Eight of the democrats who’re running for President were part of a forum staged in Des Moines yesterday afternoon and televised nationally by M-S-N-B-C. Many of the candidates took shots at former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, the perceived front-runner. Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt repeated his criticism of cuts Dean made to the state of Vermont’s budget. Gephardt, who has called Dean “a man without compassion” said campaigns are about bringing out differences. Gephardt said he’d take a different path to straightening out the federal budget. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry joined in, questioning if Dean would cut Medicare in order to balance the federal budget. Kerry said Dean raised prescription drug costs for seniors in Vermont, and called himself a “balanced budget freak.” Moderator Tom Brokaw gave Dean a chance to have the last word on the subject. “I most certainly appreciate all this attention that I’m getting,” Dean said. But North Carolina Senator John Edwards had the last word on this subject, and he chided his colleagues. Edwards said people are tired of politicians yelling at each other. He said the democrats must offer a “positive, uplifting vision for this country” instead.All the democratic presidential candidates who participated in yesterday’s debate in Des Moines oppose the bill that cleared the Senate yesterday which will provide a prescription drug benefit to seniors. Gephardt called the bill a “Trojan horse.” Gephardt said it’s a continuation of the Bush Administration “selling our government to special interests.” Edwards agreed. Edwards said it’s like Bush is putting the government up for sale on E-Bay, but the only people who get to bid are corporate lobbyists. Kerry said the bill’s a “special interest give-away.” Dean said the bill’s a crass attempt to help President Bush’s re-election campaign. Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich said the bill reduces drug coverage for poor seniors and prevents reimportation of cheaper drugs from Canada and elsewhere. Former Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun said the bill’s a “turkey stuffed with goodies for the pharmaceutical and the insurance industries.” Retired general Wesley Clark said the bill offered only “marginal” help to seniors who’re cash-strapped by high prescription drug costs. And Reverend Al Sharpton said the bill does nothing to put a ceiling on the rising cost of prescription drugs. The eight democrats who participated in the debate in Des Moines yesterday all criticized the way the President’s running the war in Iraq. The candidates also responded to criticism coming their way. The Republican National Committee is running t-v ads in Iowa which accuse the democrats of attacking Bush because he’s attacking the terrorists. Retired general Wesley Clark was the most vociferous of the bunch. “People in a democracy have a duty to hold the government accountable,” Clark said. “I’m not attacking the President because he’s attacking terrorists. I’m attacking him because he isn’t attacking terrorists.” Clark, however, said Democrats should not quibble over who is the most opposed to the war in Iraq. “This administration took us to war recklessly and without need to do so and it was wrong and that is the issue in this election and that is the issue we should be taking to the America people,” Clark
