Howard Dean still running, this time for Kerry and Dems

[JI7]

<First things first. This is Chicago, and Howard Dean wants to clear an opening in his political appearances to see the Cubs play the Oakland A's.

Now, to the matter at hand: what Dean is doing to help John Kerry and, through his Democracy for America project, other Demo-cratic candidates from Barack Obama in his U.S. Senate race down to county commissioners and school board candidates around the country.

"I think the Democratic Party needs to be rebuilt from the ground up," Dean said. "We're running candidates in places like Utah. I know we're not going to win Utah in the presidential election. But if we don't start building it now, we'll never win Utah. I'm going to Mississippi. I'm going to Texas, where there's a candidate running against Tom Delay."

Let Kerry concentrate on the more winnable battleground states -- Dean will plant seeds for the future, he said.

Kerry has not asked Dean to be his running mate, and Dean has no comment on the advice he has given the candidate.

"I think he's focusing on jobs, and that's what he should be doing," Dean said. "We did a great couple of days in Portland, Ore., talking about jobs and health care. Iraq is important because it brings into question the credibility of the president. When people worry about whether the president is telling them the truth or not, they tend to vote against him ... But I think people still end up voting bread-and-butter issues, and that's jobs and health care.">


http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-dean20.html

[madfloridian]

1. Rebuild from the ground up is his goal. Good article.

I think the Democratic Party needs to be rebuilt from the ground up," Dean said. "We're running candidates in places like Utah. I know we're not going to win Utah in the presidential election. But if we don't start building it now, we'll never win Utah. I'm going to Mississippi. I'm going to Texas, where there's a candidate running against Tom Delay."

This is what is important to him. At least making an effort to win the states not likely to be won right now....making our presence known, not just avoiding issues.

[UrbScotty]

2. Dean's a futurist. That's why I like him.

Yippee for Howard!