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Politics : WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004 -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Raymond Duray who wrote (3282)	7/12/2003 1:06:26 PM
From: Glenn Petersen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10965

Dean Finds Role Evolving Toward Center Sat Jul 12, 3:11 AM ET By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer story.news.yahoo.com ARLINGTON, Va. - Now that Howard Dean has become a leading money-raiser among the Democratic presidential candidates, he's making the argument that he's more moderate than some rivals and aims to work with the party's centrists. The former Vermont governor found himself in that unusual position Friday night as he watched other Democratic hopefuls endorse gay marriage, universal college education and a federal Department of Peace. Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich (news, bio, voting record) told a crowd of about 1,000 attending a National Organization for Women (news - web sites) candidate forum that he would establish a Department of Peace and a litmus test for judicial nominees to support a woman's right to choose. Al Sharpton said it was time to take back the Democratic Party from "the right-wingers who call themselves centrists who have taken control of this party." Kucinich and Sharpton both endorsed gay marriage. Those positions brought cheers from the partisan audience but are more risky among the general electorate, and Dean offered an observation on his evolving role in the field. "Maybe they'll stop writing that I'm too liberal to be elected," Dean said with a grin. "It's nice to be a centrist for a change." Dean built his popularity in the party as an anti-war candidate. And in recent months, Dean has challenged many of the candidates for being too closely aligned with the party's centrists and too slow to criticize President Bush (news - web sites). And Dean openly criticized the Democratic Leadership Council, the business-oriented group that nudges the party toward the political center. Dean raised $7.5 million in the second quarter this year, more than any other Democratic candidate, and has moved up in the field of potential nominees. Friday night, he offered an olive branch to the centrists who have helped pick the Democratic nominee in the last three presidential elections, saying that the party will need their support just as it does labor, Hispanics and other Democratic-leaning constituencies. "I don't agree with Al about the DLC," Dean, referring to a Sharpton attack on the council. Sharpton, the New York preacher who thrills partisan crowds with his rhetoric, had just taken on the party moderates, who say some candidates are too liberal to beat Bush. "Some people don't come to NOW or other places because they have labeled us special interests," Sharpton said. "We are not the special interests. It is the right-wingers that call themselves centrists who are the special interests. We need to stop their stronghold on this party." He ridiculed the assertion that liberal candidates will hurt the Democratic cause, noting: "The party doesn't control the Congress, the Senate, the White House or the Supreme Court." Sharpton said the party has lost control of the government during 12 years of leadership by the centrists, and called for an end to appeasing conservative swing voters. That brought the loudest ovation of the night. The other candidate attending, former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, emphasized the importance of electing a woman president. The NOW audience chanted "Carol, Carol, Carol" in approval. Some other candidates who have positioned themselves as more moderate, did not attend. Kucinich listed the many government programs he supported, from universal health care to universal college education to universal pre-kindergarten. Dean, who had a reputation as a relatively moderate governor of Vermont, again raised a caution flag. "I hate to throw cold water on this discussion," said Dean, who favors providing across-the-board health care but is cautious about other government spending. "I'm not going to promise you all the things that sound so great. We need to get to a balanced budget." And Dean moderated his trademark line, borrowed from the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone: "I am from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party." On Friday night, he said: "I'm from the 'Let's beat George Bush' wing of the Democratic Party."