Howard Dean can't handle the truth. Rather than discussing the implications of Hillary Clinton kicking off her campaign by handpicking the "everyday Americans" she spoke with at her first event in Iowa, Dean dissed the Daily Mail, the source of the story.
On today's Morning Joe, the volatile former Vermont governor scoffed "it's the Daily Mail. Why would you believe this?" Why, Howard? Well, for starters, the Mail quotes one of the participants by name and at length about the vetting process he underwent prior to being ushered into Hillary's presence. And if the story were inaccurate, don't you think Hillary's minions would be screaming bloody murder and trotting the attendees to refute the claims? Crickets, anyone?
If attacking the media messenger is the best the Hillary camp can do, it is in serious trouble.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: [Facetiously] Everyday Americans. She's all about getting in touch with everyday Americans. Real Americans.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Good idea. But as she leaves Iowa, she brings with her new questions about her campaign's authenticity.
SCARBOROUGH: What?
BRZEZINSKI: The Daily Mail reports that her campaign staff recruited some of those everyday Americans that she met with in Iowa.
AMY HOLMES: Are you telling me there's gambling in Las Vegas?
BRZEZINSKI: The site reports one was a former Obama campaign intern who was vetted for a half an hour and then driven by a Clinton staffer to sit in the Iowa coffee shop.
SCARBOROUGH: It's the Matrix. It's The Matrix!
BRZEZINSKI: The rest we'll get to later. This this is the thing that I want to see. I want to see her go to a town hall, I want to see her do what I know she can do.
SCARBOROUGH: She just can't. I guess she doesn't have it in her.
BRZEZINSKI: She does have it in her.
HOWARD DEAN: This is the Daily Mail. Why would you believe this? If it was the New York Post, would you believe it?
BRZEZINSKI: Because if you look at those set up meetings --
AMY HOLMES: I love the Daily Mail.
DEAN: It's entertaining, but it's like the New York Post.
SCARBOROUGH: Come on, they have pictures of the guy --
DEAN: They have pictures of the guy? You go out on the street and you put pictures up and say this is the --
SCARBOROUGH: So you're suggesting right now that -- so you're slandering the Daily Mail here --
DEAN: I'm possibly slandering the Daily Mail.
SCARBOROUGH:: -- and you're suggesting that the Daily Mail made this up?
BRZEZINSKI: That is your defense?
SCARBOROUGH: You're just deflecting. You are James Carville.
DEAN: Do I think it's possible that the right-wing press makes stuff up? I absolutely do. They do it every day.
HOLMES: Do you think they made it up in this instance?
DEAN: I have no idea if they did or not, but they could have.
