TPMDC
Clash Of Titans: Rove, Dean Debate Health Care At Penn State
Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 28, 2009, 11:28AM
Frmr, Sr. Advisor/Deputy Chief of Staff to Pres. George W. Bush Karl Rove and DNC Chairman Howard Dean (D-VT)
Share
Send to a friend!
It may not have been held in an octagon, but a debate last night at Penn State between Karl Rove and Howard Dean was still a rhetorical brawl, according to reports. The pair clashed over the basic battle lines of the reform debate, with Dean arguing that a public option is "imperative" for reform's success, and Rove claiming the entire Democratic reform model is sure to drag the country in to debt, despair and destruction.
Overall it was a "cerebral" affair, according to the AP. But the crowd wanted fireworks, and they made sure they got their wish.
"Liar! Liar!," some in a crowd of mainly students yelled at Rove toward the end of the night, when the former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush brought up the No Child Left Behind education legislation as an example of an issue that could attract bipartisanship."These people must be from Michigan -- or they must be from Ohio State, I don't know," Rove quipped, referring to Penn State's biggest football rivals.
Other Stories Featured at TPMDC
Join the Conversation!
Leave a comment
Follow us!
PollTracker
Most Popular
- Top 10 Things You Didn't Know Before Reading Plouffe's 'Audacity To Win'
- The Biggest Dem Scandal You've Never Heard Of
- From Dollars To Death Panels: How Republicans Distorted Debates On Capitol Hill
- Party Crashers: Who Are Michaele And Tareq Salahi?
- Friends In High Places: The Salahis And The Famous People They Take Pictures With
- Secret Service Director: We Are 'Deeply Concerned And Embarrassed' Over Party Crashers
- The Salahi-Obama Meeting
- New Statement Out from Secret Service
- Police chief: Woods' wife helped after accident
- Backlash Grows Against NC Health Insurer's Anti-Reform Campaign
- From Dollars To Death Panels: How Republicans Distorted Debates On Capitol Hill
- TPM Reader Challenge: The Sex-Scandal Haiku!
- Why is Healthcare Reform Too Expensive, While the Sky is the Limit For War?
- CT Report: Green Party 'Picketing' Ralph Nader In Hopes He'll Run For Senate
- FUN REPORTERS: Where the Hell IS Sam Kinison When We Need Him?
- The REAL Patriots were the Republicans who voted for Obama.
- Secret Service Investigates State Dinner Party Crashers
- Hey Prez! Do you feel lucky? (Army Study: Pashtun men's blood testosterone levels 3X U.S. Norm! Tom Ricks: "Afghans are Clint Eastwood with a turban..." )
- The Biggest Dem Scandal You've Never Heard Of
- Secret Service Director: We Are 'Deeply Concerned And Embarrassed' Over Party Crashers
- Big Deal or No?
- New Statement Out from Secret Service
- Watch Out
- Does It All Fit Together?
- Let The Scrubbing Begin!
- Why is Healthcare Reform Too Expensive, While the Sky is the Limit For War?
- FUN REPORTERS: Where the Hell IS Sam Kinison When We Need Him?
- Haiku Contest?
- Bumps
- Democratic Party: Get Your Dumb War On
TPM Stories Now Surging on Digg.com
TPM Top News
© 2009 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Moose49
October 28, 2009 11:43 AM
Seems like a complete mismatch -- one, a person of substance who understands the issue as well as anyone and actually did something about it in Vermont (Dr. Dean), and the other, a slimy political hack who speaks in talking points.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
musgrove
October 28, 2009 11:47 AM
Well Rove does know a lot about dragging a country into debt, despair and destruction. Speaking of Rove... why isnt he in jail yet.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Icon
October 28, 2009 5:55 PM in reply to musgrove
Under current law, destroying someone's house, life, children, computers, big-screen TVs, sex toys is a crime. Destroying a building, a government office, or businiess operation is likewise.
But destroying the economy is completely legal. And if its the government deliberately enacting policies that their economic advisors tell them are bad ideas, it's legal by definition (because it's the government).
If a board of directors can get sued by shareholders for enacting ridiculous policies that harm the company (and thus harm the shareholders' overall well-being), why can't taxpayers sue the federal government for enacting ridiculous policies that harm the economy (and thus the taxpayers' overall well-being)?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Xantar
October 28, 2009 11:53 AM
Not that Rove doesn't deserve to be called a liar and all, but I'm pretty sure Shooter is going to show up any day now and compare Rove's treatment in this forum to Obama getting heckled by Joe Wilson.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
GregorZap
October 28, 2009 12:40 PM in reply to Xantar
It is discouraging that we are devolving into this kind of discourse. Bold-faced liar versus scientist. Doctorate versus college drop-out. While there is a guttural pleasure in having him face a crowd chanting "Liar! Liar!" it is also an indicator of how we are unable to have a discussion. But what troubles me most is not that we resort to Liar, but that we have to face liars, again and again. When will the day come that Rove is no longer asked to join in a debate for which he lacks any qualifications and we can have a reality-based debate? When will Rove be taken to court for his flagrant disregard for the law, and the powers of Congress?
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Lynn Dee
October 28, 2009 12:03 PM
What Moose49 said -- must've been a strange debate. Dean knows the specifics of health care reform and is articulate on the subject, and Rove traffics in BS.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
sherifffruitfly
October 28, 2009 12:44 PM
Video, please.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
superking
October 28, 2009 12:48 PM
What a totally substance-free AP article that is...
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
wowser
October 28, 2009 1:22 PM
DEAN 2012!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
MyMy
October 28, 2009 1:22 PM
I agree wholeheartedly with GregorZ: why do we have to pay attention to unqualified people who make stuff up?
What really worries me is that media circus of empowering those with zero credentials is actually permitting what is something like a neo-nazi movement in this country, with so called right wing extremists running on empty and being rewarded for it. Look at Doug Hoffman, running for office in district he doesn't live in, and about which he made clear he knows nothing and cares even less. This is just what the original Nazis did, gather up the failures, the know-nothings like Palin and elevate them to prominence. It is a really, really dangerous game, and I am very angry at the media and even here Penn State for cooperating in giving these blowhard ignoramuses publicity.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
hologram5
October 28, 2009 1:43 PM
Why the FUCK is that absolute MORON Rove debating anything to do with the Fed Gov't. He needs to crawl back under the rock he spawned from and give it a rest. I can't wait til these old geezers that don't give a rat's ass about us die off so we can get on with running the country like it should be.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Powkat
October 28, 2009 2:14 PM
Good luck with that - that's what we boomers thought, too. And then members of our generation screwed us as well as you. These were our teabaggers and RonPaulists, so trust me, you will be dealing with these clowns all of your life.
I just wonder how it feels to live in a country where a third of the population isn't guano loco. Hasn't happened in my 61 years.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?