Howard Dean on Senator Warren: “right on policy, but the rhetoric needs to be toned down.”

The Hill reports that Howard Dean had that and more to say about Elizabeth Warren:

Democracy For America founder Howard Dean, who has backed Clinton for president, said Warren is “right on policy, but the rhetoric needs to be toned down.”

“Our program cannot be soak the rich — that's a mistake and alienates middle class people. But on substance, the Warren wing is correct,” said Dean.

“The rhetoric about wealth creation needs to be scaled back because Americans like wealth creation,” he added. “The level playing field argument wins it for us. The reason you do not want to talk about ‘tax the rich’ is because when middle class people hear it, they hear ‘they're going to raise our taxes.’ Democrats can't do that.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/234224-centrist-dems-ready-strike-a...

If Dr. Dean had taken something Senator Warren said out of context, that would be one thing, but talking about wealth inequality is not "soak the rich". Obviously Dean has endorsed Hillary Clinton and is taking a swing at Warren, an action that may alienate many who volunteered in Deans 2004 campaign (Deaniacs).

Is this an attack by Dean on Warren?

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Cordelia Lear's picture

It's so different from the populist message he campaigned on in 2003-4.

His message wasn't tax the rich but it was tax cuts for the wealthy are bad news for everyone else. (at least in part)

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"Never separate the life you live from the words you speak." --Paul Wellstone

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

and the success he generated with it got him.

"Oh, thanks!" said the Democratic party. "Now get the fuck out."

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

snoopydawg's picture

"To the extent that Republicans beat up on workers and Democrats beat up on employers — I'm not sure that offers voters much of a vision," Peters said.

And since they decided that 3rd party candidates aren't allowed in the debates, we are stuck with 2 parties that sell us out to the highest bidders.
Once the TPP is passed, the next president's job will be the one to off the lights on what is left of America.

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There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

Shahryar's picture

The reason you do not want to talk about ‘tax the rich’ is because when middle class people hear it, they hear ‘they're going to raise our taxes.’ Democrats can't do that.

Then explain that it's taxing THE RICH!!!!! Jeez, how hard is that? Or is he saying Americans are so stupid they can't figure it out, no matter how you try? If so then why bother? Pool our money, buy some islands and let's get out of here.

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Cordelia Lear's picture

Pool our money, buy some islands and let's get out of here.

Count me in!

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"Never separate the life you live from the words you speak." --Paul Wellstone

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

3rd-way rhetoric.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

gulfgal98's picture

The path to the Presidency MUST be cleared for the Hillary the Inevitable's coronation. Talk like what we are hearing from Dean is intended to shut down any conversation about what is really wrong with this country.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

joe shikspack's picture

too bad. he once had promise.

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snoopydawg's picture

He along with Giuliani and others are founders and founders of the terrorist organization MEK. They're involved in Iranian terrorists groups which is against US laws. But for some reason, they get a pass.

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There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.

Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

don't do what I did, or they'll kick you to the curb, too!

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Big Al's picture

is at relative to reality. They think that Hillary and Bill are centrists and that Warren is some kind of liberal.
And all they talk about of course is the message, not actions.
Here's a plan, have all democratic politicians stand up in Congress and put an end to U.S. imperialism.
Or stand up and put an end to Wall Street crimes.
As worthless as ever.
That writer also made so many generalizations and absurd statements and embellishments it was hard to read.
The people involved in that shit are in their own little world no different from someone addicted to the dog show
circuit.

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Cant Stop the Macedonian Signal's picture

the difference between "the rich" and themselves.

We no longer think we are temporarily embarrassed billionaires.

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"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha

"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver

Tammany Tiger's picture

He went back on his "public option or bust" stance on health-care reform and started waging his finger at Democrats, telling them to fall in line and support the crap sandwich Max Baucus and his friends were serving up.

When he did that, his credibility fell to absolute zero. I've tuned the guy out ever since.

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it's tone-deaf. I'm not really sure what he or his handlers were trying to accomplish with this.

As a 2004 Dean volunteer myself, I deplore this statement. But at the same time, I can't take it too seriously. Dean himself hasn't been a relevant player in either of the one major parties in a decade.

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It's the exact kind of defensive, contentless writing we've come to expect from "we're not really Democrats" Astroturfers. This new "initiative" (?) has as much relevance and political salience as Debbie Wasserman-Schultz' papering-over exercise. Same hymnbook, same lousy organist as last time.

Nothing to see here...

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Tammany Tiger's picture

From the next-to-last paragraph of his lunchtime blog post:

Remind me again. What was the fate of all those Democratic candidates who ran away even from this administration's very modest efforts at moderating income inequality? Nice to see you again, Senator Lundergan Grimes.

By the way, Will Marshall, who was quoted in the original article about "centrist" Democrats, was one of the founders of the DLC in 1984.

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