"...what I'm doing is breaking into the country club." -Howard Dean

Date: 24 Jun 2003 10:56:27 -0700
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
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http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-dean-country-club,0,4615598.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines
Dean Regrets Quip About Club Break-In
By Associated Press
June 24, 2003, 11:17 AM EDT
BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Presidential candidate Howard Dean is berating
himself for saying he wanted to break into the country club of
Democratic Party insiders.
The remark to Vermont reporters Monday came several days after Dean's
17-year-old son, Paul, was charged with aiding in a burglary at the
Burlington Country Club.
Vermont's former governor cut short a campaign swing on Friday to
return home after his son was picked up by police along with a group
of his friends.
Dean made the country club comment Monday just before formally kicking
off his campaign for the presidency.
Dean was asked how he would win support of Democratic Party leaders
given his frequent criticism of them and he responded that the leaders
would come around once they got to know him.
"It is a bit of a club down there," he said. "The Democratic Party,
all the candidates from Washington, they all know each other, they all
move in the same circles, and what I'm doing is breaking into the
country club."
Paul Dean is accused of driving the car while three friends broke into
an outbuilding at the country club to steal beer.
On Monday, Dean winced when he heard his own words.
"That was an incredibly unfortunate phrase," he said.
"Why do I say these things?" Dean asked a press aide.
Paul Dean did not appear at his father's campaign kickoff with his
mother and sister.
Dean said his son was working at a soccer camp and had never intended
to appear at Monday's campaign event.