Check out this Inside Politics transcript re DEAN!

[janx]

WOODRUFF: With me now to talk more about Howard Dean and the race for DNC chairman is Chuck Todd, editor-in-chief of "The Hotline" an insider's political briefing produced daily by the "National Journal." We know Howard Dean threw his hat officially in the ring, where does he stand?

CHUCK TODD, "THE HOTLINE": The field finally has an 800-pound gorilla. It had been lacking this dominant figure in the race. A lot of people didn't think Dean would ever get into this race, at the end of the day he would say, OK, if I can't win, I'm not going to run. By announcing, it is signaling, because the Dean people I talked to for a long time have always said he will only run if he knows he's going to win. So they must think they have pretty close to the 200-plus votes that they need in this thing.

WOODRUFF: Simple majority.
TODD: A simple majority is what they need. May take multiple ballots but it's interesting that they are in because it also signals he is out of White House 2008. That has sort of been an underreported...

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0501/11/ip.01.html





The hype is even more transparent when you see it in transcript format. Notice the hyperbolic language, the innuendo, etc.!

[newsguyatl]

1. dean had this in the bag months ago.

[janx]

6. I don't doubt it!

;-)

[Dookus]

2. Good.

I hope he gets the job.

That sound you hear is some heads exploding.

[Leilani]

13. Welcome back, Dookus!

How's that adorable puppy of yours?

[Dookus]

20. Thank you Leilani...

he's doing great, thanks. Gettin' big, but cute as ever.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Doesn't whichever candidate gets a plurality win? (nt)

nt

[stray cat]

4. Dean is great for DNC chair

[naryaquid]

5. I second the motion..

[Carolab]

7. If they stop him, he should run in 2008.

He'd be great as DNC chair, but I really want him for president. The truth is, we need him in both places (or someone like him). This "liberal" image is false. He is a "centrist" and has repeatedly said so. His record as governor bears this out. He is socially progressive and fiscally conservative. Meaning he supports progressive social causes but knows how to balance a budget. He really got a lot of mileage out of $5 million dollars contributed to help the "Dean's Dozen" candidates run for office. His chief contribution will be to advance and promote progressive candidates and to generate campaign dollars and high-profile promotion and grassroots support without having to "bastardize the DNC" with candidates who are primarily beholden to special interest lobbies.

[MADem]

18. HE CANNOT DO BOTH

It is NOT DONE. Trust me. It's like shitting where you eat. It's akin to a betrayal of stewardship. In fact, a lot of people who to this very day do not like George Herbert Walker Bush in the GOP have that problem with him--he blatantly, and against all convention, used his position as GOP chair to lobby for the job as VP against Nelson Rockefeller. Wrote letters to every party hack, promising quid pro quo, and whatnot. He had the numbers, too, solely because of his contacts with the grassroots. In the case of VP, though, the numbers are only a recommendation, and the Prez makes the decision...and the Prez did not choose Big Georgie.

I see Howard in the Senate...dunno why, I just do.

[AntiCoup2K4]

22. Nah, the Senate's the last place he should go.

He'd never get elected as President then. :(

[madfloridian]

23. She said IF he does not get chair. Then he can do as he wishes.

And he has a ready made group, larger than when the campaign ended.

[NashVegas]

8. This is Telling

TODD: There seems to be this fear of Dean and it's among some Washington Democrats, whatever you want to call it. It's why the Tim Roemer candidacy got legs when Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, the leaders, congressional Democrats pushed that. It's my understanding president Clinton through an intermediary reached out to Wesley Clark in the last couple days to see if he would have any interest in being DNC chair and Clark emphatically said, I want to run for president again. So he didn't want to do that. So there is a movement, but it's not clear if the movement at all is inside the DNC itself. That's sort of the -- that's sort of the missing part here because the "stop Dean" aspect of this whole thing, it's not that people disagree with what Dean wants to do with the party, it's the fear of Dean as the face of the party that some of these folks have and I think Martin Frost and Tim Roemer both are trying to position themselves to be the "stop Dean" or anti-Dean candidate but they have yet -- it's not yet clear whether -- which one it will be.

WOODRUFF: I want to ask you about this event in Atlanta over the weekend -- but what is it that they fear about Dean? TODD: It's more of that Dean already has an image, that Dean has this image of a liberal and that no matter what Democrat running in any state will say, you know, this is the party of Howard Dean and that he has this established image that the Republicans created of him of being this left-wing guy from Vermont that eats Ben & Jerry's rather than a mainstream Democrat.


I refuse to get excited. I'll get excited when it's all been said and done and if Dean is chair.

[janx]

10. All it tells me is that the media revel in rumor and manipulation

to a laughable extent.

They want to start the "Clinton" rumors all over again. Sources are conspicuously absent, etc.

Edit: I know there are some people who don't want Dean in that position, but...who and where are Todd's sources?

[BlueInRed]

11. Me too, I'm suspicious

It reminds me of the primaries, with what happened with they realized Dean had the big mo. I think they are going to coalesce around 1 anti-Dean candidate and it's going to be a close call. I get scared for Dean when people start saying he's a sure thing.

I don't know which scares the DLC more - losing concentrated power to the grassroots through Dean as DNC chair or facing candidate Dean in 08.

p.s.
If it does come down to Roemer or Frost, Frost was my rep and he HATES Bush for redistricting. I'm 150% for Dean, but for those who are not, take a look at Frost if you are considering Roemer. PLEASE No Roemer!!!

[Leilani]

14. Don't know if this is rumor or fact

But if true, I resent certain people trying to use Wes Clark to stop Dean.

Clark wouldn't make much sense as DNC Chair, IMO.

And I'm dubious as to whether he said he's running this far ahead. He has said he's not ruling anything out.

[Cheswick2.0]

26. I have to say this post has made me lose even more respect for my party

They think Dean has an image of being liberal and that is it. So now they are encouraging cowering in front of the repug/msm smear mahine even for party Chair? How the hell do they ever plan to win a single race again?

[Still_Loves_John]

34. That, I think, is the strongest case against Dean

I like what he's been saying, but he does have a bit of an image problem outside of his base, and the question is whether or not the benefits of a Dean chairmanship outweigh the effort it would take to rework his image. It wasn't listed here, but Todd goes on to talk about how Democrats in regional races could get branded with the "party of Howard Dean" label, and that there are other candidates for the post who share his message but aren't such lightening rods.

Now, I really like what Dean has been saying, even though I didn't support him during the primaries, but I think that this is a valid argument against his candidacy. If there are other candidates with similar views to Dean but who are less controversial, I would go with them. They may not energize the base as much, but thats not really the job of party chairman anyways.

[Edgewater_Joe]

9. Dean Really Is In The Catbird's Seat

If he wins, he becomes the face of the Democratic Party and the kingmaker (perhaps for Wes Clark?); if he loses, he goes back to DFA and gears up to be the leading figure in the '08 race.

And that last bit is yet another example of how dumb the Democratic Losers' Commission really is: if they're scared that Dean will be the nominee, the best thing to do is to SUPPORT HIS DNC CHAIR CANDIDACY and don't give him a reason to run. But they're so damn dumb that they're fighting his DNC candidacy on top of just making him an even bigger figure among the rank-and-file. Talk about tin ears and being out of touch with the constituency you're supposed to be representing ... yeesh.

[madfloridian]

12. Saw this part from the Hotline email at another forum.

It is opinion, hearsay, etc...just interestng

"Ho-Ho-Ho
Howard "Ho-Ho" Dean is now officially a candidate for DNC chair (and apparently the first potential WH '08 candidate to withdraw from that race).

For some close observers of the VT doctor, this actual announcement is a mild surprise as many folks believed he wasn't going to run unless he was darn sure he was going to win. While Dean is the frontrunner (as our late Dec. poll of DNC members showed), that same poll showed he could be vulnerable to a candidate that is viewed as the consensus anti-Dean.

However, the various potential anti-Dean candidates have failed to consolidate support behind themselves. Of the two major potential anti-Dean candidates, ex-Reps. Martin Frost and Tim Roemer, both seem more focused on disqualifying the other, than focusing on Dean. As for the other DNC candidates (Webb, Rosenberg and Fowler) none can be called "anti"-Dean since their supporters would likely be open to Dean's message.

What's somewhat surprising is the lack of WH '08 candidates supporting Dean's DNC bid? Don't they all benefit by Dean getting out of the '08 race?"

[JNelson6563]

15. Why, yes they do!!!!!

What's somewhat surprising is the lack of WH '08 candidates supporting Dean's DNC bid? Don't they all benefit by Dean getting out of the '08 race?"

heh

Indeed, that is why a certain group who previously would've preferred to gnaw off one of their own limbs is now praising Dean highly. They fear him mightily as they know the guy they already want for 08 (nevermind if he doesn't do shit from no till then-ugh!) won't stand a chance against Dean.

:toast:

Julie

[fatal101]

16. funny

[candy331]

17. They don't want Dean around at all for chair/or as nominee, so look for

derailment of him in front of the scene and much, much more behind the scenes. Dean does not have the expensive champagne taste that that crowd has and will never be accepted by them, he is just poor white trash that wants to run with the rich white kids to them. Sooner/later he will realize this or he has realized this and is willing to fight and stake his claim or is simply in delusion. I think Dean is too good for the party but if he wants to fight then fight but hope he doesn't get swallowed up trying to do so.I personally would rather see him run in 08 but that is his choice. He needs to remember though that his power came and still comes from the common/working people and he can get even more if he remembers this.

[MADem]

19. Poor white TRASH??? Are you mad?

He grew up in Manhattan and East Hampton, he lived a life of comfort and privilege....his family tree includes socialites and Wall Street bankers. He went to YALE, fachrissake!

There may be many reasons why a segment of the party doesn't want to see him as Chair, but humble roots are not on the list.

[madfloridian]

21. I think he was only worth about 4 million. That is not much in comparison

LOL Seems a lot to me.

[candy331]

30. I beg to differ, and going to elite schools does not make you one of the

elite if they do not accept you.

[cali]

24. Although Dean lives a very simple life

he's about as blue blooded as they come. Upper East side, Southampton, prep school and Yale. Whatever else they think of him, you can be sure they don't think he's "poor white trash".

[janx]

29. This sounds like a load of gossip to me.

Do you have a link? Is this from Hotline? And what is Hotline, really?

[madfloridian]

32. Here is a link to their email site. I am not a member.

http://nationaljournal.com/members/earlybird/alert.htm

Here is a link to the front page of the website:
http://nationaljournal.com/

Here is a link to the Kos thread I found it on.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/11/1300/84437

Yes, it is most likely gossip, but spread widely.

I think this is the guy who was on with Judy Woodruff today from your post and snip from the trancript here.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1486544

He sounded like he was making up stuff.

[mzmolly]

25. Gosh, I hope he wins !

That's all I can say :)

[Geek_Girl]

27. I hope he gets it

Dean for DNC Chair
Clark in '08

:dem:

[Donna Zen]

28. I've learned my lesson well

Never ever believe any of the trash talk and insider buzz these fuckheads peddle. Todd needed something to say to that CNN bitch. These people lie all of the time. They lie to trash Dems, they lie about the elections, they lie to protect bush, they lie about a god damn war, they lie about and with polls, they lie about who we are and what we want.

I'm sorry folks, but I know they lie and you know they lie. Anyone buying into any bullshit thing they say needs to pay closer attention. Did you notice the framing they used for this bit? Not an accident.

When is Thornburg going to investigate them for reporting the Swiftboaters story?

[janx]

31. Thanks, Donna.

That was the point of my post! ;-) The language does not lie.

Edit: My daughter just came upstairs, laughing about some little kids who read transcripts from the cable TV shows! Apparently this is on the Daily Show. Hysterical!

[Donna Zen]

33. Welcome and exactly

Sometimes the alternate universe gets to be too much. The posters on this and other boards are quick to point out lies, and so they should be. But then a juicy bit comes sailing along, one primed to start arguments, and "chomp" they just can't resist.

So when does Clinton go around telling Todd or some other friggin blabber mouth about his private conversations? How much of this buzz is being created so that the Chicken Noodle Network has gossip to spew? Did you catch the framing of all of this? Disgraceful!

I think the party insiders are stressed about the change in leadership; they should be since we have none. But we need to just say "no" to a lying media that manipulates us at will.

[Gloria]

35. in the same segment, Todd says that Clinton tried to get Clark

interested in the post, but Clark refused, said he wanted to run for President.

[JNelson6563]

36. The General

doesn't need to touch the stove twice to lean that it's hot.

Julie