CBS Insists Dean No McGovern, “Had a
Moderate Record” in Vermont
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Do you remember any CBS News stories in 1999 which
countered liberal attacks on George W. Bush as a hardline
conservative by emphasizing his moderate record as
Governor of Texas? But on Tuesday night, CBS came to
Howard Dean’s defense against charges he’s any kind of a
liberal.<font size=3>
Instead of looking at the left-wing policies Dean is now advocating, such as a massive tax hike, Byron Pitts insisted: “This five-term former Governor had a moderate record during his ten years in the Vermont state house. He was a fiscal conservative, well known for being frugal from budget cuts to his own bargain-basement wardrobe. Dean supports a balanced budget amendment, and he was given top marks from the National Rifle Association.”
Nonetheless, Pitts fretted, “the Republican party loves comparing Dean to that legendary liberal and anti-war candidate George McGovern, who lost in a landslide to Richard Nixon in 1972.” Pitts then showcased Jonathan Rauch of the National Journal, who argued: “Howard Dean on domestic policy is, if anything, to the right of where Bill Clinton was at this point 12 years ago.”
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"Fiscal conservatives"? The Cato Institute awarded Governor Dean a "D" for fiscal matters in its report card last year.<font size=3> They noted: "He supports state-funded universal health care, generous state subsidies for child care, a higher minimum wage, liberal family leave legislation, and taxpayer-financed campaigns...After 12 years of Dean*s so-called 'fiscal conservatism,’ Vermont remains one of the highest taxing and spending states."
For the Cato report in PDF format, with Dean assessed on page 60: www.cato.org
And on the gun control front, just because he accepted political reality in Vermont does not mean he’d oppose imposition of more restrictions on gun rights once he achieves national office.
Pitts began his December 9 CBS Evening News story on Dean’s political views, as taken down by MRC analyst Brad Wilmouth:
“He’s the physician-turned-politician who claims he’s a liberal-”
Howard Dean at a campaign rally: “Here’s how the liberal Birchen stock Governor from Vermont gets elected.”
Pitts: “-and has built much of his support on an anti-war platform. But not only has he never owned a pair of Birchen stocks, this five-term former Governor had a moderate record during his ten years in the Vermont state house.”
CBS put up a graphic of a manilla folder opened to show Dean’s record, with a photo of him beside it. The text below an underlined “Gubernatorial Record”:
“Fiscal conservative
“Frugal
“Supports balanced budget amendment
“Top marks from NRA”
Pitts elaborated: “He was a fiscal conservative, well known for being frugal from budget cuts to his own bargain basement wardrobe. Dean supports a balanced budget amendment, and he was given top marks from the National Rifle Association. Still, the Republican Party loves comparing Dean to that legendary liberal and anti-war candidate George McGovern, who lost in a landslide to Richard Nixon in 1972.”
Jonathan Rauch, National Journal: “Potentially, he is a Clinton in McGovern clothing. But Howard Dean on domestic policy is, if anything, to the right of where Bill Clinton was at this point 12 years ago, and Clinton obviously did very well.”
Pitts: “Dean portrays himself as a Washington outsider, once comparing members of Congress to cockroaches. But there he was, the self-proclaimed outsider joyously holding hands with last election’s ultimate insider. And as for that 'appeal-to-your-base-then-move-to-the-middle’ strategy that worked well for Bill Clinton 12 years ago and Ronald Reagan two decades ago, can it work for Howard Dean?”
Craig Crawford, CBS News political analyst: “One thing you’ve got to say about Howard Dean, he came from nowhere. He has beaten some of the biggest Democrats in Congress. And so you can’t count this man out.”
Pitts concluded: “Friends and adversaries both describe Howard Dean’s political bedside manner as that of a doctor. He can be decisive and dismissive. He’s made it this far doing it his way, but as in campaigns past when the race tightens, the middle of the road is usually the safer road to the White House. Byron Pitts, CBS News, New York.”
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