Dean Stumps For DNC Chair On Gay Inclusion
by Doug Windsor 365Gay.com from the Web, January 31, 2005
New York City -- Howard Dean hasn't lost any of his feisty support for gay issues as he stumps for the chairmanship of the Democratic Party.
In a speech to about 300 supporters at a New York union hall on Sunday Dean blasted Republicans for using gay marriage in the 2004 presidential campaign to hide the party's "ineptness" in other areas.
The GOP ran on the issues of "guns, God and gays" Dean told the audience at the Local1199 SEIU health care workers' hall.
"The reason they picked those issues is they got nothing to say about jobs, health care and education," he said.
Asked about ballot initiatives in 11 states last year that banned gay marriage, Dean said, "The only reason to put gay marriage on the ballot in those 11 states was to scapegoat a minority that was unpopular in order to win an election."
While campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination Dean was an early gay favorite, although he supported civil unions rather than marriage.
"In the last election we frankly ran the best grass-roots campaign I have seen in the Democratic Party in my lifetime," said Dean.
"But [the Republican's] was better."
Dean also said the United States must not remain the only industrialized nation without universal health coverage.
The former Vermont governor is considered the front-runner in the race to lead the Democratic Party.
The other candidates are former Texas Rep. Martin Frost, former Indiana Rep. Tim Roemer, former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, Democratic activists Donnie Fowler and Simon Rosenberg and Ohio state chair David Leland.
The DNC will hold its election on Feb. 12 in Washington, D.C.
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