Good stuff from Howard Dean

Good stuff from Howard Dean

Former Vermont governor and 2004 Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean was on “Meet the Press” over the weekend. And despite Tim Russert’s baiting, Dean was evenhanded and forceful.

Russert: Are you giving the United Nations and, in effect, [makes a face] the French a veto over the security of the United States?
Dean: Never. Never will I do that. And that would be wrong to ever do that.
Russert: But isn?t that what you?re doing, in effect?
Dean: No. No, because the argument here is: Is the security of the United States affected by what?s going on in Iraq today? And I don?t believe it is.

and later…

Russert: Civil unions for gay couples.
Dean: Yes.
Russert: Do you believe the American people will accept that even though…
Dean: Sure.
Russert: …they may be morally opposed to accepting homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle?
Dean: I think that?well, first of all, I?m not sure you can say homosexuality is an alternative lifestyle. I think most evidence is that homosexuality is genetic. So people don?t choose a lifestyle.
Secondly, I think most people believe in equal rights under the law. What civil unions does is it says marriage is between a man and a woman but same-sex couples may enter into a civil union and have all the same legal rights as people who get married?hospital visitation, insurance, inheritance. Vermont is the only state in the country where everyone is equal under the law and I think that?s a good thing and I think most Americans believe that?s a good thing.