Rivals target Dean in Iowa debate
Assail trade stance, sealing of records
JOHNSTON, Iowa -- With the first presidential contest of 2004 just two weeks away, top Democratic candidates aggressively challenged Howard Dean yesterday during one of their final gatherings in Iowa, criticizing the former Vermont governor on issues ranging from Iraq to trade to the sealing of his gubernatorial records.
Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, running a close second to Dean in Iowa, according to several internal campaign polls, criticized Dean for his support of free trade initiatives, especially the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993. Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, said to be trailing Dean in Iowa and New Hampshire, accused him of a pattern of inconsistency, saying it "raises a serious question about your ability to stand up to George Bush and make Americans safe and secure."
Even Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, who decided not to campaign in Iowa, hammered Dean for sealing records from his time as governor. Lieberman held up a document for dramatic effect, saying Dean could sign it and unseal his records right then and there -- an offer Dean declined.
Dean had steeled himself for such a firing squad after days of increasingly harsh attacks on both his record as governor and his blunt remarks on issues ranging from Osama bin Laden to the Democratic establishment.
As they have from the beginning, Dean campaign advisers tried to turn the criticism to their advantage, portraying their candidate as a straight-talking outsider and arguing that the bickering would weaken the Democratic nominee against President Bush in November.
"In general, there's been a lot of talk about this from the Washington politicians," Dean said. "A gaffe in Washington is when you tell the truth and the Washington establishment thinks you shouldn't have."
The two-hour event, held at the headquarters of Iowa Public Television, and the first forum of the election year itself, touched on some of the issues that most divide the Democratic field, especially trade, the public school system, tax cuts, and the war in Iraq.
After more than a dozen debates, though, the candidates broke no new ground, instead repeating segments of their stump speeches and trying to score small rhetorical points.
Each candidate sought to play up personal experience: Gephardt emphasized his years as a legislative leader, while Kerry called on his combat experience in Vietnam and urged voters to pick someone with "presidential leadership." Lieberman repeatedly reminded the audience of his centrist ideology, comparing himself to Bill Clinton. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, the self-described "upbeat" candidate in the race, only mildly challenged Dean and used a question-and-answer segment to focus on Kerry instead.
Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio returned to his central platform, that he would withdraw US troops immediately from Iraq, and former senator Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois promised the opposite approach, saying the United States could not abandon Iraq after having "destroyed" it.
Retired General Wesley K. Clark, who also decided to avoid the Iowa race, did not attend; neither did the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York.
Iowa has become increasingly important for the top contenders, and could mean failure or salvation for Kerry and Gephardt in particular. With the race appearing much closer than in the next early contest state, New Hampshire, Kerry, Gephardt, and Dean are spending most of their time crisscrossing the flat terrain seeking votes.
Getting voters to caucus sites is even more important in Iowa than in states with straightforward primaries, making each campaign's on-the-ground organization critical to its success.
Each candidate's supporters did their best yesterday to prove that their campaign had the most energy. Despite a driving snowstorm, about 100 Dean supporters, many from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, chanted for their candidate; slightly fewer did the same for Kerry, Edwards, and Gephardt.
Not surprisingly, the war in Iraq and trade offered some of the sharpest exchanges of the day.
Kerry used his chance to pose a question to another candidate to pound Dean for what he said were inconsistent comments, including a quote from a newspaper in which Dean said bin Laden deserved a fair trial. Dean curtly replied that he believed bin Laden would receive the death penalty no matter what, and said that if he were president, he would issue orders to "shoot to kill" if necessary. But, Dean said, "We have to stand for the rule of law."
Kerry also accused Dean of once saying that Bush had received prior warning about the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Dean responded that he'd mentioned the theory on television as a possibility, but did not say he believed it.
Earlier in the event, Dean also said he believed that Saddam Hussein would have been captured, given "the time that elapsed" between the start of the war and the dictator's eventual arrest.
At another point, Lieberman engaged Dean in a fierce exchange over his gubernatorial files. Lieberman all but compared Dean to Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, who have been attacked by Democrats for keeping records about their energy policy meetings closed.
"We Democrats are better than Bush and Cheney," Lieberman said.
Dean replied that some of the files were sealed to protect the privacy of Vermont citizens who had written to him, including, potentially, some gay residents who discussed the civil unions bill but would not want their identities disclosed.
"That's not the answer. You are ducking the question," Lieberman responded, cutting in.
Dean, for his part, addressed another issue sparked by his candidacy: whether his rivals could swallow their discomfort and support him if he wins the nomination.
Despite all of their attacks, the other six participants raised their hands saying they would. The event moderator, Paul Anger, editor of the Register, cracked, "Well, you're a consensus builder, Governor Dean."
Trade -- specifically whether to abolish or modify NAFTA and other free-trade initiatives -- prompted the other rhetorical fight. Gephardt, a leader of the anti-NAFTA movement in Congress in 1993, accused everyone but Kucinich of having voted for the bill, which Clinton signed.
Edwards and Dean jumped at the chance to correct him, pointing out that they were not even in Congress at the time. Dean did say he supported NAFTA at the time and has since said he would push for modifications to the treaty that enforces labor and environmental regulations in countries that trade with the United States.
Edwards, whose home state relies heavily on textile manufacturing, is less supportive of free trade compacts.
Kucinich was the only one who said he would revoke NAFTA and withdraw from the World Trade Organization if elected.
Kerry, who voted for the bill, said, "It's interesting, because Dick Gephardt has said, and I quote, `I believe in free trade.' " Kerry said he had a record of fighting for labor and environmental standards and would not support new trade compacts unless their standards were tightened.
