Foes' criticism rolling off Dean

FARGO, N.D. -- The dwindling days before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary are seeing a rising level of verbal attacks on Howard Dean. Yet for all the incoming fire Dean is taking from his presidential rivals, he remains a Teflon candidate, seemingly impervious to lasting political damage.

It is a quality that is driving Dean's opponents to distraction.

At a candidate forum Sunday in Johnston, Iowa, nearly all took aim at the former Vermont governor when they had a chance to question anyone in the field, assailing him on statements he has made and on his past stands on such issues as Iraq and NAFTA. He responded by ignoring or brushing off their attacks. In one case, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut was left holding a blue pen after Dean refused to take the bait and accept his offer to sign a memorandum releasing sealed records from his gubernatorial administration.

In another, Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts was left pleading for a rebuttal -- to no avail -- after he had cross-examined Dean on his comments about whether the White House had been tipped off by Saudi Arabia on the Sept. 11 terror attack.

When reporters have asked about apparent misstatements or contradictions between his gubernatorial and presidential policy positions, Dean has dismissed them or attributed the changes to his political growth or, in a flash of anger, accused the media of doing his opponents' bidding. An official in Kerry's campaign said in a recent interview that Kerry found Dean's surge in recent months "quite frustrating" and that he attributed it to other news events "rescuing" Dean as controversy swirled around him.

Dean's resilience stems in part from inner determination, in part from toughening on the campaign trail. The prep-schooled, Ivy League New York native is inherently convinced of the rightness of his beliefs. And the thousands of supporters who pack his events, clog the Internet with chatter about his candidacy, and have raised more than $40 million for his campaign are more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt when he does stumble.

"What I see is that despite their criticisms, he presents himself as who he really is, and I think he's able to get that across to people: What you see is what you get," said the Rev. Netha Brada, a 66-year-old Dean precinct organizer from Iowa Falls, Iowa.

Gail Kinney, secretary treasurer of a United Autoworkers local that endorsed Dean last month in Seabrook, N.H., said of other candidates' criticism of Dean: "That's inside baseball. That doesn't resonate. What's resonating is he's captured the fear of workers who work hard, play by the rules, and don't want to be afraid further. He's bringing in people who don't connect with that kind of extraneous potshots but connect with his message."

Dean gained a reputation as a firebrand in the campaign by arguing against the war in Iraq and castigating rivals who supported a congressional resolution authorizing military force. Yet it was Dean who recently criticized Terry McAuliffe, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, for not halting the preprimary sniping.

Dean also implied that many of his supporters, particularly young people, might not vote on Election Day if another Democrat wins the party nomination. He has since said he'd support the Democratic nominee, whoever it is.

Dean and his campaign advisers seem to relish the criticism and draw strength from it.

"For I don't know how many debates now, they made us the focus. I think that says something about how strong we are," said Joe Trippi, Dean's campaign manager, after the Sunday candidate forum.

Dean himself told an audience in Toledo, Iowa, afterward: "They all think I'm the front-runner, so I kept saying, `I'm taking buckshot out of my rear end all the time.' It's beginning to feel more like howitzer shells."

Patrick Healy of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com.