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Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
Howard Dean, who is poised to take over the Democratic National Committee this weekend, spoke to party leaders in Washington Thursday. |
A New Dean for a New
Job
But the Old One
Lingers
By ANNE E. KORNBLUT,
NY Times on the Web, February 11, 2005
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 - As thousands of Democrats gathered to bid farewell to Terry McAuliffe, who is stepping down as party chairman, there were words of caution on Thursday night for Howard Dean, the man about to ascend to the post.
Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts praised Dr. Dean for having "an energy and an affection" but rejected suggestions that the Democratic
Party needs to be become more liberal -- as some in Mr. Dean's camp have urged -- to win.
"This great party of ours doesn't need a makeover," said Mr. Kerry, who was defeated by President Bush in the November election.
"This party of ours doesn't need a massive shift."
A few minutes later, former President Bill Clinton chided Democrats for putting their energy into the sort of internal struggles that have defined the race for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship, which Dr. Dean is set to win this Saturday.
"We've got to be united," Mr. Clinton said. "We've got to support Howard Dean; we've got to support Harry Reid; we've got to support Nancy Pelosi.
We've got to stop beating on each other and redirect our fire toward the people we disagree with."
About the only one not to take a stand on the incoming chairman was Dr. Dean himself.
He kept out of public view after a day of sessions with Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill and members of the committee who are in town for their annual meeting.
The lavish party for Mr. McAuliffe on Thursday night stood in stark contrast to the casual beer-and-nachos event held for Dr. Dean a night earlier.
At that event, as Dr. Dean made his first public appearance as the presumptive chairman of the party, he began to give some clues about how he will lead it.
There were early signs that he plans to perform a high wire act, balancing the older, rabble-rousing image from his presidential campaign that appeals to his ardent fans with the one of a more muted consensus-builder that he has presented to win over skeptics in the Democratic Party establishment.
"Most of you know there are a lot of people in this city who are afraid I'm going to be very unorthodox -- and I am," Dr. Dean declared to hundreds of mostly young supporters.
Dr. Dean has said that if he became party chairman, he would not run for president in 2008.
Still, he is keeping alive his separate political organization, Democracy for America, though he announced this week that he would play a diminished role in leading the group.
In an e-mail message to supporters this week, Dr. Dean wrote that Democracy for America "must continue to lead and be the example, and it can't happen without your support," a pitch that could put his organization and the Democratic committee in competition for the same donors' money.
In balancing his two constituencies, Dr. Dean seemed to acknowledge the challenge that Democrats everywhere describe.
He has been a divisive figure within the party, even after winning a majority of endorsements from the 447 members of the national committee.
On Thursday, Dr. Dean spent about 20 minutes with Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Reid, the House and Senate Democratic leaders.
The meeting was characterized by one Democratic Senate aide afterward as an improvement over the last few weeks of open discord, civil but also subdued.
"The challenge for him is really merging the new and the traditional parts of the party," said Donnie Fowler, a 37-year-old consultant from South Carolina who ran against Dr Dean for the party chairmanship, and who attended the party Thursday night.
Bob Kerrey, the former Democratic senator from Nebraska who is now president of New School University in New York, put a finer point on Mr. Kerry's comments about Dr. Dean.
"He has to give people confidence there isn't a 'Democratic wing' of the Democratic party," Mr. Kerrey said, a reference to a trademark campaign phrase that Dr. Dean used to distinguish himself from moderates during the primaries.
"The biggest challenge for Howard is going to be overcoming his own words and his own previous statements."
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