CNN's 'Inside Politics':Press and Pundit Reactions to Howard Dean's Remarks of Aug 1August 2, 2004 DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am concerned that every time something happens that's not good for President Bush, he plays this trump card, which is terrorism. ANNOUNCER: The former presidential hopeful creates another controversy. . . . JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST: Well, Vice presidential nominees traditionally are the presidential campaign's attack dogs. But for the Democrats these days, the loudest attacks are coming from someone who isn't even on the ticket. Coming up: Howard Dean gets rough again. . . . WOODRUFF: Early in the Democratic presidential campaign, Howard Dean emerged as a front-runner, partly because of his willingness to attack the Bush administration and directly criticize the president. Well, he may not have won the nomination, but Howard Dean still is on the attack. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BUSH: The elevation of the threat level in New York and New Jersey and Washington, D.C. is a serious reminder, a solemn reminder of the threat we continue to face. WOODRUFF (voice-over): Not everyone sees it entirely that way. DEAN: It's just impossible to know how much of this is real and how much of this is politics. And I suspect there's some of both in it. WOODRUFF: Howard Dean threw down the gauntlet yesterday, questioning whether the Bush administration gemmed (ph) up the terror warning to blunt positive media coverage of the Democratic convention. DEAN: Every time something happens that's not good for President Bush, he plays his trump card, which is terrorism. WOODRUFF: Republicans took umbrage, and so did some Democrats. SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I don't think anybody who has any fairness or is in their right mind would think that the president or the secretary of Homeland Security would raise an alert level and scare people for political reasons. WOODRUFF: It's not the first time the former Vermont governor's words have made waves. Remember what he said after U.S. forces in Iraq bagged the ace in the deck? DEAN: We're not safer today than we were before Saddam Hussein left. WOODRUFF: That comment really only affected Dean, who was a candidate at the time. But yesterday, he was acting as a surrogate for John Kerry. And today, the nominee distanced himself from his former rival. KERRY: I disagree with his comment yesterday. It's very simple. I believe you take these threats seriously. I take them seriously. I think people of good conscience are working on these issues. WOODRUFF: Still, Dean may have done Kerry a favor, perhaps articulating what others think, but are unwilling to say. Today, Kerry says he's keeping the doctor on his team. KERRY: Absolutely. He's done a very, very good job. He has his opinions. I respect those opinions. WOODRUFF: And finally, a meeting of the minds. Today's line out of Camp Dean, quote, "Senator Kerry is entitled to his opinion, and Governor Dean respects that" -- end quote.
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