The New American System Of Justice
Jimmy Breslin - Newsday.com: January 4, 2004 (excerpts)

After Saddam's capture, there was a weekend of propaganda. We examined Saddam Hussein for scarlet fever in front of the world. The Pekingese of the Press raved about the government and its soldiers. Saddam is in the can. We are safer! On the day he was found, an American soldier was killed. After that, 10 more were killed in a week. We just lost four more on Friday. Bring 'em on, Bush the president says. Yes we will, Iraqis say.

The Homeland Security raised the alert to orange. Planes from other countries were canceled. Specific passengers were the dangers. There was a baby with a rattle that they thought could blow up America. All passengers went undetained and unnamed. If they knew who they are and we know who they are, who are we keeping it a secret from? The secret keepers could be the same speechwriters who wrote Bush's State of the Union speech last year about weapons of mass destruction. I make it 7-5 that they will use one of these planes as proof of success against terrorists.

On the other side of politics, Howard Dean, Democratic candidate for president, didn't think Saddam Hussein's capture made us any safer in America. The other politicians screamed that was un-American. It was John Kerry who said, How could Dean dare say that we were not safer now? Kerry is so sure we're safe that he mortgaged his house the other day to have the money to say Dean is a traitor. This is only before the first primary and Kerry goes for the roof over his head. He seems ready to go naked on these primaries.

Howard Dean then said that he was old-fashioned and he didn't think you could judge or punish Osama bin Laden until you had a trial and found him guilty. Suddenly, politicians and the news industry shouted, What are you talking about innocent until found guilty? How can this man Dean say that bin Laden deserves a trial? They said that this was a perfect illustration of Dean talking without thought. And completely un-American, too.

In 1945, they had the Nuremburg trials for Nazis who had killed tens and tens of millions, and had judges, witnesses, evidence and defense counsels. Just the other week, one of the Democratic candidates, Wesley Clark, testified in the Hague at the trial of Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia. Yet Joseph Lieberman, who is a peripheral candidate now and thus a nasty little man, said that because he relies on the Constitution, Dean is a weakling who would melt in the face of George Bush.

John Kerry and Dick Gephardt were wildly opposed. Yet all Dean has to do in this big Des Moines debate today is ask each candidate, "Are you in favor of sentencing bin Laden before you have a trial?" [Complete Article].

 

DEAN and the WORLD
By Michael Hammerschlag - The Liberal Slant 1/4/04 (link may change - excerpts)

Dean's combative honesty is striking a deep chord in voters of all stripes, after being deluged by the blizzard of lies and Orwellian propaganda created by the Bush Administration. For 3 years, the Democrats have been getting steamrolled by Bush and the Republicans, often voluntarily. Only Dean addresses this sorry state. [Complete Article].

 

Howard Dean's Economic Policies
Economy Plans of Democrat Hopefuls - Reuters, January 4, 2004 (excerpts)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Following are brief outlines of the economic proposals offered by the leading U.S. Democratic presidential candidates:

FISCAL POLICY

Each candidate has proposed rolling back at least a portion of the $1.7 trillion in tax cuts President Bush has signed into law. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean ... would repeal all the tax cuts won by Bush.... The candidates would seek further budget savings by closing corporate tax loopholes and cracking down on tax shelters. While most have said they would aim for reducing the budget deficit, they have offered numerous spending proposals, most notably on health care.

HEALTH CARE

[Dr. Dean] seeks to vastly expand health care coverage. His plan, estimated to cost $88 billion a year, would expand federal and state programs to provide health care coverage to everyone up to age 25 and lower-income adults. It would also allow higher-income adults to buy into a plan similar to the plan for federal employees, and provide tax credits.

JOB CREATION

Dean would provide $100 billion over two years to states and localities to be used for infrastructure investments and hiring and training related to homeland security.

TRADE

All the leading candidates say trade agreements should have labor and environmental standards.... Dean has also criticized NAFTA.

SOCIAL SECURITY

All candidates oppose privatization and oppose raising the retirement age. None has offered a specific plan for long-tern solvency. [Complete Article].