Dean is Mum, but Brother Backs a Lieberman Rival

[connecticut yankee]

HARTFORD, April 10 — At the Connecticut Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Bailey fund-raising dinner last month, James H. Dean was among the guests invited to sit at the table of Ned Lamont, a Greenwich cable television executive who is planning a primary challenge to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman over the senator's support for the war in Iraq.

"The reason I went and sat at his table is I personally think Ned is a terrific candidate and I want to support him," said Mr. Dean, one of 1,700 guests at the political event. "I think not only is it a good race for the voters because he's bringing the war back, I think his campaign will benefit candidates up and down the Democratic ticket."

Mr. Dean lives in Fairfield, near Greenwich, and he has known Mr. Lamont for years. But what makes his support for Mr. Lamont notable are his deeper, familial ties: He is the brother of Howard Dean, now the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

While Howard Dean campaigns to win control of Congress for the Democrats this fall, his younger brother is now chairman of Democracy for America, the liberal grass-roots political action committee that Howard Dean created out of his 2004 presidential campaign.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/11/nyregion/11dean.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[eyesroll]

1. Heh...

H. Dean does need to keep quiet about this (a party chair should stay mum regarding legitimately contested primaries), but it's good to see J. Dean out in front.

[MADem]

4. Yep, you are quite right--Howard's job is to stay the hell out of primary

contests, and jump in aggressively once the candidate for the general election is chosen.

It's good his bro doesn't have that constraint!

[CTLawGuy]

2. We gotta work to get Lamont the endorsement of DFA

in order to beat Joe "Nader" Lieberman, we are going to need to overwhelm him at the convention.

[Fleshdancer]

3. NYT or People Magazine?

Seriously, why is this a story? It's Howard Dean's brother, not Howard. So who does his mother support? His wife? His neighbors? :eyes:

This reads like the gossip page.

[acmejack]

5. It's interesting because Jim,, as the story notes, is head of DFA

To some that is of note. Sorry that isn't up to your apparently more sophisticated interests, but to some of us rubes it is of import. So please excuse those of us who actually find this newsworthy! Thanks for your kind forbearance!

[Fleshdancer]

8. Keep your sarcasm to yourself please

I've been a member of DFA since it first began and I know very well who Jim is thankyouverymuch. My problem is with NYT implying there is a battle between Howard and Joe because of who Howard's brother supports. Howard's brother can be noted on his own credentials without attempting to bring Howard into this.

Feel free to continue this discussion without the attitude.

[MADem]

6. Uh, his brother is POLITICALLY ACTIVE

He is the CHAIR of DEMOCRACY FOR AMERICA.

THAT is why it is a story....

On edit: Someone could use a LINK, I think: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/

[Fleshdancer]

7. Uh, I know who his brother is

To make it out as "Howard Dean's brother" is silly. It insinuates a battle between the DNC and Lieberman that just isn't there.

[CTLawGuy]

9. no

many people do not know who Jim Dean is, and Dean is a common enough name that tying him to Howard in the story is helpful and rational.

[mandyky]

10. The point is that DFA is independent of the DNC/party machinery

Howard Dean has to/should remain mum until a primary winner becomes the Democratic candidate.

[MADem]

11. It is a key point; the familial relationship and the relationship with

Lieberman are central to the story. There's not a small amount of history there. I thought the article was accurate. It noted Howard's necessary neutrality, and detailed his brother's --as well as Howard's previous--relationship with Lamont:

Even James Dean acknowledges that the developing dynamic in the campaign is "weird."
A former marketing executive who, at 52, is five years younger than his brother, James Dean became chairman of Democracy for America in February 2005, the month Howard Dean became party chairman.

James Dean said his goal in supporting Mr. Lamont "isn't 'Get Joe' or get anybody," adding, "Winning is important, but it's as much for getting the voters active and engaged and conditioned — I'm running out of words here — getting them used to the idea that there's a choice."

A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, Dag Vega, said last week that Howard Dean would not comment on the possible Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut or on the activities of Democracy for America. The party traditionally does not get involved in primaries.

This might seem a particularly good year to stay out. Senator Lieberman and Howard Dean took occasional swipes at each other when both sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. And Mr. Lamont has helped Howard Dean in the past. ...