Dean: Bad For Dems

Friday, May 20, 2005 Dean: Bad For Dems Cap'n Ed informs us that some dems are not all that happy with Howard Dean. Now, is anyone surprised that when the dems elected Dean as DNC chairman, they got . . . Howard Dean? Is he acting at all out of character? Playing to the base and foot-in-mouth remarks pretty much go with the territory here. The good captain then quotes Jill Lawrence contrasting Dean with Ken Mehlman, Republican National Committee chair: Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, is courting black and Hispanic voters on a regular basis. Beyond the usual run of speeches, fundraisers and meetings with donors, he has visited Latino neighborhoods and historically black campuses. He has attended black-oriented receptions and ceremonies, spoken to minority chambers of commerce and raised money for Otto Banks of Harrisburg, Pa., a black city council candidate new to the GOP. Dean, who reaches Day 100 as Democratic National Committee chairman Monday, is for the most part speaking to diehard Democrats who are the backbone of their party. He's addressed Democrats in nine states dominated by Republicans, such as Kansas and Mississippi, and in party strongholds such as California and Massachusetts. He's spoken to labor unions, gay-rights groups and state party chairs — all pillars of the party." That pretty much mirrors how the two parties attacked the last election. Republicans on offense, democrats on defense. Linked, as usual, to Mudville Gazette and Outside the Beltway. 3:11 PM | | |