Joltin' Joe takes aim at the Mad Doctor and draws blood...

God, this is fun.


Lieberman Sharpens Criticism of Dean
Tue Dec 16, 1:48 PM ET

By HOLLY RAMER, Associated Press Writer

MANCHESTER, N.H., - Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Lieberman
(news - web sites) sharpened his criticism of Howard Dean (news - web
sites) on Tuesday, saying the front-runner's foreign and domestic
policies would erode national security and cost million of Americans
their jobs.

"He seems to believe if you are just against everything, that's
enough. Against removing Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), against
middle-class tax cuts, against knocking down the walls of protection
around the world so we can sell more products made in America,"
Lieberman said. "Dr. Dean has become Dr. No."

The Connecticut senator said former Vice President Al Gore (news - web
sites)'s endorsement of Dean and the capture of Saddam Hussein have
crystallized a stark choice voters face in the New Hampshire primary
in six weeks.

"We have already had three years of economic tough times because of
George Bush," he said. "We cannot replace that with another spat of
backward policies that would only burden the middle class even further
.... and we cannot replace the foreign policy that has antagonized our
allies with one that would be weak and would isolate us in a growing
economic world."

Lieberman said Dean's statement that America is not safer with Saddam
Hussein in prison illustrates the former Vermont governor's shaky
grasp on foreign policy.

"It goes beyond Iraq (news - web sites)," Lieberman said during a
speech at a plant he had toured. "The fact is that Governor Dean has
made a series of dubious judgments and irresponsible statements in
this campaign that together signal that he would take us back to the
days when we Democrats were not trusted to defend our security."

On domestic issues, Lieberman said Dean wants to raise taxes on the
middle class, pose new regulations on businesses, and rebuild the
trade barriers.

"That would start a trade war and cost millions of Americans their
jobs. The man who didn't want to fight a war we should have fought now
wants to start a war we shouldn't start," he said.