Mad How’s Greatest Hits: Howard Dean In Quotes Version 2.0

Once Howard Dean’s presidential campaign went down in flames, I didn’t even bother to put “Howard Dean in quotes” in the quotes section. But now that “Mad How” is back in business running the DNC, it’s time to recap some of the greatest hits of the man who’s now the official face of the Democratic Party. Enjoy!

Religion

“From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people.” — Howard Dean

“After hearing Dr Dean’s observation, beginning with ‘If you know much about the Bible – which I do’, a reporter asked about his favourite New Testament book. Dr Dean named Job, adding, ‘But I don’t like the way it ends… in some of the books of the New Testament; the ending of the Book of Job is different… There’s one book where there’s a more optimistic ending, which we believe was tacked on later’. The candidate returned an hour later to confess error: Job was in the Old Testament, not the New. Beyond that slip, his recollection of ‘one book where there’s a more optimistic ending’ is muddled; the Book of Job in the Old Testament has an upbeat ending, with God doubling Job’s former wealth and giving him new children for having sustained his piety through all his trials.” — William Safire describes Howard Dean’s difficulties with Job.

“Dean himself moved from Episcopalian to Congregationalist “because I had a big fight with a local Episcopal church about 25 years ago over the bike path.” He does not hesitate to reveal this information or to declare that he seldom goes to church.” — Robert Novak

“My view of Christianity . is that the hallmark of being a Christian is to reach out to people who have been left behind. So I think there was a religious aspect to my decision to support civil unions.” — Howard Dean

Republicans

“I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for…” — Howard Dean

“I think a library trustee is pretty important,” Dean said, during “an administration that likes book burning more than reading books.” — Howard Dean as quoted by USA Today

“The truth is the President of the United States used the same device that Slobodan Milosevic used in Serbia. When you appeal to homophobia, when you appeal to sexism, when you appeal to racism, that is extraordinarily damaging to the country.” — Howard Dean

Misc

“I don’t know. There are many theories about (9/11). The most interesting theory that I’ve heard so far—which is nothing more than a theory, it can’t be proved—is that he was warned ahead of time by the Saudis. Now who knows what the real situation is? But the trouble is, by suppressing that kind of information, you lead to those kind of theories, whether they have any truth to them or not, and eventually, they get repeated as fact. So I think the president is taking a great risk by suppressing the key information that needs to go to the Kean Commission.” — Howard Dean

“I told Steve McMahon, the media guy for Dean, who was on ‘Crossfire’: You have one of the three most influential presidential campaigns of my lifetime. That’s the good news. The bad news is the other two are McGovern and Goldwater.” — James Carville

“For me as a political figure, it was in many ways the most important event in my political life. There aren’t many people who get to do what I did.” — Howard Dean on Vermont’s Civil Unions Law

“Not only are we going to New Hampshire … we’re going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico, and we’re going to California and Texas and New York! And we’re going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan. And then we’re going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House, Yeeeeeaaaaaargh!” — Howard Dean in the Iowa concession speech that proved to be the final nail in his campaign’s coffin

“We have got to stop having the campaigns run in this country based on abortion, guns, God and gays…” — Howard Dean

Race

“I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks.” — Howard Dean

“I believe that the flag of the Confederate States of America is a painful symbol and reminder of racial injustice and slavery which (Abraham) Lincoln denounced from here over 150 years ago.” — Howard Dean

“We’re going to tell all those white boys who run the Republican Party to stay out of our bedrooms.” — Howard Dean forgets what color he is.

“You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here.” — Howard Dean

“Dealing with race is about educating white folks…” — Howard Dean

The War On Terrorism

“It’s a victory for the Iraqi people … but it doesn’t have any effect on whether we should or shouldn’t have had a war. …I think in general the ends do not justify the means.” — Howard Dean after we blew away Uday & Qusay Hussein

“We’ve gotten rid of (Saddam Hussein), and I suppose that’s a good thing” — Howard Dean, April 9, 2003

“We don’t know that yet. We don’t know that yet, Wolf. We still have a country whose city is mostly without electricity. We have tumultuous occasions in the south where there is no clear governance. We have a major city without clear governance.” — Howard Dean’s reply when he was asked if he Iraq was better off without Saddam, April 23, 2003

“…The capture of Saddam has not made America safer.” — Howard Dean

“I’ve resisted pronouncing a sentence before guilt is found. I will have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials.” — Howard Dean on Bin Laden

“(9/11 & the aftermath will) require a re-evaluation of the importance of some of our specific civil liberties. I think there are going to be debates about what can be said where, what can be printed where, what kind of freedom of movement people have and whether it’s OK for a policeman to ask for your ID just because you’re walking down the street.” — Howard Dean after 9/11

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