Howard Dean Urges Democrats to Unite Behind Kulongoski

Howard Dean Photo Courtesy: www.gwu.edu

(EUGENE) - Former presidential candidate and Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean urged Oregon Democrats to rally around Gov. Ted Kulongoski's re-election bid this fall, saying that a Kulongoski victory will be part of the party's national effort to turn the tide against the policies of President Bush and the Republicans.

Dean gave the opening address Friday night as hundreds of Oregon Democrats gathered in Eugene for their state convention to draft a new party platform and adopt party positions on ballot initiatives prior to the November general election.

The former Vermont governor and Kulongoski arrived on stage together to loud applause from the Democratic faithful. Dean made it clear he thinks it's time for Democrats to put aside any differences from the just-ended May primary election and rally around Kulongoski.

Kulongoski won the Democratic nomination May 16 after a race against two challengers who accused him of failing to show leadership on education, health care and other issues.

"This is a governor who puts children first; this is a governor who keeps the big government that the Republicans love so much out of the private lives of Oregonians," Dean said.

"We need to re-elect him not only because he is a good Democrat; not only because he has the spine to stand up to George Bush; but because that will set the stage for victory for a Democratic presidential candidate in Oregon in 2008," Dean said.

Kulongoski, who is scheduled to give the convention's keynote address Saturday night, faces what many expect will be a difficult contest with Republican Ron Saxton and Independent candidate Ben Westlund, who is still working on collecting enough signatures to get onto the ballot.

Dean, in his speech, said Oregon Democrats will need to work hard for Kulongoski and other Democratic candidates in all 36 counties, including Republican-heavy ones - similar to Dean's 50-state strategy for retaking Congress and the White House in the next two years.

He said Democrats need to take their message not just to Democrats but to disaffected Republicans and independents who are looking for an alternative to Bush and Congressional Republicans.

"We have to stand up for the America we had before these guys took office," he said. "You can't trust the Republicans with your money; you can't trust them with your national defense and you can't trust them to love thy neighbor as thyself."

He also accused the Bush administration of touting hot-button issues such as banning gay marriage as a way to divert attention from more pressing domestic and international problems facing the U.S.

Oregon Republican Chairman Vance Day said Dean is only trying to protect the Democratic status quo in Oregon that has produced "a complete failure of leadership in the governor's mansion."

"For Ted Kulongoski to bring in to their convention a lightning rod like Howard Dean shows that the Democrats are only interested in hyper-charged rhetoric and not an honest discussion of the issues," Day said.

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