Howard Dean Elected Chair of DNC

[Boomer Chick]

news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=68210

Dems ready to elect Dean as chair
By Associated Press
Saturday, February 12, 2005

WASHINGTON- Democrats are hoping former presidential candidate Howard Dean [related, bio] can recharge the party and help them regain power in Washington.

He's expected to be picked today to head the party's National Committee.

Dean is a former governor of Vermont, who's presidential hopes were dashed following a loud scream at an Iowa rally. As chairman he'll be charged with organizing grass roots campaigns, mobilizing voters and rasing money. And, outgoing party chief Terry McAuliffe says Dean ``has proven he can do that.''

Dean is promising Democrats he will rebuild the state parties, take the offensive against Republicans and do a better job of explaining the party's positions on the issues.

McAuliffe says even though Democrats are out of power in Congress and the White House it's in the best financial shape in the party's history.




( © Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )

;D

[Boomer Chick]

Dean: New York GOP chairman must apologize or resign
By MARC HUMBERT
AP Political Writer

February 16, 2005, 2:39 PM EST

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Howard Dean, just four days into his job as Democratic National chairman, called Wednesday for New York's state Republican chairman to apologize or resign over remarks linking Democrats to a civil rights lawyer convicted of aiding terrorists.

Calling Stephen Minarik's comments "offensive," the former Vermont governor said, "The American people deserve better than this type of political character assassination."




There was no immediate comment from Minarik.

Dean's call for an apology or resignation came one day after Republican Gov. George Pataki scolded Minarik for the remarks.

Minarik touched off a firestorm on Monday by saying that in electing Dean as national party chairman on Saturday "the Democrats simply have refused to learn the lessons of the past two election cycles, and now they can be accurately called the party of Barbara Boxer, Lynne Stewart and Howard Dean."

Stewart is a New York City lawyer convicted last week of helping terrorists by smuggling messages from one of her imprisoned clients, a radical Egyptian sheik, to his terrorist disciples on the outside. Boxer is a liberal senator from California.

"The Democratic Party doesn't have anything to do with Lynne Stewart," Pataki said Tuesday. "Obviously, she was found guilty of a heinous criminal act and that is not something within the realm of appropriate political discourse in New York state."

"I'm pleased that Governor Pataki publicly rebuked Mr. Minarik for his offensive comments," Dean said in a statement issued by the Democratic National Committee. "I agree with Governor Pataki and my fellow New York Democrats that Mr. Minarik was completely out of line."

"But this is not settled. Mr. Minarik has shown neither regret nor remorse for what he said," Dean added, calling on other New York and national Republican leaders to "follow Governor Pataki's lead and rebuke Minarik."

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Yeah! Go Dean! This is the kind of leadership we need! Get on their cases, get in their faces, and kick some butt!

BC ;D