Ex-Clinton aide Harold Ickes -- & presently the head of Hillary's PAC -- announced today that he is backing Howard Dean for chairman of the DNC.
Harold Ickes, a leading Democratic activist and former aide to President Clinton, said Friday he is backing Howard Dean to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee — giving a powerful boost to the front-runner.
"I think all the candidates who are running have strong attributes, but Dean has more of the attributes than the others," said Ickes, who considered running for chairman himself before dropping out in early January. "Many people say Howard Dean is a northeastern liberal, he is progressive, but his tenure as governor of Vermont was that of a real moderate."
Ickes, who heads the political action committee of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said the endorsement was his alone and "does not reflect Sen. Clinton's opinion."
While Ickes would not comment on the Clintons' preferences, he is a close ally and would not be endorsing Dean against their strong objections. No one was immediately available in Sen. Clinton's office to comment.
Ickes said Dean "has a real ability to communicate with people in leadership, but also to grass-roots and average Americans. He understands the need for party building."
Ickes' endorsement comes at a critical time in the chairman's race and gives Dean almost 50 of the more than 215 votes he would need to win the post.
The field could be narrowed in the next few days, as state party chairs and organized labor offer their views on the race.
With Democrats out of power in the White House, Senate and House, the Democratic Party's leadership role is especially important.
The candidates are invited to New York City this weekend for the last regional candidate forum. On Sunday and Monday, state party leaders will discuss whom they want to endorse.
Early next week, the AFL-CIO could decide whether to endorse one of the candidates.
(AP, 01-28-05.)
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A 01-14-05 post announcing "Ex-Democratic party chair Bob Strauss endorses Martin Frost for DNC chairman" also had part of the title of the post: "This is big news."
This development concerning Harold Ickes is potentially big news. How big? Only time will tell, namely, the time it takes for former President Clinton to comment on this development.
"I think all the candidates who are running have strong attributes, but Dean has more of the attributes than the others," said Ickes, who considered running for chairman himself before dropping out in early January. "Many people say Howard Dean is a northeastern liberal, he is progressive, but his tenure as governor of Vermont was that of a real moderate."
Ickes, who heads the political action committee of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said the endorsement was his alone and "does not reflect Sen. Clinton's opinion."
While Ickes would not comment on the Clintons' preferences, he is a close ally and would not be endorsing Dean against their strong objections. No one was immediately available in Sen. Clinton's office to comment.
Ickes said Dean "has a real ability to communicate with people in leadership, but also to grass-roots and average Americans. He understands the need for party building."
Ickes' endorsement comes at a critical time in the chairman's race and gives Dean almost 50 of the more than 215 votes he would need to win the post.
The field could be narrowed in the next few days, as state party chairs and organized labor offer their views on the race.
With Democrats out of power in the White House, Senate and House, the Democratic Party's leadership role is especially important.
The candidates are invited to New York City this weekend for the last regional candidate forum. On Sunday and Monday, state party leaders will discuss whom they want to endorse.
Early next week, the AFL-CIO could decide whether to endorse one of the candidates.
(AP, 01-28-05.)
_______________
A 01-14-05 post announcing "Ex-Democratic party chair Bob Strauss endorses Martin Frost for DNC chairman" also had part of the title of the post: "This is big news."
This development concerning Harold Ickes is potentially big news. How big? Only time will tell, namely, the time it takes for former President Clinton to comment on this development.
posted by Sid Cottingham | 8:33 PM
2 Comments:
This is good news, but who knows to what extent it helps. I thought we were home free when Al Gore endorsed Dean during the Democratic primary. Frankly, if there's a way to screw this up, Dean and/or the kids who work for him will find it. And I say that as a supporter. Everything is always theirs to lose, and lose it they do.
Dean's commie reputation is totally undeserved, but I don't know how he'll ever shake it. His (image) presence pisses off moderates too much. Meanwhile, Deaniacs are giving Frost hell. They seem to attack self-described moderates as traitors when in fact they are well to the left of the going-on-fascist GOP. Translation: ugly race. Rosenburg I guess? Who the hell? Guess it's better to purge some bad blood now so there's time to regroup before the mid-terms.
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