Dean: We don't need Republicans interfering with our lives

Putting aside the well publicized distractions of a couple of public statements which were not the wisest, Howard Dean is laying out what appears to be a strong plan for future government action per this report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Dean is urging Democrats to spread a message of "individual freedom" and "fiscal responsibility," two longtime conservative mantras he says Republicans have squandered by racking up governmental debt and legislating so-called "moral values." He notes that, "we don't need Republicans interfering with our lives."

Dean also said, "I'm tired of being lectured on moral values by the likes of Rush Limbaugh. They can't lecture us on moral values. This is the party that has the moral high ground and we ought to say that every day on the ground."

Dean pointed out that having having such a message is necessary to keep Republicans from setting campaign agendas and forcing Democrats to respond defensively. This looks especially important after a recent campaign in which Republicans, with the aide of the right wing noise machine, regularly distorted John Kerry's positions and then campaigned against their own distorted reports rather than Kerry's true positions and record.

Dean also spoke of running a fifty state national campaign. This includes putting four DNC-funded field directors in all 50 states for four-year commitments to organize, mobilize and conduct outreach efforts.