Music to my ears: DNC Chairman Howard Dean says Georgia still in play for Dems.

Howard Dean, the former presidential candidate now heading the national Democratic Party, says Georgia could "shape up as pretty important" to his party in next year's elections despite its drift into the Republican column.

"We've got an important governor's race I think we can win and important congressional races," Dean said Tuesday . . . .

Marty Klein, a spokesman for Georgia Republicans, said, "Howard Dean is the perfect poster-child for the modern Democratic Party in Georgia - liberal and angry. We welcome him to Georgia anytime he wants to come and discuss the extreme liberal views he shares with candidates like Mark Taylor and Cathy Cox."

(5-31-05 article by Dick Pettys of the Associated Press.)