NYT:" From Ashes of 04 Effort, Dean Reinvents Himself"

[madfloridian]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/06/politics/06dean.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1107716404-KIHqzzmMNU0XCP1VzuTc9g

SNIP.."A funny thing happened to Howard Dean on his way to becoming a losing footnote in the Democratic Party's past: he gained a winning foothold on its future. So there he was at Café Milano, Georgetown's power joint, buying a pounded veal paillard on Wednesday night for Terry McAuliffe, the man he is all but certain to succeed as party chairman next week.

"A lot of people came by the table to congratulate him," recalled Mr. McAuliffe, who said Dr. Dean had invited him to what became a three-hour dinner to discuss the party's operations. "And he said, 'No, no, not till the vote's over.' But I did tell him, 'You are about to become a human fire hydrant. You will get blamed for every loss. You will get zero credit for any win.' "

SNIP.."He declined to be interviewed for this article, aides said, because he wants to avoid public comment before the Democratic National Committee's vote for chairman next Saturday. But he has already succeeded in rewriting the first dependent clause of his obituary."

SNIP.."Already, the Democratic Congressional leaders, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, have tangled from a distance with Dr. Dean over who should take the lead in setting, and articulating, party policy on questions like cabinet nominations or Supreme Court vacancies. Republicans have been quick to mock him.

But Dr. Dean has also won surprising converts, like Representative John P. Murtha, a hawkish Democrat from western Pennsylvania who disagrees with him on numerous issues but decided to endorse him after Dr. Dean called to ask for his support...."END SNIP
(There was an error in the story...Dean did win the VT primary.)

Not a bad article. It should be an interesting time for our party.

Howard Dean speaking at the NYC candidates' forum.

[coloradodem2005]

1. Hopefully, all will work out for this endevour.

[NYCGirl]

2. Thanks so much for posting this, MadFlor. Have to go out now, but I'm

bookmarking this to read later. The excerpts you posted look great!

[ProudToBeLiberal]

3. defintely a good read. Thanks :) nt

[OneTwentyoNine]

4. I'm ready,someone ,anyone who will really speak their mind....

instead of kowtowing to the lunitic Religious right and finding "common ground" with terrorists like Operation Rescue.

Go Howard!!

[FreedomAngel82]

14. Hear hear!

I have high hopes with Dean and hopefully everything will work out. I think so. I liked the part when he said no congratulations till after the voting (why he wouldn't win? :shrug:). I wish it could already happen instead of waiting. How often do they change DNC chairmen?

[janx]

5. "human fire hydrant" !!!!!

Dean certainly has experience in that department... ;-)

[Eloriel]

6. Interesting article --

a couple of problems I have with it.

One is in the title -- Dean "reinvents" himself, as if HE has changed in any way. The only change I know of is a slightly more politic way of speaking, instead of allowing hismelf to be utterly blunt under almost al circumstances. And even this isn't that pronounced (note the "I hate all Republics" comment from a couple of weeks ago).

This fits into a new "meme" I've heard the last couple of days: DEAN is different now, that's why he's acceptable as DNC chair or in fact acceptable at all for anything. I heard it last night on Capital Gang from Margaret Carlson, who I find increasingly clueless and I think I heard it this afternoon from Nancy Pelosi (if not here, SOMEwhere this morning). Of course, I'm glad Pelosi has decided to hurry up and get in front of this parade, but a little intellectual honesty would be nice.

The other thing I really object to in this article is the continuation of the lies and untruths:

...while his proven deficits - a sometimes loose tongue and hot temper - mattered less for a partisan leader than for a president.

"Loose tongue" is a poor choice of words here -- it implies that he betrays confidences or says things that are supposed to be kept confidential and I don't think anyone has ever charged that about him. But the "hot temper" is simply wrong. Flat-assed wrong, and yet it gets repeated as "PROVEN" in this instance. :grr:

[madfloridian]

7. Well, Eloriel, I fear this is as good as it gets....it will get worse.

I hear the GOP is lining up all the stuff they collected during the campaign. We just have to take what we can get. Human fire hydrants of the world, untie. ;)

[stray cat]

8. Most Americans are fire hydrants to Bush Co.

Howard Dean has good company. The repubs have been preaching "trinkel" down economics for years.

[madfloridian]

9. Yes, the Republican Attack Machine...the Noise machine.

We are all victims, I fear. To make a difference we must confront them and not back down in fear.

It will take confrontation, no more pandering, and it is going to be quite painful.

[LizW]

10. That sounds exactly like something Dean would say!

You go, dmordue! Talkin' like the Doctor! :thumbsup:

[FreedomAngel82]

15. And I think if they do that

Dean will more then likely fight back. Once he has the chair wouldn't he be able to?

[w4rma]

13. That's true. Dean has no temper whatsoever. He gets emotional/passionate

but never angry. He doesn't lose his head and/or throw tantrums like I've seen Bush do on a number of occasions.

[FreedomAngel82]

16. I think sometimes people

confuse passion/emotional with anger. Look at Bush during the debates. Now that's angry. Especially when he went off on Jim Leher (I believe it was him).

[kath]

11. Fuck the "reinvents" crap in the headline! Are they trying to "Gore" him?

[madfloridian]

12. Yes, most likely. This is not as bad as some of the articles.

It could be worse. I kind of liked parts of this.