Howard Dean visits Cedar Rapids, champions Clinton commitment to overturning Citizens United

CEDAR RAPIDS - It was like old times Wednesday when Howard Dean stopped by the Hillary Clinton campaign's field office in Cedar Rapids.

Some of his most ardent supporters from his 2004 Iowa caucuses campaign were there, including Julie Thomas, Nate Willems, Dale Todd and David Leshtz.

'I'm glad to see Cedar Rapids still is Dean Country,” he joked.

He still has his fans, but on this trip Dean wasn't there for himself. He was pumping up volunteers and supporters of Clinton's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. He made stops Wednesday in Cedar Rapids and Mason City on behalf of Clinton, whom he endorsed in 2014 and called the 'one person in the race qualified to be president.”

He said she's better on foreign policy than the 'windbags on stage last night,” referring to the Republican debate in Las Vegas, and her willingness to stand up to the National Rifle Association in calling for stricter gun laws.

However, chief among his reasons for supporting Clinton, Dean said, is her litmus test for anyone she would appoint to the Supreme Court as president. She would select justices based on their commitment to overturning Citizens United, which allows almost unlimited campaign spending by labor unions and corporations.

Clinton understands that the real danger of Citizens United is not that it allows the Koch Brothers to buy elections, Dean said.

'They do, and we all think the really awful thing that is that it undermines our democracy,” Dean said. 'The real image is that it sends a message that is contrary to the founding documents of the United States, which say that everyone is created equal.”

In Citizens United, the court said speech equals money, and 'therefore those who have lots of money are more important than those who don't.”

The American ideal is that 'everybody gets a shot in the voting booth,” he said. 'That's where we're all equal.”

'The Supreme Court said that's not true,” Dean said.

Clinton's position demonstrates she understands the fundamental dilemma, which is whether the U.S. will survive as a democracy 'and the greatest idealistic nation on the face of the earth.”

'Hillary is willing to do the things you have to do, which is to change the Supreme Court,” Dean said. 'This was a one-vote vote, politically driven decision that can be undone. We can only do that with a leader like Hillary Clinton.”

And Clinton can't do that without winning in Iowa, Dean said.

'Iowa is a really big deal because the first is always a big deal,” he said, referring to Iowa's first-in-the-nation status.

'Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are two big deal places for Democrats,” he said, noting that he fared well in Linn and Johnson counties in 2004.

'This is about the presidency,” he said, reminding the 'Clintonistas” they have a lot of work to do in the next 47 days.

'We need to in here. We need to win in New Hampshire and in Nevada and in South Carolina - no I'm not going to do it,” he said, stopping before he reprised his infamous 2004 caucus-night 'Dean Scream.”

That was when Dean, hoarse from campaigning in the final days leading up to the caucuses, promised to keep campaigning in New Hampshire, South Carolina, California.

'And then we're going to Washington, D.C. - to take back the White House - YEEEEEAAARGH,” he shouted.

'I couldn't resist,” Dean said as his audience laughed with him. 'I couldn't get out of Iowa without doing that.”