COLUMBIA, S.C. – Howard Dean (search) said Friday that Democratic presidential rival John Kerry (search) hasn't accomplished much during his 20-year Senate career and that the presidential nominee should be "a doer, not a talker."
Speaking after a forum on low income and minority issues, Dean said Kerry had only passed nine bills that he introduced and none that improved health care. Dean said there were 102,000 children in South Carolina with no health insurance, compared to about 5,000 in Vermont, where he served as governor for nearly 12 years.
"If Senator Kerry had afor nearly two decades, claiming that of 11 bills Kerry introduced on health care, "not one" had passed.
"If you want a president who is going to get results, I suggest that you look at somebody who did get results in my state," Dean said.
Kerry retorted: "One of the things you need to know as a president is how things work in Congress, if you want to get things done." He said he'd helped pass many measures — family medical leave, mental health benefits and a new program of children's health care that helped youngsters in Dean's state.
Kerry said legislation written by one lawmaker often passes on a bill carrying another legislator's name.
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