Howard Dean Bitchslaps Wolf Blitzer

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 12:12am

On CNN's Late Edition. Wolf tries to get Howard to say that Democrats took money from Abarmoff too.

Howard will have none of it. "No one," he says. "Not one single Democrat."

What about Senator Byron Dorgan, Wolf asks. See Howard's reponse in the excerpt from the transcript below or at the video clip in the link.

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BLITZER: Should Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, who has now pleaded guilty to bribery charges, among other charges, a Republican lobbyist in Washington, should the Democrat who took money from him give that money to charity or give it back?

DEAN: There are no Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, not one, not one single Democrat. Every person named in this scandal is a Republican. Every person under investigation is a Republican. Every person indicted is a Republican. This is a Republican finance scandal. There is no evidence that Jack Abramoff ever gave any Democrat any money. And we've looked through all of those FEC reports to make sure that's true.

BLITZER: But through various Abramoff-related organizations and outfits, a bunch of Democrats did take money that presumably originated with Jack Abramoff.

DEAN: That's not true either. There's no evidence for that either. There is no evidence...

BLITZER: What about Senator Byron Dorgan?

DEAN: Senator Byron Dorgan and some others took money from Indian tribes. They're not agents of Jack Abramoff. There's no evidence that I've seen that Jack Abramoff directed any contributions to Democrats.

I know the Republican National Committee would like to get the Democrats involved in this. They're scared. They should be scared. They haven't told the truth. They have misled the American people. And now it appears they're stealing from Indian tribes. The Democrats are not involved in this.

BLITZER: Unfortunately Mr. Chairman, we got to leave it right there.

Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic Party, always speaking out bluntly, candidly.

Appreciate your joining us on "Late Edition."

DEAN: Thanks, Wolf. Safe flight back.

BLITZER: Thank you very much.
Howard Dean on CNN's Late Edition

[TheHumanTorch]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 6:25am

Howard Dean is my own personal hero

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 6:44am

The video has much more punch to it than the transcript. The look on Wolf Blitzer's face at the end is priceless.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 6:46am

His sigh is priceless.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 8:28am

As is Deans delicious "I just bitchslapped yo' ASS!" smirk!

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 12:26pm

Personally, my CNN hero is (aside for the obvious Andersen Cooper) is Lou Dobbs, I adore all his stuff on immigration and exporting amercia.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 2:34pm

Does anyone take Wolf Blitzer seriously anymore? Why does CNN keep him around? After his Katrina observation "so poor, so black", I would have canned him.