Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, talks about the controversial comments he made earlier this week about race and Hurricane Katrina aid efforts. The former governor of Vermont told members of the National Baptist Convention on Wednesday that "skin color, age and economics played a deadly role in who survived and who did not."
ED GORDON, host: Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean believes race and class played a      key role in the recovery effort after Hurricane Katrina.  Speaking      Wednesday at the annual meeting of the National Baptist Convention of      America, Dean said, `As we sort out through the rubble, we must also      begin to come to terms with the ugly truth that skin color, age and      economics played a deadly role in who survived and who did not.'</s>ED GORDON, host: Governor Dean, thanks for joining us again.  Appreciate it.</s>ED GORDON, host: Former Governor HOWARD DEAN (Chairman, Democratic Party):  Thanks for      having me on.</s>ED GORDON, host: Governor, you've been very frank in your comments about the      response to the hurricane evacuees.  I'm wondering if you can clarify--I      suspect you don't see it as overt racism.  Do you see it as benign      neglect?  How do you characterize race as it plays a role here?</s>Dr. DEAN: Well, if you look at who the victims of this were, there were,      of course, all kinds of people--white, black, brown--but predominantly      the people who lost their lives, the people who lost their homes were      predominantly black or poor or old or all three.  I think that says      something about America.  We have--I'm a child of the '60s.  We were so      proud of the civil rights movement, worked so hard, but I think an awful      lot of people in America, including a lot of people in the government,      think there's not a race problem in this country anymore, and I think      there is.  And I think one of the lessons of Katrina--never mind the late      response and the inaptitude of the federal government and all that--one      of the problems is it has unroofed this issue of race and class in      America.  And this is a--it's a good learning opportunity for us.  There      should be some good things that come out of this, and if we can have one      of those good things come out of this, we ought to look at who the      victims were and why disproportionately they were old or poor or black.</s>ED GORDON, host: So in that sense, does America--and we're talking about white      America quite frankly here--just overlook blacks?  Do they not connect?</s>Dr. DEAN: It's true.  Ed, it's true.  I used to say when I was on the      campaign trail, much of the chagrin of all the other candidates except,      of course, Al Sharpton, who is black--I used to say, `You know, white      people need to start talking to other white people about race.' It was a      typical white politician who goes and talks to black audiences about      race.  We need to talk to white audiences.  You know, black people and      Hispanic people know there's racism.  White folks, of which I'm obviously      one, most of us don't think there's a race problem in this country      anymore.  We think that was fixed with the civil rights movement.  That's      not true.</s>Dr. DEAN: There was a really interesting study--you don't have to take my word for      it. The Wall Street Journal ran a study a couple of years ago that showed      that if you are white with a drug conviction, you're more likely to be      called back for a second job interview than if you're a black with a      clean record.  Now there's something about this that we need to talk      about as a national dialogue.  This debate is not just about the      inadequacies of the federal government.  This debate is about what's the      matter with America that we still need to work on.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let me ask you this.  Do you believe the response would have      been the same had this been Utah or Vermont or Boston, Massachusetts?</s>Dr. DEAN: I think that the response would have been better if it was      Martha's Vineyard.  I'm not sure that--I don't believe the response was a      racist response, although there's a state senator quoted--or I think it      was a state senator or representative or maybe a congressman quoted from      Baton Rouge this morning in The Wall Street Journal that said, `Well, we      finally got rid of all the public housing in New Orleans.'  Now that      doesn't give you much confidence in the fact of the idea that there was      no racism going on.  I think probably there was some.  I don't believe      that the response was deliberately slower because most of the victims      were black.  That I don't believe.  I do believe that a lot of the      indifference would have disappeared if these folks had been in positions      of power, if this had been a neighborhood that there were people of means      there.  That I think would have gotten folks' attention, particularly in      this government since those are the folks that this government      represents.</s>ED GORDON, host: What do you say to the Bush administration, who will say that      this kind of talk right now is not helping the situation?</s>Dr. DEAN: I say the Bush administration has had its head in the sand      since the day they walked in the door.  They twist people's quotes      around.  They make stuff up.  They point fingers.  I think it's ludicrous      for Scott McClellan to get up on the press thing every day and say, `We      don't have to play the blame game.'  Here they are going after the      Democratic mayor of New Orleans and the Democratic governor.  If you      don't want to play the blame game, then stop blaming the local      government.  If you don't want to play the blame game, then let's have an      honest look at the things in America that need to be fixed.</s>ED GORDON, host: Howard Dean is chairman of the Democratic National Committee.</s>ED GORDON, host: One note, we've extended an invitation to the Republican National      Committee for their response to Dr. Dean's comments.  We hope to have      that for you real soon.