September 28, 2004
Howard Dean's new book is a fascinating look at what went right ... and what went wrong in his Presidential Primary Campaign.
You probably already know a number of Democratic insiders worked together to oppose Dean's campaign in Iowa because they felt he was not a viable candidate. You may be shocked to learn that these same insiders including Bill Clinton used Howard Dean's support for gay and lesbian equality against him in the campaign.
According to the new book, Bill Clinton used a classic gay-bait strategy to help take out Howard Dean in Iowa. Here's a quote from the USA Today Article:
In another passage, Dean describes how his campaign learned that former President Clinton was calling Democrats encouraging them to switch allegiances in the months before the Iowa caucuses to retired Gen. Wesley Clark.
Dean recounts that one of the people Clinton called was a Dean supporter who described how the former president said that Dean "had forfeited his right to run for president." That was because, Dean writes, he had signed a law creating civil unions for gay and lesbian couples and Clinton believed Dean couldn't be elected as a result.
Posted by David at September 28, 2004 08:44 PM
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You know, that just pisses me off. I'm not the least bit surprised, but the fuckers who did that should be severely beaten for it, CLinton included. He had no right to do that.
What the hell is it going to take for this country to wake up and get over this crap?????
Hey Sean,
It pissed me off as well, which is why I posted it! I'm suprised nobody else in the LGBTI community has been talking about this.
Honestly, I think the Log Cabin Republicans do a better job calling out their fellow Republicans when they make a mistake, than we do calling out Democrats when they make a mistake.
David Mariner
you all won't believe the shit that still goes on in Iowa....our Dean Dozen candidate for whom I am campaign chair has been TOTALLY cut off from any help by the IDP staff and absolutely zero dollars. At one point they directly told him to downplay being on the Dean Dozen.
You should see the REALLY nasty email I got from a VERY high level party official in Iowa because of an email I sent to a LGBT group complaining about how the gay community was being minimized in Iowa and how I thought IDP was intentionally slighting candidates who support the gay community.
I have talked to a former Gephart staffer and who is decidely anti-Dean and NOT supportive of the gay community. She is now works for the Iowa Democratic Party.
Well they screwed themselves in that respect trying to use that logic when Kerry became the clear front runner and then Massechusetts legalized civil marriages for same sex couples
It's party infighting like this that made me look to the Libertarians... and they have a platform thats not only openly more supportive of our community, but of personal liberties in general.
If you haven't looked closely, or lately.. check out http://www.lp.org The Dean Dozen aren't required to be Democrats, are they?
Holy crap! I had suspected something similar, but never imagined that Bill Clinton would do this! ASSHOLE! I still think Kerry needs to win because Bush is such a disaster, but this is inexcusable. I am buying the book tonight and reading it. Clinton was asking people to switch to Wes Clark? Clark? The lifelong Republican who has no idea about how to run a public office, much less an public executive one?
No wonder the Democratic party is going to hell. Bill Clinton knows quite well that Howard Dean is perfectly able and qualified to be president, but he is just being the DLC's spokesperson. Bill Clinton was a damn good president, but how dare he do this! And why do it under cover? Didn't he have the guts to come out and endorse Clark out right? Al Gore endorsed Dean. And this is why we have to take back the Democratic party. There is a struggle inside the party between those who believe the way to win is to be like the Republicans and those who believe the way to win is to stand up. The Clintonites and the Dean-wing, if you will. I am from the Dean-wing!
