Better than Chris Wallace w/Gov.Dean: Berkowitz w/ Gov. Dean on multiculturalism;healthcare reform;Obama,fiscal issues and more troops for Afghanistan
Gov. Howard Dean, Michael Medved and Al Gore on Multiculturalism
Jeff Berkowitz: You were talking tonight about multiculturalism, how important it is, how it’s been important for America for the last few hundred years. Michael Medved spoke to [the New Trier Republican Organization] just a few miles away [in Northbrook, IL] a few weeks ago, and he said [former Vice President] Gore got it wrong. It is E Pluribus Unum, out of many-one. Medved said that Gore said it was “out of one, many.” Is there a debate between you and Michael Medved about multiculturalism in America?
Gov. Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate]: I have no idea what Michael Medved’s positions are on anything, so—
Jeff Berkowitz: Well, what do you say, I mean when he says, “out of many, one.” You know, it’s somebody who is Russian and Jewish, they become an American. Somebody is an Israeli, they become an American. Somebody who is Hispanic, they become an American. That’s what Medved is saying. Is multiculturalism consistent with that?
Gov. Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate]: Sure, multiculturalism doesn’t mean people aren’t Americans. There’s lots of different kinds of Americans. Irish-Americans. Italian-Americans. Jewish-Americans. Catholic, Protestant, Hindu Americans. Americans are first Americans. But, people have traditions in their families and in their backgrounds and those backgrounds and those traditions are honored by the Democratic Party. And, the Republican Party often uses them to drives wedges between people and that’s the fundamental difference between the parties.
Gov. Howard Dean on passing healthcare reform in the Senate
Jeff Berkowitz: You said [regarding] healthcare-- the Public Option is there, it should be there and it’s going to pass. You acknowledge there are some problems with the U. S. Senate, as opposed to the House. Think about those problems. You said it’s going to be 60 votes, not reconciliation. How do you get by those folks like Mary Landrieu (LA), Ben Nelson (NE)…so the Democrats have problems in the Senate getting 60 votes, don’t they?
Gov. Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate]: I don’t think so. I think Harry Reid wouldn’t have put this on the table if he didn’t think he has the votes and I think he’ll get the votes
Is President Obama being fiscally responsible?
Jeff Berkowitz: You mentioned fiscal responsibility and you said the Democrats have to be careful about this—President Obama, it looks like he has a 1.4 to 2 trillion dollar deficit, 800 billion dollar stimulus program, all of that bailout stacked onto bailout, what does he do going forward to be fiscally responsible?
Howard Dean: Let’s remember that the bailouts were George Bush’s bailouts and that the deficits are George Bush’s deficits. And, that the collapse on Wall St. is George Bush’s collapse on Wall St. So, what we have to do is first repair the damage and get people back to work again. And, then we are going to have to start minding our money. We are going to have to start making sure that we don’t spend beyond our means.
40,000 more troops for Afghanistan?
Jeff Berkowitz: …On Afghanistan…what should President Obama do? Should he …give the Commander on the ground what he wants, another 40,000 troops?
Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate]: You know the President has access to intelligence that I don’t have and I’m not going to second guess him, whatever he decides to do.
Former Gov. Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate], from a forthcoming video interview with Jeff Berkowitz, after a Tenthdems event featuring Gov. Dean on October 31, 2009 at the Deerfield Hyatt in Deerfield, IL.
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Jeff Berkowitz: You were talking tonight about multiculturalism, how important it is, how it’s been important for America for the last few hundred years. Michael Medved spoke to [the New Trier Republican Organization] just a few miles away [in Northbrook, IL] a few weeks ago, and he said [former Vice President] Gore got it wrong. It is E Pluribus Unum, out of many-one. Medved said that Gore said it was “out of one, many.” Is there a debate between you and Michael Medved about multiculturalism in America?
Gov. Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate]: I have no idea what Michael Medved’s positions are on anything, so—
Jeff Berkowitz: Well, what do you say, I mean when he says, “out of many, one.” You know, it’s somebody who is Russian and Jewish, they become an American. Somebody is an Israeli, they become an American. Somebody who is Hispanic, they become an American. That’s what Medved is saying. Is multiculturalism consistent with that?
Gov. Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate]: Sure, multiculturalism doesn’t mean people aren’t Americans. There’s lots of different kinds of Americans. Irish-Americans. Italian-Americans. Jewish-Americans. Catholic, Protestant, Hindu Americans. Americans are first Americans. But, people have traditions in their families and in their backgrounds and those backgrounds and those traditions are honored by the Democratic Party. And, the Republican Party often uses them to drives wedges between people and that’s the fundamental difference between the parties.
Gov. Howard Dean on passing healthcare reform in the Senate
Jeff Berkowitz: You said [regarding] healthcare-- the Public Option is there, it should be there and it’s going to pass. You acknowledge there are some problems with the U. S. Senate, as opposed to the House. Think about those problems. You said it’s going to be 60 votes, not reconciliation. How do you get by those folks like Mary Landrieu (LA), Ben Nelson (NE)…so the Democrats have problems in the Senate getting 60 votes, don’t they?
Gov. Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate]: I don’t think so. I think Harry Reid wouldn’t have put this on the table if he didn’t think he has the votes and I think he’ll get the votes
Is President Obama being fiscally responsible?
Jeff Berkowitz: You mentioned fiscal responsibility and you said the Democrats have to be careful about this—President Obama, it looks like he has a 1.4 to 2 trillion dollar deficit, 800 billion dollar stimulus program, all of that bailout stacked onto bailout, what does he do going forward to be fiscally responsible?
Howard Dean: Let’s remember that the bailouts were George Bush’s bailouts and that the deficits are George Bush’s deficits. And, that the collapse on Wall St. is George Bush’s collapse on Wall St. So, what we have to do is first repair the damage and get people back to work again. And, then we are going to have to start minding our money. We are going to have to start making sure that we don’t spend beyond our means.
40,000 more troops for Afghanistan?
Jeff Berkowitz: …On Afghanistan…what should President Obama do? Should he …give the Commander on the ground what he wants, another 40,000 troops?
Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate]: You know the President has access to intelligence that I don’t have and I’m not going to second guess him, whatever he decides to do.
Former Gov. Howard Dean [2004 Democratic Primary Presidential Candidate], from a forthcoming video interview with Jeff Berkowitz, after a Tenthdems event featuring Gov. Dean on October 31, 2009 at the Deerfield Hyatt in Deerfield, IL.
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