Democrats fired up by Dean at conclave

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean fired up local Democrats at their convention yesterday, urging them to help his former rival John Kerry "send George Bush back to Crawford, Texas," during this fall's presidential election.

Dean, who emerged as an early favorite among Democratic presidential hopefuls until his campaign sputtered early this year, advised about 1,000 party faithful to contest every local race. He promised support through Democracy For America, an offshoot of his now-defunct campaign. Bush should never have sent U.S. troops to Iraq "without first telling the truth to the American people about why we're going there," Dean said, stating that there is still no proof that Saddam Hussein kept weapons of mass destruction.

He also criticized Bush's homeland security policies and questioned how Republicans could raise issue with Kerry's military record when Bush never saw combat during the Vietnam War.

"Would you trust him or a guy with three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star who then came home to criticize the very war where he did his duty?" Dean asked. "My vote's for John Kerry."

During his speech, Dean touched only briefly on local politics, noting that "I know you had a setback in the recent gubernatorial election, but I know you're going to overcome that."

Veteran and new Democrats said the speech inspired them to work harder toward not just winning back the White House this fall, but gaining strength at more local levels of government.

"We need these kinds of pep talks to get us going again," said Roy Benham, a Hawai'i Kai retiree. "You know who we used to depend on to do this kind of thing was Patsy," Benham said, referring to the fiery rhetoric that was the trademark of the late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink.

Ryan Tsuji, a Hilo resident and University of Hawai'i political science major attending his first convention, said Dean's speech "inspired me to get involved with the different issues he brought up." U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, among Dean's earliest supporters, introduced him by saying Democrats and Americans owe Dean a debt of gratitude "because he was willing to stand up when others were not willing to stand up."

But not all Democrats were excited by Dean's speech. Cecile Smith of Hawai'i Kai, a supporter of Rep. Dennis Kucinich's presidential bid, said Dean "rabble-roused, he got the energy up" at the convention. But he did so, Smith said, by claiming to be among the first to come out against the Iraq war and laying claim to a "progressive" Democratic agenda when Kucinich was ahead of Dean and other presidential contenders in espousing those views.

After his speech, Dean said that he had met with Democratic leaders in the Legislature about providing support through Democracy For America for candidates in key races. Endorsements will be given to local candidates with a "progressive agenda." He defined such a candidate as one who is fiscally responsible and also "somebody who believes that there ought to be ample award in our society for those who work, not just those who invest, and that means a middle-class social safety net, not just a social safety net for poor people."

He added: "The government, either directly or indirectly, should help with college tuition, child care, health insurance for those who need it." As for whether he will seek the presidency in 2008, Dean said his "fervent hope is for John Kerry to win this election so that I won't have to worry about it four years from now."

The Democrats wrap up their three-day convention today with the naming of a new party chairman and delegates to their national convention in Boston in July.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.