Dean Seeks Political Cover For Breaking Spending Caps

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Democrat Howard Dean is turning over the most important decision of his presidential campaign to 600,000 supporters, asking them whether he should join President Bush and abandon the federal election financing system.

Just eight months ago, the former Vermont governor committed to accepting taxpayer money and spending limits that come with it. But Dean now argues that the spending caps put any Democratic nominee at a disadvantage against Bush, who plans to reject taxpayer money for the second time and raise upward of $170 million.

Dean is casting his potential abandonment of the system as a way to empower his supporters, many of whom are new to the political system, and legitimize his promise to fight Washington special interests on behalf of ordinary Americans.

His critics were poised to call Dean a hypocrite. He told the AP in March that his support of public financing was not based on any political considerations, such as the size of the field or how much money he can raise. He even vowed to criticize any Democrat who opted out of the system.

Some Dean advisers predicted that supporters would vote to opt out of the system. Others reacted with surprise and alarm at the risk Dean was taking. Advisers in rival campaigns privately accused Dean of staging the tally to give him political cover for a decision he's already made, a charge denied by the Dean camp.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=6&u=/ap/20031105/ap_on_el_pr/dean_money

not seeks political cover.
Dean is actually consulting his campaign - not the staff, but the grassroots. Wish other candidates would catch on...

HE made whatever decision benefitted him the most and then figured out the best way to bring his flock around to agree with him.

Falwell or Robertson.

:P

we're giving you gepherwards so much hassle!

Gee, what a surprise.

"We know he's not a liberal!"

Please see rule #1 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=463744

1. The subject line of a discussion thread must accurately reflect the actual content of the message.

Actual headline on story: Dean Asks Supporters on Public Financing