WP: Once Leading Man, Dean Searches for a New Role

[DeepModem Mom]

Once Leading Man, Dean Searches for a New Role
Place of Candidate and Supporters in Party Is Unclear
By John F. Harris and Jim Vandehei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, February 18, 2004; Page A11


For a presidential candidate with few delegates and no victories, Howard Dean is having no trouble commanding the attention of top Democrats.

The former Vermont governor sought out rival John Edwards for a private meeting Sunday night in Milwaukee. After what Democratic sources described as a friendly but inconclusive conversation, Dean said the two men should talk again today. The implication was that there could be ways for Dean to help a candidate he has said he prefers over Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.).

A few days earlier, meanwhile, two top officials for the Democratic National Committee traveled to Burlington, Vt., to meet with Roy Neel, the Dean campaign's chief executive. Their agenda, diplomatically stated but unmistakable, was to find out whether and how Dean would harness his network of highly motivated grass-roots activists and small contributors on behalf of the national party and the eventual nominee, according to people familiar with the session....

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(Dean's) meetings today, campaign aides said, are to revolve around the question of how to keep faith with his own supporters, many of whom were previously uninvolved in politics, and maximize his own influence in the Democratic Party....

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(Under consideration are retaining a "dormant" campaign that could be "reactivated," and forming a "political action committee.")

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In recent days, Dean has been talking with former campaign manager Joe Trippi, mastermind of Dean's Web-based fundraising operation, sources said. Trippi has been feeding Dean ideas for creating a new organization, based partly on fundraising and partly on voter mobilization, a Dean adviser said, and Trippi recently registered a new Web page called Change8for8america.com.


more:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49336-2004Feb17.html

[liberalnurse]

1. That is cool.......

Dean can still take the rug out from under Kerry. What is the saying???.

"What goes around comes around Mr. Kerry". Thats the ticket.

[JNelson6563]

2. Give them hell Howard!

Your army is still behind you!

Julie--Dean footsoldier