The Dean Divide

It is rapidly becoming apparent that Howard the Donkey is creating a divide in the Democratic Party between the DNC committee members who elected him, and the elected Dems who have to answer to the press and the GOP for all of his silly statements:

Democratic National Committee leaders embraced feisty party boss Howard Dean on Saturday and urged him to keep fighting despite a flap over his blunt comments on Republicans.

After a meeting of the DNC's 40-member executive committee at a downtown hotel, members said Dean was doing exactly what they elected him to do -- build the party in all states and aggressively challenge Republicans.

"I hope Governor Dean will remember that he didn't get elected to be a wimp," said DNC member Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a South Carolina state representative. "We have been waiting a long time for someone to stand up for Democrats."

Dean took fire from Republicans and some Democrats earlier this week for a series of recent comments, including calling Republicans "pretty much a white, Christian party" and saying they "never made an honest living in their lives."

Some Democrats in Washington, including party congressional leaders and several potential 2008 White House candidates, distanced themselves from Dean's comments and called them mistakes.

I think a lot of us saw this coming. Dean is the darling of the activist left - the same folks who elected him chairman - and in their little red-meat sessions, he's just what they want. Unfortunately for Dean and the DNC, Howie doesn't play well on the national stage. Now Howie has the DNC members fighting with the Congressional Dems from their own party:

Karen Marchioro, a DNC member from Washington state, said she was stunned to see so many congressional Democrats back away from Dean.

"We always defend them, why won't they defend us? And they want us to support them for president?" she asked. "I have no desire to lose, I just think this is the way you win -- you let people know where you stand and you fight."

Cobb-Hunter said Dean "should consider the source -- congressional Democrats. What's their track record? He's doing what a lot of us wanted him to do and expected him to do."

Somewhere Ken Mehlman, RNC chief, is just sitting back and smiling.