DNC Chairman Howard Dean in Birmingham

Civic Center workers scrambled to set up more tables as the crowd grew larger than anticipated for Governor Howard Dean’s appearance in Birmingham this morning. The Democratic National Committee chairman drew applause for several minutes as he took the stage. The loudest applause may have been when he said we need to “end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home with honor.” It is so encouraging to see people in Alabama echoing this opinion. Governor Dean emphasized that you are not being patriotic when you send young men and women over to Iraq to fight, and then forget about them when they return as has happened at Walter Reed.

He spoke of three democratic values that we need to remember. First is fairness. For example, we don’t need to be leaving children behind in education or in health care as the current administration is doing. Second is toughness, and it is possible to be both tough and smart when it comes to security and defending our country. Third is fiscal responsibility and we know that the current administration has not been responsible in this area. Leaving a debt for our children and grandchildren to manage is not being responsible.



Here the chairman is sporting his new Brite Blue Dot cap. Get yours at http://britebluedot.com/index.c.html.









Here in Bessemer where The Western Tribune pointed out this week that there are no water restrictions (we have our own water supply), there are still some irises blooming and the daylilies are continuing to open.