We have only just begun to scratch the surface of what former Vermont Governor Howard Dean hath wrought to grow the Democratic Party. Yes, praise must also be given to Chuck Schumer and Rahm Emmanuel's run Iraq veterans strategy of being more military and conservative-friendly in the '06 election. But it was Dean who, against massive opposition, started the grassroots expansion. It seemed, at the time, a thankless task.
And now those states which seemed light years away during Kerry's 2004 electoral loss are within striking distance. Historians of the future may well look backwards to Dean's victory over the Clintonian Harold Ickes as the beginning of Democrat leadership for a generation. Dean gets a belated "thank you" from Team Obama. From the magnificent Ben Smith of Politico:
"The Obama campaign confirmed today that Howard Dean will remain chairman of the Democratic National Committee, even as Obama puts his own stamp on the DNC.
"'Sen. Obama appreciates the hard work that Chairman Dean has done to grow our party at the grass-roots level and looks forward to working with him as the chairman of the Democratic Party as we go forward,' Obama spokesman Bill Burton said.
"Dean has shed his lightning rod status in recent years and focused more heavily on building state party organizations — a mission that gave him a base of support in the states and that matches Obama's plan to use his resources to keep McCain on the defensive in a wide range of states."
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