Who championed this bozo for this position in the first place???
Oh yeah... I remember now ~ (From "The Hill" publish just a year ago this month!)
Murtha: Give Dean DNC chair
By Hans Nichols
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) is writing letters in support of Howard Dean.
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) is actively lobbying Democratic National Committee (DNC) delegates to select former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean as their next chairman.
The endorsement of the leading antiwar presidential candidate by one of the Democrats’ most prominent early supporters of the Iraq invasion signals a rehabilitation of Dean’s image in the House and greatly increases his prospects of leading the party, many Democratic lawmakers and aides said.
Several lawmakers said support by the hardscrabble, old-school Vietnam veteran, who endorsed former Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) in the presidential primaries, would compel the DNC to take a second look at the firebrand governor and not simply write him off as an extreme avatar of the party’s antiwar wing.
At Dean’s request, Murtha wrote to Pennsylvania’s seven delegates to the DNC last week explaining why he is endorsing a candidate with whom he shares so few positions.
“I am not with him on all the issues, but he understands the party’s problems, what we need to do and how to get there,” said Murtha. “And he has executive experience. … A lot of people in the party don’t understand just where we are. We need a change. We need something different.”
One senior lawmaker, who asked not to be named in order to speak more candidly about internal party matters, said his colleagues would be shocked to hear of Murtha’s support for Dean. The lawmaker added, “Maybe we’ll all have to take a second look. A lot of us will.”
Murtha said he contacted Dean to tell him of his support.
“We’re thrilled that Murtha has decided to endorse us. This is someone who is an expert on defense issues and it just shows Governor Dean’s broad appeal to Democrats,” said Laura Gross, spokeswoman for Dean.
In another sign of the significance of Murtha’s endorsement, the Dean campaign is apparently not asking all of his House backers to cajole voting DNC members to support their man. Several confirmed Dean supporters said they stood ready to do anything to help Dean but had not been asked to do anything yet. “Whatever he wants me to do, I’ll do,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).
But Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif) is also writing delegates from vote-rich California to make the case for Dean.
Dean has not formally declared that he is running, but Gross said that announcement was to be expected “shortly.” Dean would mostly likely inform his supporters of his final decision electronically.
Dean will speak at a regional DNC meeting in Atlanta this weekend, the first of four events where delegates will get to judge the candidates up close.
Other candidates for the chairmanship are also canvassing the House for support, competing for endorsements in a contest that will ultimately be decided by the 447 members of the committee. For example, Rep. Barney Frank is calling Massachusetts delegates on behalf of his onetime House colleague, former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas), who was defeated Nov. 2.
In a late-breaking development, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk bowed out of the race yesterday evening and endorsed former Frost.
Frost also appears to have the respect of many of his former colleagues in the House, if not the unvarnished support. Many said that Frost’s obvious command of politics on every level and understanding of House Democrats’ goals would serve him will as DNC chairman.
One Democratic lawmaker who admitted that he and Frost had crossed swords in the past said that Frost “is just too smart not to take seriously.”
Another lawmaker added, “Tom DeLay wants to chip away at the Jewish vote, both in terms of voting and fundraising, and Martin Frost is not going to let that happen.”
Meanwhile, many House lawmakers said they thought that the House minority leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was clearly leaning in favor of former Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Ind.). While Pelosi has shied away from an overt endorsement, lawmakers said that in private conversations she is always pushing for Roemer.
“She’s always asking, ‘Well, what do you think about Roemer?’” one lawmaker said.
