Dean Stumbles Over Sealed Records

[Verto]

Dean Stumbles Over Sealed Records

Interesting story.

Brief Summary: Dean placed a 10-year seal on the records of his 12-year tenure as governor of Vermont.

A few clips from the article:

Dean is no babe in the woods: Everyone knew what he was up to. He was burying what he could of his papers to keep them from the prying eyes and hands of the “oppo men”—opposition researchers for other Democratic contenders and, of course, the Republican National Committee. The proudly combative Dean admitted as much last January, telling Vermont Public Radio in teasing fashion, “Well, there are political considerations. We didn’t want anything embarrassing appearing in the papers at a crucial time in any future endeavor.”

On Monday morning, Dean was asked about it on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He gave a flippant—and, as it turned out, ill-informed—reply, arguing that he was doing nothing more than what George W. Bush had done at the end of his term in Texas. That’s hardly a strong argument to begin with, but the point is, it was factually wrong. Bush had tried to seal his records, but had ultimately failed, when the Texas attorney general ruled that they had to be placed in a public repository.

When Matthews asked about the records, Dean—with a straight face—came up with this defiant howler: He had had the records sealed not to protect himself, God forbid, but to protect the privacy of HIV-AIDS patients. I think Chris was too stunned to laugh. As it turns out, the identity of such patients is automatically shielded; and, of course, Dean had long since gone on record with the refreshingly candid admission that the advent of the presidential campaign was the real reason.

What do you think? Any repercussions, or will this story die off in a few days, never to bother Dean again?

[Ben Kenobi]

Eh, if it's good enough for Bush it must be good enough for Dean.

Why do you think he's not going to cut the military budget, and seek his cuts from social programs?

[GePap]

So Dean did what Bush tried and failed to do? Wow, how many times will that be repeated?

[Ned]

Dean blatantly lied about the issue to Chris Matthews. I bet this lie is trumpeted by Dean's Democrat competition.

My God, are we about to elect another consumate liar to the presidency? This does not bode well for America.

[Kaak]

truth...lirs are bad

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Ned
My God, are we about to elect another consumate liar to the presidency?

IIRC, about a year ago we had a thread about Presidential lies. We went all the way back to FDR, with only Ford and Carter (and maybe Truman) not being accused of telling major lies to the American public.

[Ramo]

Of course Dean's a liar. He's a prominent politician.

[POTUS]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
IIRC, about a year ago we had a thread about Presidential lies. We went all the way back to FDR, with only Ford and Carter (and maybe Truman) not being accused of telling major lies to the American public.

It only went up to FDR? Why? Were people too brain-dead to think about the Teapot Dome Scandal? Only 10 years earlier.

[Q Classic]

My God, are we about to elect another consumate liar to the presidency?

in the past three elections, we have. let's make it a good even number.