Dean says immigrants a new Republican scapegoat By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
Sat Dec 3, 5:22 PM ET
PHOENIX (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic Party chief Howard Dean predicted on Saturday that Republicans would make illegal immigrants their new scapegoats during the 2006 elections, and said splintered Democrats were starting to find common ground on the Iraq war.
Dean criticized Bush's speech on Wednesday that improvements in Iraqi security forces could clear the way for a reduction in U.S. troops there.
"If the president had taken the advice of his military men before he went there instead of showing us his strategic plan for Iraq three years after he got there, he would be better off today," Dean said. "We have seen the hollow promises of this Republican administration."
The speech to the full Democratic National Committee was the first for Dean since he took the helm of the committee in February. He said Democrats would offer voters tangible reforms and proposals on health care, education and national security.
"Our party is the party that believes we're all in this together," he said. "Their party is the party of self-absorption and selfishness."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051203/pl_nm/democrats_dc