National Public Radio -- All Things Considered
Excerpts of a Recent Speech By Howard Dean
Philadelphia, PA, August 19, 2003
HEADLINE: Stump speech by Howard Dean
ANCHORS: MELISSA BLOCK
BODY:
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
This month we're airing parts of speeches given by the candidates vying for the Democratic presidential nomination. Here's former Vermont Governor Howard Dean from a speech he gave recently near Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
(Soundbite of speech)
Former Governor HOWARD DEAN (Democratic Presidential Candidate): We're going to give America a choice. We're going to say, 'Do you want the president's tax cut or would you rather have health insurance that nobody can ever take away?'
(Soundbite of cheers and applause)
Mr. DEAN: 'Do you want the president's tax cut or would you like to fully fund special education so your property taxes go down and your school system gets better?'
(Soundbite of cheers and applause)
Mr. DEAN: 'Do you want the president's tax cut or should we balance the budget and invest in America again so we can have jobs in America again?'
(Soundbite of cheers and applause)
Mr. DEAN: And I think most Americans are going to pick jobs, health care and health and education.
(Soundbite of cheers)
Mr. DEAN: Most Americans are going to pick jobs, health care and education, 'cause most Americans didn't get the president's tax cut. Your taxes went up to pay for the middle-class supposed tax cut.
(Soundbite of cheer)
Mr. DEAN: You know something? People say that we're—people—'What about the war?' How about a foreign policy that is consistent with American values again?
(Soundbite of cheers and applause)
Mr. DEAN: You know, let me tell you something. Let me tell you something about the war. I supported the president when he went to Afghanistan 'cause that was protecting our people, 3,000 of whom got killed, and I supported the president, President Bush, the first, in the first Gulf War, but this war the president told us that Iraq was buying uranium from Africa. Turned out not to be true. The president told us that there was a deal between Africa—between Iraq and al-Qaeda. Turned out not to be true. The vice president told us that Iraq was about to have nuclear weapons. Turned out not to be true. The secretary of Defense told us he knew just where those weapons of mass destruction were, right around Tikrit and Baghdad. Turned out to be true.
I'll tell you something. As president of the United States, I will send troops anywhere in the world in order to defend America, but I will never send troops abroad anywhere to die without telling the American people the truth about why they have to go.
(Soundbite of cheers and applause)
Mr. DEAN: You know what? You know what I want to do? I want to do what we did in Vermont. In our state everybody under 18 has health insurance. In our state working poor people have health insurance. Our minimum wage is going to $7 an hour the year after next.
(Soundbite of cheers and applause)
Mr. DEAN: Now if we can do all that in a small rural state 26th in income in the country and balance the budget, surely the most powerful and wealthy society on the face of the Earth can join the Germans and the British and the French and the Japanese and the Israelis and the Canadians and the Irish and the Italians. They all have health insurance for all their people. How come we have to be second-class citizens in America now?
(Soundbite of cheers and applause)
BLOCK: Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean speaking in Philadelphia.
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