In the Democratic debate three weeks ago, presidential candidate Howard Dean accused President Bush of “not fighting terrorism.” Dean has also made liberal use of homeland security criticism, accusing Bush of not doing everything in his power to protect Americans. And as a political opponent, we should expect nothing less from Dean. But what the candidate didn’t count on is the rest of us finding out just how hypocritical his attacks are.
Shedding light on the real Howard Dean, the AP has gotten their hands on documents showing the former Vermont governor’s disregard for nuclear power plant security holes.
[Dean] was warned repeatedly as Vermont governor about security lapses at his state’s nuclear power plant and was told the state was ill-prepared for a disaster at its most attractive terrorist target.
The warnings, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press, began in 1991 when a group of students were brought into a secure area of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant without proper screening. On at least two occasions, a gun or mock terrorists passed undetected into the plant during security tests.
During Dean’s final year in office in 2002, an audit concluded that despite a decade of repeated warnings of poor safety at Vermont Yankee, Dean’s administration was poorly prepared for a nuclear disaster.
Ignoring dire security warnings of his state’s power plants, it’s the character of Howard Dean that will do him in, either in the Democratic primaries or against President Bush this fall. Not fit to protect even the state of Vermont, Dean certainly doesn’t deserve the presidency.