Dean calls Bradley, Sununu ‘candidates of the past’

Howard Dean at the Concord Democratic office: Photo Credit: PolitickerNH.com

CONCORD-- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean called both U.S. Sen. John Sununu (R-Waterville Valley) and former U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) "candidates of the past."

"Jeb Bradley is in lock-step in every way with George W. Bush. Jeb Bradley helped get us into this economic mess; he helped get us into the war in Iraq," Dean told reporters. "I really think most New Hampshire folks have moved beyond that and I think Carol Shea-Porter's going to win that race."

The former Vermont governor also said that voters "can't trust Republicans" to handle money.

"Again John Sununu voted 90 percent of the time with George Bush and I really think if you want to turn the page and have the kind of economy we need," Dean added. "Voting for a guy who helped us run up $10 trillion in debt is not a good idea. You can't trust Republicans with your money, you just can't."

When asked to comment on the recent ad buy by the NRCC on behalf of 2nd Congressional District candidate Jennifer Horn Dean said, "I think we're going to win them both, but we're going to find out. Paul [Hodes] is in good shape and three weeks is a long time in politics. We're obviously paying a lot of attention."

Before talking to reporters, Dean spoke to volunteers at a Democratic phone bank.  Speaking to volunteers compared the 2008 election to the 1960 election.

"This is an election about generation change," Dean said at a phone bank for volunteers. "It's an election very much like the Kennedy election in a couple of ways.

"You all remember and if you don't remember you learned about it in school if you're old enough the inaugural speech where he talks about passing the torch to a new generation. This is what this election is really about. Barack Obama is the candidate of a new generation; he's the candidate of people under 35."

Dean made the comments while standing under pictures of every Democratic president who served in the 20th Century.