Bizarro Dems on Dean

The current row over Howard Dean’s controversial statements has compelled me risk bending reality to open the portal to Bizarro World!

BASH:And, a short while ago, I spoke with Senator Harry Reid. We talked about a wide range of topics, but I asked by asking him about his meeting today with Howard Dean, and in the first part of my interview, I asked Senator Reid what the Democratic chairman said to him today and if he would describe Dean as apologetic or defiant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REID: We meet every month. I was there with Senator Schumer, Senator Durbin, Senator Stabenow -- my leadership. And we talked about the issues before the American people. We didn't discuss any statements that any of us have made.

BASH: Didn't come up at all?

REID: No.

BASH: Let me just ask you about the statement -- he said recently, Monday, that the Republican party is pretty much a white, Christian party, not very friendly to different kinds of people. Recently, he has called Republicans -- he said Republicans have never made an honest living in their lives. Are those mistakes to say?

REID: There are a lot of statements that people make in public life that they wish they hadn't made, like the time the Republican leader of the Senate said life would have been better under the racist Dixiecrat policies of Strom Thrumond, or the time George Bush hurled an obsenity at a reporter, but what we're going to talk about is not statements that people have made. We want to talk about the our fight for the American people. The American people care that the Republicans are attacking fundamental aspects of American life. The Democrats are fighting to protect the resources the American people need to succeed, fighting to protect the rights of individuals that made our country great, and fighting the Republican corruption in Washington.

BASH: I hear you talking about those issues a lot, and clearly you're trying to talk about that now, but the question is, even when your top leader, the chairman of your party, talks about those issues, because, perhaps, not necessarily of the message, but the messenger, because he makes other statements and those are reacted to, and have -- they're such -- they end up being so controversial, doesn't that step on exactly what you are trying to do?

REID: Look, everybody mis-speaks at some time. George Bush labeled the war against terrorists a crusade-- not exactly the best phrasing when trying to win hearts and minds in the middle east. But I am not going to criticize his slip of the tongue. I will criticize the disastrous way he has managed our war against terrorists. He ignored the advice of high ranking generals, he manufactured intelligence, and he sent our troops over there without adequate body armor.

Through their incompetence and corruption, with no-bid contracts and missing billions in Iraq, the Republicans are practically making the case for us.

BASH: With all due respect, I have to ask you one question about, not just about Howard Dean, but about a statement that you made. You caused a little bit of a dust-up recently when you called the president a loser, then you apologized for that, but then you also said he was a liar and that you didn't apologize for that. Why is the president a liar?

REID: Of course, one statement I made about the president was four years ago, when he said he was involved in nuclear waste in Nevada and he misled the people of Nevada, clearly, without any question, and I said so.

In the past couple of years, he has lied to the American people about, he’s lied about saving social security, he’s lied about the cost of his prescription drug plan, and he lied about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. I think the American people want the truth and I'm going to do the best I can to get the truth.

BASH: Last month is a speech, you said, quote, "Americans are sick and tired of getting caught in the crossfires of partisan sniping." Listening to Howard Dean and even, you know, using a word like liar, are the Democrats also contributing be to the partisan sniping that you say is eroding Washington?

REID: Dana, we have 1,700 American dead in Iraq, 15,000 wounded and the Republicans are doing nothing. If the Republicans are hurting this country, I think the American people will expect Democrats to stand up and fight.

Commentary: Other then the comparison between Dean and Trent Lott/ The Crusader, the Bizarro World Dems have abandoned apologetics for “partisanship”. Also, please note that complaining about the nuclear option at this point is lame (and will continue to be lame until a SC nomination comes up, then it’s the destruction of the republic). The original text is below.

REID: We meet every month. I was there with Senator Schumer, Senator Durbin, Senator Stabenow -- my leadership. And we talked about the issues before the American people. We didn't discuss any statements that any of us have made.

BASH: Didn't come up at all?

REID: No.

BASH: Let me just ask you about the statement -- he said recently, Monday, that the Republican party is pretty much a white, Christian party, not very friendly to different kinds of people. Recently, he has called Republicans -- he said Republicans have never made an honest living in their lives. Are those mistakes to say?

REID: There are a lot of statements that people make in public life that they wish they hadn't made, but what we're going to talk about is not statements that Ken Mehlman made or Howard Dean made. We want to talk about the positive agenda for the American people. American people don't care about statements that people make that may not be totally accurate. What they do care about is what we're doing about the war in Iraq; what we're doing about high gas prices; what we're doing about education, both secondary and elementary education; what we're doing about the staggering deficit that we have; pension reform; and on and on with issues that we think are positive and the American people care about.

BASH: I hear you talking about those issues a lot, and clearly you're trying to talk about that now, but the question is, even when your top leader, the chairman of your party, talks about those issues, because, perhaps, not necessarily of the message, but the messenger, because he makes other statements and those are reacted to, and have -- they're such -- they end up being so controversial, doesn't that step on exactly what you are trying to do?

REID: I think we have to focus on what is happening around the country. For example, in Nevada we just had some municipal races. The national party was involved in those races. We did well, and in the city of Las Vegas, we had a race that we probably wouldn't have run -- won -- but for him.

We have, in 18 different states, grass roots organizations are now established as a result of what Governor Dean has done. He's doing a great job in having grassroots activity across the country that were never there before.

BASH: With all due respect, I have to ask you one question about, not just about Howard Dean, but about a statement that you made. You caused a little bit of a dust-up recently when you called the president a loser, then you apologized for that, but then you also said he was a liar and that you didn't apologize for that. Why is the president a liar?

REID: Of course, one statement I made about the president was four years ago, when he said he was involved in nuclear waste in Nevada and he misled the people of Nevada, clearly, without any question, and I said so.

In the past couple of months, he said, on this nuclear option, told me personally he wasn't going to get involved. That wasn't true, and I said so. I think the American people want people to tell the truth and I'm going to do the best I can to tell the truth.

BASH: Last month is a speech, you said, quote, "Americans are sick and tired of getting caught in the crossfires of partisan sniping." Listening to Howard Dean and even, you know, using a word like liar, are the Democrats also contributing be to the partisan sniping that you say is eroding Washington?

REID: What I think is partisan sniping is when we have two months of our time taken to deal with five people who already have jobs, when, during that period of time we could have been done the Defense Authorization Bill. We have 1,700 American dead in Iraq, 15,000 wounded and we're not even taking that bill up here in the Senate. We should do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Harry Reid, standing by his words.