St. Pete Times gives kudos to Dean for being outspoken.

Thank you, thank you, Bill Maxwell of the St. Pete Times. Sounds like you have been saving up those words for a while. I thank you for saying them this week, they are much needed. Since you are not much for compliments, I consider them high praise.

Democrats Need to Grow a Spine

But first let us get back to Dean. As far as I am concerned, he has told the truth about the GOP and Bush. If he has erred, it has been on the side of harshness, not dishonesty or hypocrisy.

And now more from the beginning of the article.

When Howard Dean took over as the Democratic national chairman, I hoped that other Democrats would study the straightness of his backbone and grow one just like it. Dean came into the job showing his utter contempt for right-wing Republicans.

I was convinced that he was the man for the job, that if Democrats were to regain any semblance of respectability and real authority, they would have to face reality and start playing the GOP's brand of smash-mouth personal politics.

...." Here is sampling of Dean's GOP truths:

Dean: "All we ask is that we not turn into a country like Iran where the president can do anything he wants."

Dean: "Mean. They're not nice people. They want to run nearly every aspect of your life."

Dean: "This is a struggle of good and evil. And we're good."

Dean: "Lord knows this administration is beginning to erode the core of our democracy."

And a last paragraph from a blunt speaking columnist at the St Pete Times.

Some final words from Howard Dean as he responds to a challenge to one of his attacks on Republicans: "This is one of those flaps that comes up once in awhile when I get tough. We have to be tough on the Republicans. Republicans don't represent ordinary Americans and they don't have any understanding of what it is to go out and try to make ends meet."

Nasty and mean, yes, but acceptably so.

One of those inspiring op eds that catches one'e eye and lets one see someone is noticing.

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