played now ALL public comments are planned for the media sound bite. If you want more depth, change the rules. One way of doing this is to get the politicians away from the media, which removes the temptation to play for the sound bite. Then hopefully they can make speeches with more depth. Some will still play to the sound bite from habit, but hopefully some won't. Sounds to me like Dean's comments were actually a thoughtful response. Maybe not a GOOD thought, but at least a response with some thinking to it.

[bloodrage bob]

fascinating. and predictable. howard dean, boss democrat, says something so profoundly stupid that it borders on *evil*.....just like harry reid did last week.....

and in rush the liberal halfwit shocktroops to change the subject. "wolfowitz!!"

just like last week. coincidence?

[nowinger]

It's because what Dean said is a non issue. His answer for how to get candidates to deal with real issues instead of PR soundbytes was to have them talk privately with industry groups with out the press.

Isn't that what conservatives thinks is correct?

For further details on getting the job done without the press please refer to Dick Cheney's enegy policy discussions and meetings. HA that dickhead wouldn't even admit who he met with let alone invite in any media.

This is a non issue, I doubt it will catch fire even on the winger blogs, best to back to declaring victory in Iraq.

BTW, where are the wingers defending WOlfy? Absent. Couldnt be because he's a jew, could it ?

[templar knight]

Ah, quit worrying, nowinger, "old Europe" knows they have some little liberal bitches here in the US just waiting in the wings to kiss their asses. Old Wolfie is really nothing more than a bone they are throwing to you libs here in the states, you know, just to show you they still care.

[nowinger]

What it is is another example of how Bush has squandered our soft power and the good will of our allies by appointing someone to a post that they are not tempermentally or professionally qualified to fill.

It's also a chance for Europe to stay 'fuck you' to Bush over something that is peripheral and symbolic.

The fact that Wolfowitz/Gonzales et al fail to resign when its clear that at the LEAST their continued presence is a huge distraction is another example of Bush saying "fuck you" to the rest of the world.

[K]

Dean made it sound foolish. And it probably is given our pols and media.

It wouldn't be bad for our top leaders to confer off the record about the toughest problems. But in the US few, maybe none, could trust their staff to stay mum. So they couldn't bounce ideas off their advisers. Certainly some Senator or Representative will leak what was said, usually distorted for advantage.

And linkage for personal advantage is the way of life for our pols - you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. So the best solutions won't be sought, only measures that can be negotiated.

Visualize ten of these people, Democrats and Republicans, trying to address illegal immigration.

[templar knight]

nowinger, get a clue. As soon as you liberals and leftists get the WH back, you'll be playing handsies with the Euroturds in a matter of days. And frankly, I can't imagine a more riduculous sight, either. But I think it will be a necessary step in our road to enlightenment.

[Buzzy]

I would like to think that Dean meant that to get more candor, change the rules but given Kerry's "I won't tell you my plan till after I'm elected" and the DNC's no plan except attack the GOP's plan policy I doubt there is a chance it's true.

Strange that Fred Thompson and Newt, both "waiting and watching non candidates" at this time don't work in sound bites. Newt writes whole books with his ideas (like them or hate them they're right there) and Fred Thompson can certainly communicate his ideas and beliefs in clear terms via video, audio, and print without resorting to sound bites. Rudy isn't afraid to speak his mind (in sound bites)but unfortunately he's shown himself to be about as conservative as Bush, McCain... nevermind, Tancredo would just be glad to get a soundbite but would probably waste the effort talking about illegal immigration for the 100th time instead of any other important subject he hasn't talked about before.

On the left we only have one candidate that has the huevos to stand up and explain what he is about and what he believes, Obama. I may not agree with him and I seriously doubt his maturity of thought on the national stage but he's head and shoulders above the rest of the Democrats in that regard. What's left of the left, Hillary making herself into a John Kerry flip flopping circus clown and the Gorebot working on his worldwide carbon offset scam, John "Silky Pony" Edwards with his anti Christian bloggers, $400 haircuts, and "depends on what your definition of lost is" doublespeak. Kunicich has balls, too bad he's clearly a danger to himself and his party (about a Taco short of a Juarez Special if you know what I mean).

Honestly I wouldn't vote for anyone (ANYONE) who refuses to debate on Fox, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, in a cornfield in Iowa or any other place or time. We have to invest a tremendous amount of trust in our President and if they won't tell me exactly what their plan and belief system is they won't get my vote. No matter what side they're on, they shouldn't get your vote either. No secret talks with "business leaders", "money men", "special interest groups" or anyone else.

[Phoenix]

I sure am glad you take the time to post, Buzzy. You have an amazing ability to get it right without wasting words.

Bravo!

[bloodrage bob]

candor schmandor, buzzy. i'll grant there are (some) democrat pols capable of candor; even (many fewer) dem pols capable of actual courage.

those aren't big issues for me. expecting candor or courage from *any* politician, much less a mere democrat, is sort of a waste of time. like looking for a haystack needle: eventually you might find one, but why bother? the only 'courage' i think we can demand from acknowledged lowlifes like politicians or lawyers (same thing, really) is the 'courage' to protect their country from enemies, both foreign & domestic; and to respond savagely when *we* are attacked.

(we'll leave aside for the moment that my definition of courage seems to exclude pretty much **each and every democrat in the USA except joe lieberman**.)(i'm pretty sure the fault *doesn't* lie with my definition of courage, BTW)

but we CAN expect and even DEMAND intellectual honesty from our politicians. yes, even democrats. the fact that expecting IH of democrats seems ludicrous shows just how far they've fallen. how low they'll go.

and there's the problem: aside from deeply fringe loons like kucinich; or the always-admirable pundits alexander cockburn & mickey kaus; there are NO major dem figures/pols out there who are honest intellectually. every single one of them: from hillary to obama to "i feel pretty" edwards to bubba to whoever is an *obvious* liar possessed of 'situational ethics'; whose story (and, in hillary's case, "accent") changes from day to day and audience to audience. they dare not say what they really believe: people might not *vote for them* then. so........they lie their asses off. grub before ethics. get elected first, make excuses later. you know: just like they tell us george washington did.

there are intellectually dishonest republicans, too: the entire bush family comes to mind; as does mccain. and asshole arlen specter. but no one can call newt or fred that. ask a question, you get an answer. with no shifting definitions of "is".

just like no one can call hillary or obama, et al "honest".