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DEAN BLAMES ROVE FOR ONLINE ATTACKS
<br>Matthew E. Berger, Global Jewish News, 12/15/03
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<br>WASHINGTON - Howard Dean is smarting from e-mails that distort his views on
<br>the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and he has suggested that President
<br>Bush's right-hand man is behind the e-mail campaign. Speaking Monday to the
<br>Pacific Council on International Policy, a leadership forum in Los Angeles,
<br>Dean said he believed Karl Rove, the White House's senior political
<br>adviser, is behind an e-mail campaign that has flooded inboxes of American
<br>Jews across the country.
<br>The White House referred calls about Rove's alleged involvement in the
<br>e-mail campaign to the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign. Scott Stanzel, a
<br>campaign spokesman, said the campaign does not respond to comments by the
<br>Democratic contenders.
<br>The message in the e-mails is that Dean wants an "even-handed" policy
<br>toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many Jews consider that a way of
<br>saying that the United States should be less supportive of Israel.
<br>"I've discovered that 'even-handedly' is a code word to certain people who
<br>think that is being unfair, and I don't want to ever repeat that word
<br>again," Dean said after his speech, in which he outlined his vision for
<br>foreign affairs and national security. "It is now making its way around the
<br>Internet in an unsigned piece of literature, undoubtedly from one of my
<br>worthy opponents, perhaps Karl Rove."
<br>The campaign later said Dean made the comments in a light-hearted exchange
<br>with a questioner, who wanted to know how he would deal more even-handedly
<br>with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
<br>Matthew Dorf, Dean's liaison to the Jewish community, noted that the
<br>audience broke into laughter after Dean said it. However, Dorf reiterated
<br>Dean's comment that the e-mails are politically motivated.
<br>"It's clearly the work of political opponents and not true friends of
<br>Israel," he said.
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