Posted on 02/12/2005 11:21:44 PM PST by Grampa Dave
New DNC Head Dean Hopes to Rebuild Party
2 hours, 47 minutes ago
By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - New national Democratic Chairman Howard Dean (news - web sites) promised Saturday to rebuild the party in the most conservative regions of the country, help develop state and local organizations and let congressional Democrats set the tone on policy.
Electing Dean on a voice vote during their winter meeting, Democrats put the party's leadership in the hands of the skilled fund-raiser and organizer whose sometimes caustic, blunt comments can lead to controversy. The physician now must contend with a state-by-state political map in which Republican red overwhelms Democratic blue.
"I'll pretty much be living in red states in the South and West for quite a while," Dean told reporters. "The way to get people not to be skeptical about you is to show up and say what you think."
The normally outspoken Dean appeared to be trying to shift his role from flamboyant presidential candidate to cautious party chairman.
"The proper place for the day-to-day battles is Congress," Dean said in response to a question about his opposition to the war in Iraq (news - web sites). "My views are well known, but most of the policy pronouncements will be coming from the leaders in Congress and not from me."
Dean has plenty of other chores to keep him busy.
President Bush (news - web sites) just won his second term. Republicans are firmly in control of the House and the Senate. And the GOP is gaining strength in conservative states in the South and West.
The former Vermont governor promised to learn how Democrats can communicate positions more effectively.
Dean says that no one is "pro-abortion," but "we are the party in favor of allowing women to make up their own minds about their health care."
And Democrats are not for "gay marriage," but "we are the party that has always believed in equal rights under the law for all people," he says.
Dean is determined to seize the moral high ground from Republicans, arguing Democratic positions on helping the poor and protecting children are consistent with religious values.
The new chairman sounded like a man in a hurry: "Republicans wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before regaining Congress. ... The American people cannot afford to wait 40 years for us to regain control in Washington and put the government back to work for Americans."
Dean has been criticizing Republicans all week and has promised to stay on the offensive, but GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman contacted Dean to congratulate him and then put out a statement describing Dean as "a strong leader for his party."
The kid-glove treatment is unlikely to last. Reminded Saturday that former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich had said Dean would be the perfect leader for Democrats if they have a "death wish," Dean smiled broadly and said: "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to prove Newt wrong."
On Saturday, Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) of Massachusetts gave the DNC another $225,000, donated by Kerry supporters, for grass-roots development. The 2004 presidential nominee gave $1 million last week.
As Dean takes on his new DNC duties, his brother Jim takes over the former governor's political action committee — Democracy for America.
Howard Dean replaces outgoing party chief Terry McAuliffe, who raised more money than Republicans in the last election cycle, developed a sophisticated voter file and e-mail list, and left the party in the black after the presidential election.
Democrats generally sounded an optimistic tone about Dean, hoping for the best from their new chairman who is attempting to show more restraint.
When Dean was asked about anonymous criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, he quickly brushed it aside, saying, "I'm not going to respond to blind quotes."
___
Good night all.
I'm off to bed to say, "Thanks, Lord for this gift."
It has been another incredible week for our side.
Eason Jordan has resigned, and Howie the angry duck, is the new DNC leader.
You go Howie! Every time I think this guy can't say anything more absurd than he already has, he goes and does it.
WHY DID RNC CHAIRMAN KEN MEHLMAN CALL THIS VICIOUS GEEK TO CONGRATULATE HIM??? HE HATES OUR GUTS!!!
We need to be trashing this SOB every time he opens his mouth ... and every time he doesn't!!!
When did it become a good idea to take the biggest loser in the Democratic primary and make him the guy who is going to lead your party to victory? Not that I am complaining.
it may soon come out that Howard Dean is a member in good standing of the Raelian faith....
jimma carter was a builder and look what he did for America. the only thing dr. dean will build for the dummies is the downstairs of a out house. make it big so they can all fit in doctor
Enjoying a replay of Dean scream resampled:
http://homepage.mac.com/lileks/.Public/Yeagh.mp3
Well, other than it was a polite thing to do, it probably has to do with the fact that we like to win races. Choosing Governor Dean is likely to prove to be a disaster of about the magnitude of nominating Senator McGovern back in 1972.
Maybe even worse -- Governor Dean is at least borderline mentally unstable, so perhaps it closer to the Muskie or Eagleton contretemps than McGovern. Whichever, it is all to our good.
They could easily have chosen someone far more in the center from the DLC and let the DLC rebuild the party, but they decided for the ideological purity of yet another northeastern liberal.
The patient is already terminal and Dr. Dean Kervorkian will put it out of its misery.
Rebuilding on a base of insanity.
In the past few weeks Dean has gone out in public and said that he hates the Republican Party and everything they stand for...
Republicans stand for Freedom, lower taxes, national defense and security.....they also have a strong pro military stance.
THAT MEANS THAT DEAN HATES THE MILITARY. And since he is the head of the DNC........
IT COULD BE SEEN THAT DEMOCRATS AND THE DNC HATE THE MILITARY.
It is sad when you think about it....
The head of the DNC is some loon who made a really bad priceline ad.
Good Luck Deannie Weenie!........
Precisely. It's a view that is widely shared too, but I don't think they have convinced 50% of America yet.
That's the way to get people to dislike you.
Dean has plenty of other chores to keep him busy.
Like kissing Hitlery's a**, shining B.J. Clinton's shoes, making all those "republicans are mean" posters, picking up John Kerry's homework from the senate meetings he misses, and delivering Ted Kennedy's Chivas to his office.
So what's he going to do? ..... try to convert Southern and Western Conservatives into Democrats? ha! New DNC Head Dean Hopes to Rebuild PartyExcerpt:WASHINGTON - New national Democratic Chairman Howard Dean (news - web sites) promised Saturday to rebuild the party in the most conservative regions of the country, help develop state and local organizations and let congressional Democrats set the tone on policy.
Electing Dean on a voice vote during their winter meeting, Democrats put the party's leadership in the hands of the skilled fund-raiser and organizer whose sometimes caustic, blunt comments can lead to controversy. The physician now must contend with a state-by-state political map in which Republican red overwhelms Democratic blue.
"I'll pretty much be living in red states in the South and West for quite a while," Dean told reporters. "The way to get people not to be skeptical about you is to show up and say what you think."
The normally outspoken Dean appeared to be trying to shift his role from flamboyant presidential candidate to cautious party chairman.
"The proper place for the day-to-day battles is Congress," Dean said in response to a question about his opposition to the war in Iraq (news - web sites). "My views are well known, but most of the policy pronouncements will be coming from the leaders in Congress and not from me."
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.
"The proper place for the day-to-day battles is Congress," Dean said in response to a question about his opposition to the war in Iraq (news - web sites). "My views are well known, but most of the policy pronouncements will be coming from the leaders in Congress and not from me."Great!
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