Dean Defends Dean; Democratic Unity

After making more ridiculous comments, Howard Dean refuses to back down. Dean has decided to defend himself against against Republicans by saying,

Republican critics were trying to divert attention from their own failures.

However, Dr. Dean that explains Republicans but what about your own party?

Democratic Party boss Howard Dean, under fire for blunt comments about Republicans, refused to back down on Wednesday and said Republican critics were trying to divert attention from their own failures.

Republicans attacked Dean for saying in San Francisco on Monday, when asked about the lack of outreach to minorities by political parties, that Republicans are “pretty much a white, Christian party.”

Republicans accused Dean of trying to divide Americans by religion and faith. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia called the comments “Howard Dean’s games of division and hate.” House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s spokesman, Ron Bonjean, said “Dean likes the taste of his own foot.”

Even Democrats grumbled about Dean’s judgment and choice of words.

To be honest it would appear more that Howard Dean is dividing the Democratic Party as well. Go to it Howie, keep on talking. Let the Democratic Civil War begin.

After that, Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware said Dean did not speak for him or a majority of Democrats, and Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and former vice presidential nominee John Edwards also distanced themselves from Dean. All are potential 2008 presidential contenders.

With Democrats gaining strength in public opinion polls and winning some battles on Capitol Hill, party officials hoped to concentrate on their policy agenda and not spend time defending Dean, who will appear before Senate Democrats at a private luncheon on Thursday and the Democratic National Committee’s executive committee on Saturday.

“Did he make a mistake with these comments? Absolutely,” Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut told CNN on Wednesday. “Howard is doing a good job … he could have chosen better words.”

Now it appears that because the division is beginning to occur in a public way, The Democratic Party is going to show a pseudo show of unity that frankly no one is buying. Damage control is now in effect for the Dem’s.

WASHINGTON — A round of criticism from fellow Democrats and major donors about Howard Dean’s four-month tenure as Democratic National Committee chairman has prompted Senate leaders to rise to his defense at a public event planned for today.

Originally scheduled as a private meeting between Dean and the leadership team of Senate minority leader Harry Reid of Nevada, today’s session instead will now include a news conference and photo opportunity as a public embrace of Dean, who has rocked the political world over the past week with provocative condemnations of the Republican party. On recent occasions, Dean has said many Republicans ”never made an honest living in their lives,” described the Republican Party as ”pretty much a white, Christian party,” and declared that House majority leader Tom DeLay of Texas, who is facing ethics questions but has not been charged with any crime, ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence.

”I do not agree with those comments,” said Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the House Democratic whip. ”A party chairman’s job is to organize the party, to support policy-makers.”

Despite criticism of his remarks since the weekend from Hoyer and other congressional Democrats, Dean yesterday refused to back down, asserting in an interview on NBC’s ”Today Show” that Republicans are ”outside the mainstream.” In an interview last month with the Globe, the former presidential candidate said Republican policy makers had ”gone off the deep end,” and called the party’s stance on gay marriage and other cultural issues ”despicable.”

Some leading Democrats and major donors are concerned that Dean is jeopardizing the party’s ability to reach beyond its traditional base to win close elections, particularly for the White House. Dean has repeatedly said his goal is to build the party’s ranks not only in Democratic-dominated states, but also in culturally conservative regions where Republicans usually prevail.

Most of the criticism of Dean has come from prospective presidential candidates in 2008, such as Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware, who said Dean does not speak for the majority of Democrats, and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who said Dean is not the spokesman for the Democratic Party.

”Time will tell” whether Dean has undercut his standing, said Harold Ickes, a longtime Clinton adviser who supported Dean’s bid for DNC chairman. ”There are people who are unhappy about it and think his comments are less than helpful. Some of his comments will reinforce the view that he sometimes talks before he really thinks through the implications.”