I remember after the loss of 04, listening to Howard Dean talking about his vision for the future of our party and vehemently supporting him for the Chair of the DNC. His message was quite different than the strategies that were used by the DLC in the Clinton years. Dr. Dean believed that we should fight in every state in the union and if we showed up to fight, we win. As DNC chair, he fought for that strategy and netted huge results despite constant critisizm and calls for his removal.

With the Edwards scandal and Dean's hasty departure, it seems that the Progressive wing once again has lost its chance to retake our party. Worse yet, it seems the DLC detested Dean and the Progressive wing he so successfully led:

The conspicuous absence of Howard Dean from Thursday’s press conference announcing Tim Kaine’s appointment as Democratic National Committee chairman was no accident, according to Dean loyalists.

Despite leading the party in consecutive triumphant election cycles — as well as through off-year races such as when Kaine was elected Virginia governor in 2005 — Dean has become all but invisible since Election Day, passed over for the Cabinet position he coveted and apparently not in line for another administration post.

Dean’s reward for the party recapturing the White House, House and Senate, as well as taking control of seven governor’s mansions and eight state legislatures on his watch?

So far, nothing.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17254.html

Unfortunately for our party it appears that it is more about ideology than successes as a leader:

Joe Trippi, who was Dean’s presidential campaign manager in 2004 but has not been shy about criticizing his former candidate, praised Dean for his DNC stewardship and willingness to take on the status quo.

“He was never afraid to challenge the way party establishment in Washington did business, and that doesn’t win you friends in either party,” Trippi said by way of explaining the friction.

Which is where Howard Dean doomed himself besides his successes. He departed from the failed DLC model of only trying to win in certain states and flying over huge swaths of the country. As we all remember, he came to blows with Rahm Emanuel over that very thing:

Getting closer to the point, Trippi added: “You don’t have to look any further than Rahm Emanuel.”

Emanuel served as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and battled repeatedly with Dean over party priorities in 2006. Emanuel, then an Illinois congressman, wanted to focus resources on competitive House races while Dean was more focused on expanding the party’s reach into red America as part of his “50-state strategy.”

“Now one of them is the chief of staff to the president of the United States, and one of them is the outgoing party chair,” Trippi wryly observed.

I happened to agree with Howard Dean on that one. I had purchased a Democracy Bond to build a 50-state strategy as he had stated to begin with. I had sent seperate money to the DCCC to fight for Congressional seats. I think the fruits of that labor are there for all to see.

I think also it is a sad day for our party that Dean has not a position within it now. I fear that it signals the final DLC take-over of our newly elected Democratic majority, and Administration. Why else would Dean be roundly disrespected for doing such successful work for our party? Has his message of true reform been rejected??

True to form, Dean appeared to fire a parting shot at his own detractors that he himself had outsmarted as leader of the DNC:

"You gotta hand it to Blagojevich," said Dean of the embattled Illinois governor’s brazen appointment of Roland Burris to succeed Obama in the Senate. "What a maneuver! What a maneuver! When his back was against the wall, he outsmarted a lot of people.”

So I would just like to say to Howard Dean, Thanks so much for giving our party a soul for four years. I think you should pop some champagne, take a deep breath and scream just as damn loud as you feel like screaming. You gave the Progressive movement hope. Now, I fear your departure once again cuts that movement's leadership off at the head.