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Though certainly not a surprise, it became official last Saturday: Former presidential candidate Howard Dean is now the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Consequently, there were a lot more Republicans than usual in church pews the next day, thanking God for answering their prayers. After all, the conventional wisdom is that Mr. Scream is the gift that keeps on giving; his positions are consistently so far to the left that he can't possibly assist the Democratic Party in garnering enough moderate independent votes to be able to win back the Congress in 2006, or the White House in 2008....

Of all the silly stunts that happen in politics, it is hard to think of a stranger way for Howard Dean to kick off his tenure as chairman of the Democratic National Committee than to call for the resignation of the chairman of the New York State Republican Party, Stephen Minarik. What seems to have annoyed Dr. Dean is Mr. Minarik's comment that the Democrats "can be accurately called the party of Barbara Boxer, Lynne Stewart and Howard Dean." This, according to the Associated Press, was too much even for Governor Pataki, who declared that Mr. Minarik's comment was not...

The rise of the bike path left Jonah Goldberg February 16, 2005 When Howard Dean was still on top of the world looking down on the Democratic presidential nomination, the indispensable columnist Mark Steyn, writing in the Wall Street Journal, dubbed the good doctor the figurehead of the "bike path left." This was a reference to Dean's decision to leave the Episcopalian Church because his parish had opposed his plan to build a local bike path. As Steyn noted, what made this controversy remarkable, considering the recent dust-ups within the Anglican community, was that this was not in fact a...

Deaniacs on Parade Howard Dean’s triumphant arrival in Washington. For a moment in Washington on Wednesday night, it was 2003 again, and Howard Dean was speaking to a crowd of adoring twenty-somethings — and sounding much as he did when it appeared he would sweep the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary and then the Democratic presidential nomination. Dean, clearly energized by his young supporters, even worked himself up into one of those "and then we're going to Washington D.C. to take back the White House!" rhetorical exercises that gave him so much trouble as his campaign was collapsing....

The message is loud and clear. Democrats have learned nothing from their free-fall from power. Hard-line liberals [anti-American closet socialists] line up to crown their new king and it looks like Howard Dean is their man, the likely new head of the Deaniac’s National Committee. Once again, we have proof that the “enlightened ones” may not be so “enlightened” after all… They understand their need to appear more centered, but they don’t understand their need to become more centered. As they whine about their image problems, they continue their march to the left. Is Dean more centered than say, Kennedy,...

Did Dean pay his staff?

NEW YORK - It seemed like old times: Howard Dean (news - web sites) lambasted the Republicans in a speech before 300 cheering supporters at a union hall on Sunday. But now he is running not for president but for the national chairmanship of the Democratic Party. "In the last election we frankly ran the best grass-roots campaign I have seen in the Democratic Party in my lifetime," said Dean, the front-runner among the seven contenders for chairmanship of the party. "But theirs was better." The former Vermont governor and unsuccessful presidential candidate said the GOP rode the issues of...

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign has hired a new director of religion outreach, who is being described by a Catholic group as "a curious choice." Mara Vanderslice, who formerly worked as religion outreach director for Democrat Howard Dean, was raised without any faith and didn't become an evangelical Christian until she attended Earlham College, a Quaker school known for its adherence to pacifism, the Catholic League said on Monday. According to Catholic League President William Donohue, when Vanderslice was in college she was active in the Earlham Socialist Alliance, a group that supports convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal and...

Since Election Day, there has been a lot of predictable moaning and groaning about the future of the Democratic Party. Particularly predictable are the suggestions that we need to be more like Republicans in order to win. Democrats need to learn by our previous mistakes - we have tried being “Republican-lite” and it does not work. It is a mistake to run away from the things we believe and I think we can win in the so-called Republican states by being real Democrats. We have to realize that there are no red states and no blue states, just American states....

''No one would be more interested than me in finding out that we really won, but that ain't the case," said Jack Corrigan, a veteran Kerry adviser who led the Democrats' team of 3,600 attorneys who fanned out across the country on Election Day to address voting irregularities. ''I get why people are frustrated, but they did not steal this election," Corrigan said. ''There were a few problems here and there in the election. But unlike 2000, there is no doubt that they actually got more votes than we did, and they got them in the states that mattered." http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/11/10/internet_buzz_on_vote_fraud_is_dismissed/

Special Note for Kerry-Hating Fellow Liberals Who Can't Wait to Say "I Told You So" if Kerry Loses the Election Don't do it. You've been warned. If Kerry loses, there will be plenty of time later for everyone to discuss what happened. But please don't start with the "I told you so" stuff immediately after the polls close, because you'll probably get banned. Most members of this message board are going to be devastated if we lose. We will be coming to DU for comfort and support; the last thing we want to hear is a patronizing speech from some...

Be Prepared for angry Kerry thugs and thug-ettes after Kerry's defeat.

6 Days to Go The Final Hours What's a Dean Supporter to Do? As you all know, this most important of elections is fast approaching. The polls are tight and the many races are close. We, the former Draft Dean for VP Committee, want to remind you how important this final weekend is. Please give whatever time or money you can in these last few days. Travel to a swing state, join a phone bank or give money. For this final push we bring you our TOP 5 PICKS for candidates worthy of our time, commitment, and financial support. All...

Russian Terrorists Used PCP Drugs for Strength During School Attack Russian officials said last week that the Chechen terrorists who attacked a school in Beslan, Russia used the illegal drug PCP, to strenghten themselves, ITAR-TASS newswire reported.A police expert told the news agency that phencyclidine commonly known on the street as 'angel dust' or PCP--a drug banned in Russia and elsewere--was found in the remains of the terrorists.'This banned substance notcieably increases the human body's stamina and psychological activity and also works as a pain killer.''One who has taken a dose of phencyclidine is capable of offering resistance to three...

SARASOTA - A 46-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an aggravated assault incident against U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Sarasota). The incident happened when Harris and several supporters were campaigning on the northwest corner of the intersection at Fruitville Road and North Washington Boulevard Tuesday evening, according to Sarasota police. A vehicle headed toward them and swerved at the last moment and drove off. The police got a good description of the car and the suspect was brought in for questioning before being arrested. Barry M. Seltzer of Sarasota was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly...

LAS VEGAS — When John Kerry arrives in Reno today for his sixth visit to Nevada this year, he will underscore a dramatic shift in the geography of the race for the White House. Kerry, in a virtually unprecedented move for a Democrat, is relying more on the West than the South in his plan to reach the 270 electoral votes needed for victory. Instead, Kerry has shifted his attention west, mounting major efforts in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and, at one point, Arizona. = = = But Republicans see Kerry's emphasis on the Southwest — particularly the GOP-leaning states...

Howard Dean supporters give John Kerry flip-flops as Christmas giftDES MOINES -- Howard Dean supporters gave John Kerry a peculiar Christmas gift -- flip-flop sandals. Iowans for Dean delivered the "present" to the Massachusetts senator's Iowa campaign headquarters on Wednesday. Both Dean and Kerry are among nine candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. "Sen. Kerry has been flip-flopping on issues throughout his career and campaign, and we thought we could make things a little more comfortable for him," said Dean spokeswoman Sarah Leonard.Kerry has flip-flopped on issues including the war in Iraq, Social Security, intelligence resources and taxes, Leonard said...