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Home Front
Dean Campaign Prepares to Off Itself
2003-11-19
Market analysts refer to it as a "mercy killing."
After years of government deregulation of energy markets, telecommunications, the airlines and other major industries, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is proposing a significant reversal: a comprehensive "re-regulation" of U.S. businesses.
I think I know where the pro-business contributions are going.
The former Vermont governor said he would reverse the trend toward deregulation pursued by recent presidents — including, in some respects, Bill Clinton — to help restore faith in scandal-plagued U.S. corporations and better protect U.S. workers. In an interview around midnight Monday on his campaign plane with a small group of reporters, Dean listed likely targets for what he dubbed as his "re-regulation" campaign: utilities, large media companies and any business that offers stock options. Dean did not rule out "re-regulating" the telecommunications industry, too.
Wonder if that will be enough to get WaPo, CNN and the NYT to come out against him. Screwing around with our security is okay, but don’t mess with their broadcasting rules and stock options!
He also said a Dean administration would require new workers’ standards, a much broader right to unionize and new "transparency" requirements for corporations that go beyond the recently enacted Sarbanes-Oxley law. "In order to make capitalism work for ordinary human beings, you have to have regulation," Dean said. "Right now, workers are getting screwed."
"When we’re done it will all be equal — everyone will be getting screwed!"
In a speech here Tuesday night, one mile from the Enron Corp. headquarters, Dean sought to place this idea into a new and broader campaign context: a "new social contract for the 21st century" to restore public trust in corporations, national leaders and U.S. military might. Dean blamed President Bush for eroding the public’s faith in these institutions with his policies over the past three years. "At Enron, those at the top enriched themselves by deceiving everyone else and robbing ordinary people of the future they’d earned," Dean said. "The Bush administration is following their lead."
Thus labeling Bush a robber and liar. Typical Democrat, I’d say.
Dean has excited core Democratic voters with a relentless assault on common sense corporations and the rich, and he is moving quickly to stake a position as the candidate with the goofiest boldest plans for tempering the influence and power of U.S. businesses. If the economy continues to rebound, Democratic strategists say, Dean’s proposal will go over like a ringing cell phone at a Barbara Striesand concert may offer a way for the party to frame the debate over jobs, income and fairness. Dean said in the interview that "re-regulation" is a key tool for socializing the economy restoring trust. In doing so, he drew a sharp distinction with Bush, an outspoken advocate of free markets who wants to further deregulate media companies and other key sectors of the economy. Dean also continued his clear break from Clinton’s "New Democrat" philosophy of trying to appease both business and workers with centrist policies. Earlier in the campaign, Dean reversed his prior support for Clinton’s free-trade agreements with Mexico, Canada and China.
At least he correctly labeled Clinton’s character.
Many Republicans typically and correctly characterize looser rules and mandates on business and trade as key facilitators of economic growth. While Bush eventually backed new regulations for, among others, the accounting industry in the wake of the Enron, WorldCom and other corporate scandals, his administration has slightly rolled back environmental and workplace regulations many Democrats want restored. Bush is fighting some in his own party to loosen the rules for media ownership. "I certainly would reverse media deregulation," Dean said. "I would go back to the limitations on how many stations you can own in a given market."
Yeah, back to the days when UHF stations broadcast re-runs of crappy sit-coms and old movies!
Virtually all Democratic candidates are making the fight against corporate influence a centerpiece of their flailing campaign. The latest example: Every Democratic presidential candidate save Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) has come out strongly in opposition to the GOP deals on energy and Medicare, and has criticized them as gifts to big Republican corporate campaign contributors. Yet, Dean appears to getting the most traction on this front from the Democratic Underground.
The Dean Campaign: in relentless search of the left 15% of the vote.
Dean, who talked at length about the historical ebb and flow of regulation, said there is a "danger" to pushing his re-regulation movement too far. But under Bush, "deregulation has increased the corporate power enormously," he said. As governor of Vermont, Dean advocated deregulation, angering some environmentalists. But the events of the past two years have convinced him deregulation is to blame for many of the nation’s problems. "California is proving it does not work," he said. "I think the reason the grid failed is because of utility deregulation."
And a stoopid governor, don’t forget that.
Posted by:Steve White

#17  If anybody's got any friends in Vermont ask them what a shambles the Democratic party is in up there after Howie's enlightened reign. Sounds like he wants to take the program nationwide. I, for one, have no problem with that. No problem at all...
Posted by: tu3031   2003-11-19 11:33:16 PM  

#16  Old Pat...
If you're talking about Neville Chamberlain, he did indeed get squashed. He died the hard way... his (quite appropriate) emotions killed him.
Posted by: Dishman   2003-11-19 7:18:58 PM  

#15  Liberalhawk, nice analysis.
Posted by: Yank   2003-11-19 7:03:44 PM  

#14  Wait a couple of days before you send that check,CS.
After Howie feels the heat, he'll be back in front of the cameras explaining "what I really meant was..." ala the confederate flag flap.
The guy's a nut case.
Posted by: Gasse Katze   2003-11-19 7:01:56 PM  

#13  I love this guy! I am sending him another check!
Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter)   2003-11-19 6:40:33 PM  

#12  Dean Recants Now Sez Trotsky Had it Coming.
"He had his good points but in the end he was a a left deviationist metropolitan wrecker" said the former Governor of Vermont.
Posted by: Shipman   2003-11-19 5:28:38 PM  

#11  Maybe he needs a visit from Dr. Wanker, er, Walker.
Posted by: RMcLeod   2003-11-19 5:26:32 PM  

#10  Problem is this almost certainly hurts a lot in the general election

Not a problem at all, actually.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-11-19 5:05:44 PM  

#9  "Who is Dean preaching too? He's already got the wacko-left vote locked up. "

his base so far has been college kids, ex-hippies turned yuppies etc. His foreign and social policies dont play that well with blue collar dems, many of whom are lining up behind Gephardt, whos been beating up on Dean for past statements on trade, medicare, etc. Dean wants to kill of the Gephardt campaign in Iowa, but despite 2 union endorsements of Dean (note ASCME and SEIU - NOT industrial unions) Gephardt may still be ahead. This is an attempt to pry enough blue collars from Gephardt to win Iowa. With Gephardt gone after Iowa, Kerry probably gone after New hampshire, and both Clark and Edwards on the rocks, Dean is betting Leiberman is too far to the right to block him, even if hes looking more lefty. Problem is this almost certainly hurts a lot in the general election.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-11-19 4:46:05 PM  

#8  "California is proving it does not work," he (Dean) said. "I think the reason the grid failed is because of utility deregulation."

Time and time again it has been pointed out that what was enacted in CA was NOT deregulation. And the reason the power went out back east not too long ago is probably not due to what he thinks the reason is.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2003-11-19 3:58:19 PM  

#7  Can somewhat close the strikeout in the inital post. It's burning my brain.
Posted by: Yank   2003-11-19 3:41:21 PM  

#6  Who is Dean preaching too? He's already got the wacko-left vote locked up. Perhaps he's afraid Nader is going to be nipping at his heals or more likely he doesn't really want to win the Democratic Nomination and get trounced in 2004.
Posted by: Yank   2003-11-19 3:40:27 PM  

#5  Dean reminds me of someone, can't remember who, from history. Always playing to the audience, with no real understanding of the costs/benefits of what he was talking about, and no idea of the unintended consequences of what appears to be a 'noble' idea. IIRC, that idiot got pretty well squashed, too, but it took awhile...
Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-11-19 3:25:04 PM  

#4  It's hard to comment on such an idiotically simplistic view of a complicated set of issues, but I'd suggest that Dean start out by reading the Code of Federal Regulations from start to finish, and then tell us whether he thinks more federal regulations are required. It'll be 2006 by then anyway.
Posted by: Matt   2003-11-19 3:21:15 PM  

#3  "As governor of Vermont, Dean advocated deregulation, angering some environmentalists. But the events of the past two years have convinced him deregulation is to blame for many of the nation’s problems."

This joker is trying to have it both ways -- running on his record in Vermont (fiscal discipline, pro-business, etc.) while at the same time changing positions on things relevant to that Vermont record (regulation, Medicare reform, etc.). It may work in the Democrap primaries, but will not work in the general election.
Posted by: Tibor   2003-11-19 3:04:47 PM  

#2  He's insane. There's no other way to put it. I'd sooner elect a rabid dog next November than Howard Dean.
Posted by: Dave D.   2003-11-19 2:43:49 PM  

#1  "At Enron, those at the top enriched themselves by deceiving everyone else and robbing ordinary people of the future they’d earned"

But not, of course, during the Clinton Administration. The leftist mouth-breathers would have you believe that Enron, Arthur Andersen, Tyco, et. al., only became Evil Corporations© after Dubya was Selected, not Elected.

Anyway, it looks like Dean's red tinge is starting to show through the rolled-up blue collar.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-11-19 2:20:29 PM  

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