It's no secret the the Christianity that BushFristCo preaches is false and opportunistic. But the secret to beating them is not to call them on that, because it's too easy to be accused of being anti-Christian. Besides, debating religion is a losing fight anyway because of the emotional  nature of the subject.
That's how we lost 2004 and if Dean keeps this up , that's how we will lose 20008.
Bush is weka on the issues. Dean needs to talk about
Healthcare
Downing Street Memo
Education
SOcial Security
Etc.....

um how is that slamming dean?

The whole left wing blogsphere is standing by trying to decide what to do. Left wing radio mostly avoids the Dean topic, so as not to offend anyone.  Unfortunately one host, not AAR, recently bought out by a former Clear Channel owner, is using Dean as a whipping boy.  

The few posts by blogmasters about Dean are distancing ones, without really criticizing but not defending.  

Finally I notice more have come around to thinking the attacks on Dean by our congress and other Democrats were justified because he did not speak carefully enough.

Something is really wrong with this picture. The fear of the right is a powerful thing.

When did speaking carefully become more important than telling the truth...especially when your country is being flushed down the toilet.

But if the Infallible One says it, he is dead on and it must be defended.

Obama is absolutely right. The two Dean remarks of the last week have not advanced the cause of the Democratic Party, they have retarded it.

All I ask is for a little intellectual honesty here. We can't squeal in unison when Republican blowholes make ridiculous categorical statements and then stand and applaud when our own guy does it.

On another diary, someone felt the need to highlight all the absurd commentary served up by Limbaugh, Coulter, et al. I can only surmise that this is meant as justification--how can we criticize Howard Dean when these blowholes have made statements as bad or worse.

That is faulty logic--the same logic our political opponents use when they justify atrocious behavior in Iraq, Gitmo, etc. by reminding us that Al Qaeda is filled with really not-nice people.

I don't believe the goal of the American government is to have incrementally better moral fiber than Al Qaeda. Nor do I believe that the goal of Mr. Dean should be to be incrementally more credible than Ann Coulter and Michael Savage.

From Yahoo News

Dean told a forum of journalists and minority leaders Monday that Republicans are "not very friendly to different kinds of people, they are a pretty monolithic party ... it's pretty much a white, Christian party."

Challenged on that during the NBC interview, Dean said "unfortunately, by and large it is. And they have the agenda of the conservative Christians."

"This is a diversion from the issues that really matter:
Social Security, and adequate job opportunity, strong public schools, a strong defense," Dean said.

My thoughts:

1. Dean said it is a distraction from the real issues, Social Security, jobs, schools, etc. -- and yet Obama, Biden, et al are focusing on the "white, Christian party" statement (at least from the news sources I've seen.)  They are not taking the opportunity presented by Dean to throw the issues back at the interviewer.  Now, it is possible that they did take the opportunity, but that is not what is getting reported -- NewsMax can't be trusted to be the Democratic Party's friend.  Perhaps in voicing our opinions to the Democratic leaders who have distanced themselves from Dean's comments, we should remind them of this golden opportunity, and accept that they may have done so, but it is ending up on the editing room floor because it does not make for good headlines;

2. An excellent example would be Amnesty International's spokesman on Chris Wallace's show on Fox News, not taking Wallace's bait and constantly refocusing the heat back on BushCo;

3. When Phil Jackson was coaching basketball he would say outrageous things ("Sacramento is a cowtown") in order to take the heat of the press, allowing his players to practice and focus on playing their game.  I believe Dean is getting some controversial statements out there precisely to get the discussion back to the issues, and allowing Reid and Pelosi to focus on what they need to do.  Noone would have paid any attention to the head of the DNC saying "we need to focus on SS, jobs, etc." WITHOUT something headline grabbing.  Now it is up to the Democratic leaders (and us pushing both them and the media) to take the opportunity of a microphone and follow through.

The Republicans have been actively dividing by religion for years.  I live in Ohio, where preachers and ministers routinely use their pulpits to praise the Republican agenda and Bush.  A state where they openly told their congregations to vote for Bush before the election.  A state with 2,000 "Patriot Pastors" who are openly using their pulpits and their congregations to get Ken Blackwell (of the 80 lb. paper) elected to be Ohio's next governor.

And who does Randall Terry claim as friend?  Howard Dean?  No.  Frist is his friend.

Howard Dean is not dividing by religion.  And the division by religion he mentioned has already been--and is still-- taking place, aided and abetted by the Republicans.

I am appalled that Democrats have not taken advantage of Dean's comments to explain that pointing out the reality of the BUSH wing of the Republican is of little importance compared to the repeated lies which the media ignores.

We read yesterday that Kerry got a D in political science. It would appear that he is not alone when it comes to understanding how to control media events.