Dean sprints to energize Democrats' grass roots

[Freddie Stubbs]

Howard Dean has hit the ground running since his election as Democratic national chairman in a cross-country speaking tour that is taking him deep into Republican territory to re-energize his party's dispirited grass-roots forces before next year's elections.

Almost two weeks after his election as Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman, the fiery former Vermont governor and 2004 presidential candidate has begun what he has dubbed a "red, white and blue" road trip aimed at bringing his party's message to every state. He is paying particular attention to the South and western Plains states where President Bush and the Republicans have had an electoral lock.

After installing an 11-member transition team, with orders to broaden the DNC's state-level campaign apparatus and redirect more of its financing to state and local party organizations., Mr. Dean has been on the speaking and fund-raising circuit. He has called on Democrats to get more involved, bashed Mr. Bush on the budget deficit and Social Security, and even talked about the Iraq war, a subject that he said he was going to leave to congressional party leaders.

"He's going to be all over the country. His strategy is to show up in every state. He believes you can't just talk about running every two years or four years. You have to run for everyone on the ballot from state representative to county executive," DNC spokeswoman Laura Gross said.

more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20050223-113815-4560r.htm

[madfloridian]

1. "a crisis of confidence" in the party, not "a crisis of ideology".

SNIP..."After that, he will fly to Chicago for private strategy meetings with party officials, and after a one-day rest in Vermont, will give a speech in Las Vegas and headline a Democratic fund-raiser in Mississippi.
As he did in his DNC acceptance speech on Feb. 12, Mr. Dean is telling Democrats that there is nothing wrong with the party's agenda and that they will start winning again if they stand up for what they believe.
"There is no crisis of ideology in the Democratic Party, only a crisis of confidence," he told party members in an e-mail three days after his election."

[David__77]

2. I'm waiting to see how the DNC handles...

...the "special election" in California. We have an opportunity to crush the goobernator.

[madfloridian]

3. I see he is going to Las Vegas next week.

SNIP..." After that, he will fly to Chicago for private strategy meetings with party officials, and after a one-day rest in Vermont, will give a speech in Las Vegas and headline a Democratic fund-raiser in Mississippi."

Thanks, Judith Steinberg Dean, for putting up with this schedule. You deserve flowers.