Dean Will Step Down as DNC Chair
Looks like former Vermont governor Howard Dean will soon step down as the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He of the "50-state-strategy" took over as DNC Chair in 2005.
Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly speculates on Dean's replacement:
Rumor has it that Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, a close Obama ally and effective campaign surrogate, is a leading candidate to fill Dean's shoes, with Steve Hildebrand, Obama's deputy campaign manager, likely to take over day-to-day operations at the DNC.
But no matter who is selected, Dean has left an indelible mark on how the party operates, and how it approaches national elections. Indeed, for all of Dean's detractors — inside the Democratic Party and out — the former governor leaves knowing that his strategy was vindicated, thanks to unambiguous election results.
There's also been speculation that our former gov might land a cabinet post. But it looks like Obama won't be announcing any cabinet appointments this week, so we'll have to wait and see...
