Dean Flip-Flops Invite Criticism
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
URL:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,97007,00.html
WASHINGTON — Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (search) renewed his criticism of rival Howard Dean (search) on Wednesday, reiterating remarks made at a debate Tuesday night in which he lambasted the former Vermont governor for suggesting the United States not take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"That's a break of more than a half century of American foreign policy carried out by the presidents of both parties and it's harmful," Lieberman told the Council of Foreign Relations (search) in New York City.
In Tuesday night's debate of the nine Democratic presidential hopefuls, Lieberman attacked Dean, noting that the latter once said Israel should get out of disputed territory claimed by Palestinians. The stir generated one of the most heated moments of the debate marked by the candidates' reluctance to criticize one another.
"Let me say to Governor Dean, he has said he wouldn't take sides, but then he has said Israel ought to get out of the West Bank," Lieberman said.
"I'm disappointed in Joe," Dean responded. "My position on Israel is exactly the same as Bill Clinton's, I want to be an honest broker."
"Not right," Lieberman retorted to the comparison.
To that, Dean replied: "Excuse me, Joe, I didn't interrupt you and I would appreciate it if you didn't interrupt me ... It doesn't help, Joe, to demagogue this issue."
Since the debate, Dean has suggested that President Bush should ask President Clinton to negotiate some sort of peace settlement with the Israelis and Palestinians.
The Congressional Black Caucus (search) and Fox News Channel co-sponsored the debate, which featured all the candidates courting black voters. Dean, whose rallies generally have fewer minorities than his rivals, also got into trouble when he went out on a limb by making a bold — and inaccurate — assertion
"I'm the only white politician that ever talks about race in front of white audiences," he said.
In fact, all the candidates discuss race on the trail regularly, and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who grew up in the segregated South and is counting on southern black votes, was first to take offense.
"I talk about civil rights and race everywhere I go, no matter who the audience is. What Howard Dean did was divisive, it's division we are in fact trying to overcome," Edwards said.
Dean has altered his positions on a variety of issues — the number of troops in Iraq, tax cuts, Social Security, trade and campaign finance reform.
On Iraq, Dean called for more troops, then hinted the United States should get out, and now says he believes the United States should stay there but not add troops.
On tax cuts, Dean first said he would repeal about 80 percent of the tax cuts pushed by President Bush. Now, he wants to repeal them all.
On Social Security, Dean once suggested raising the eligibility age, but now says it should stay as is.
On trade, Dean said the United States should only trade with nations that meet strict American standards. Now, he says they must meet looser international standards.
And on Cuba, Dean once said he wanted the trade embargo relaxed, but now he says it should remain.
All the while, he has trumpeted his candor and straight talk on the campaign trail for months, but in his response, his aides, when asked about all his shifting policies, responded that one of his strengths as president is his flexibility. A lot of Dean critics are now asking what flexible straight talk sounds like.
Fox News' Carl Cameron contributed to this report. |
