Race for DNC Chair heats up...

[King]

From Politics1:


The election for DNC Chair -- normally a rather dull affair -- is evolving into a rather hotly contested race. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean currently appears to be the frontrunner against whom all others are jockeying. Dean is running a very low key, reform campaign to be Chair -- despite a vocal "Draft Dean" movement by liberal activists boosting his candidacy -- by conducting most of his activities behind the scenes. Dean's strength -- and the dislike for Dean by the inside the Beltway crowd -- prompted US Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to both endorse conservative "Blue Dog Democrat" and former Congressman Tim Roemer (D-IN) for Chair this week. In fact, the move showed that the liberal Pelosi was apparently willing to back a pro-life candidate like Roemer for DNC Chair in a rather blatant bid to keep DC leaders in control of the DNC (and, likely, to see more DNC funds allocated towards helping House and Senate candidates). Pelosi's endosement of Roemer also seemed to be a slap at former DCCC Chair Martin Frost (D-TX), who lost his re-election bid last month in the wake of US House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's redistricting plan. Former Denver Mayor and current DNC Vice Chair Wellington Webb formally announced his candidacy for Chair last week, but he is viewed mainly as a simply another one of the anti-Dean, safe, status quo candidates. Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk's candidacy also is failing to catch fire -- but this is easily explained as he, Forst and Webb are all eating into the same centrist base. Ditto for former Texas State Democratic Chair Mary Beth Malcolm, who also is actively seeking the post. Harold Ickes -- a Clinton insider who appeared to be the initial favorite of the "Hillarry in 2008" crowd -- seems to have garnered little support. Former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard -- currently DC lobbyist -- also has been unable to peel away key DGA leaders for Dean from among their former mutual colleagues. Two othe reform candidates in the race, however, are worth watching: Donnie Fowler Jr. and Simon Rosenberg. Both would signify a shift in power to a new generation of leaders tied more closely with blogosphere activists than with politics-as-usual -- although both have long been involved in traditional Dem politics, too. Some pundits think Fowler -- who organized the online Draft Wes Clark for President campaign and is the son of former DNC Chair Don Fowler -- could eventually emerge as the leading alternative to Dean. Other have even suggested a hybrid pairing of Dean for DNC General Chair and Rosenberg for National Chair -- which would allow Dean to be the party's voice while Rosenberg would steer day-to-day operations. Dean has promised that, if elected Chair, he will not run for President in 2008.

[Keystone Phil]

Go Dean! The GOP needs a few more Senate and House seats in 2006....maybe a few Gubernatorial pick ups, too!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Politics1 has always been sickenly biased as far as Dean is concerned.

[King]

Politics1 has always been sickenly biased as far as Dean is concerned.

Thats because the owner worked on the Dean campaign, I still like his articles despite the bias...

[Keystone Phil]

Politics1 has always been sickenly biased as far as Dean is concerned.

Thats because the owner worked on the Dean campaign, I still like his articles despite the bias...

It started about a year ago. He started allowing comments to the articles and started a blog. Before that, you could notice a slight bias. Now it's too obvious. I still read it everyday along with PoliticsPA.com 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Politics1 has always been sickenly biased as far as Dean is concerned.

Thats because the owner worked on the Dean campaign, I still like his articles despite the bias...

True but it can get very irritating

[The Man From G.O.P.]

go dean

[danwxman]

ABF

Anybody But Fowler.

[Lunar]

The Democrats will probably screw it up.

[J-Mann]

I seem to recall Dean being the frontrunner in another race....hmmm, deja vu?

[??????????]

Harold Ickies <sp?>

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Go Dean! The GOP needs a few more Senate and House seats in 2006....maybe a few Gubernatorial pick ups, too!

Can't you get it through your head Howard Dean is not a far leftist?

[Alcon]

Go Dean! The GOP needs a few more Senate and House seats in 2006....maybe a few Gubernatorial pick ups, too!

Can't you get it through your head Howard Dean is not a far leftist?

No, but everyone thinks he is.

[Keystone Phil]

Go Dean! The GOP needs a few more Senate and House seats in 2006....maybe a few Gubernatorial pick ups, too!

Can't you get it through your head Howard Dean is not a far leftist?

I don't think he's a Kucinich type Democrat but I think he's further left than your average liberal.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It really doesn't matter what people think, very few people will know who the chairman of the DNC is. Contrary to what Republicans believe, Dean is not some communist who'd turn the party into exactly what I believe. His gubernatorial record actually shows he can manage pretty well, and he's a great fundraiser. Eh, Republicans can go off with their little delusions that he's some far lefty and ignore his entire record which proves that completley wrong.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Go Dean! The GOP needs a few more Senate and House seats in 2006....maybe a few Gubernatorial pick ups, too!

Can't you get it through your head Howard Dean is not a far leftist?

I don't think he's a Kucinich type Democrat but I think he's further left than your average liberal.

Then you clearly haven't looked at his record as governor. The Democrats in the legislature actually got upset with him quite frequently because they felt he was too far to the right.

He's clearly not out of the mainstream since Kerry was able to get 48% with a record much more liberal than his.

[Keystone Phil]

Go Dean! The GOP needs a few more Senate and House seats in 2006....maybe a few Gubernatorial pick ups, too!

Can't you get it through your head Howard Dean is not a far leftist?

I don't think he's a Kucinich type Democrat but I think he's further left than your average liberal.

Then you clearly haven't looked at his record as governor. The Democrats in the legislature actually got upset with him quite frequently because they felt he was too far to the right.

As a Presidential candidate, Dean was further left than your average liberal.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Go Dean! The GOP needs a few more Senate and House seats in 2006....maybe a few Gubernatorial pick ups, too!

Can't you get it through your head Howard Dean is not a far leftist?

I don't think he's a Kucinich type Democrat but I think he's further left than your average liberal.

Then you clearly haven't looked at his record as governor. The Democrats in the legislature actually got upset with him quite frequently because they felt he was too far to the right.

As a Presidential candidate, Dean was further left than your average liberal.

based on what? Most liberals though his anti-war stance was too moderate and he ran to the right on issues like the death penalty.

[Keystone Phil]

Go Dean! The GOP needs a few more Senate and House seats in 2006....maybe a few Gubernatorial pick ups, too!

Can't you get it through your head Howard Dean is not a far leftist?

I don't think he's a Kucinich type Democrat but I think he's further left than your average liberal.

Then you clearly haven't looked at his record as governor. The Democrats in the legislature actually got upset with him quite frequently because they felt he was too far to the right.

As a Presidential candidate, Dean was further left than your average liberal.

based on what? Most liberals though his anti-war stance was too moderate and he ran to the right on issues like the death penalty.

His anti-war stance was too moderate? Who was further left on the war issue? Kucinich? Braun?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

He was anymore extreme on it than the 2/3 of House Democrats and 23 Senators who voted against the authorization resolution. He actually did support going in if the UN authorized it or Saddam failed to meet a criteria that was never set up. I'm sorry, but that's not an extremist position, based on what's happening now it seems more like common sense.

Seriously, name one extremist position of his. It appears you think anyone who opposed the war in Iraq under the circumstances at the time is an extremist.

[Keystone Phil]

When did I call him an extremist? I said he was left of your average liberal. An extremist is someone like Kucinich.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Your average liberal opposed war under any circumstances, which he did not.

[Rob]

Dean has some conservative/libertarian views. I think he got an A rating from the NRA when he was Governor.

[YRABNNRM]

Dean has some conservative/libertarian views. I think he got an A rating from the NRA when he was Governor.

Yes indeed he did. Dean isn't as bad(besides his foreign policy) as some of my republican friends like to make him out to be.

[CARLHAYDEN]

True.

Aside from his nutty views on foreign policy and national defense, Dean was markedly to the right of the eventual nominee, John Kerry.