Howard Dean’s DNC Playbook – Chapter II

Howard Dean said, 'The reason the Republicans call names is because they have nothing to say about balancing the budget, creating jobs or doing anything about health care or education.''

This year, Democrats' tone may be as important as their message, Dean said. ``A little dose of humility is a good thing in politics,'' he said. ``Democrats have had their share of humility lately, and we're going to come back from it.''

"I will never divide this country by race, gender, or sexual orientation -- we need to win ... by appealing to the very best of America and not to the very worst," Dean said.

In a speech to the D.N.C. Black Caucus, Dean said, "You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room?" Then Dean added "Only if they had hotel staff in here."

Dean said in an interview with BlackAmericaWeb.com: “The Republicans have nothing to offer black Americans. What have they offered in the last 40 years? You can put lipstick on a pig, but it doesn’t make the pig a pretty girl.”

The Republicans are the reverse Robin Hood party -- steal from the poor and give to the rich -- and that is not good for black Americans.”

“They think if you have [former Secretary of State Colin] Powell or [Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice, this means equal rights,” Dean said, “but the Democratic Party knows equal rights is about hiring power, and we know it’s important that people who make decisions should also be people of color.”

"Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean ripped into U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum at a party fund-raiser in Old City last night," the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

Dean, a former Vermont governor and former Democratic presidential candidate, called Santorum, a Republican who is up for reelection in Pennsylvania in 2006, a "liar" and "right-winger" who actually lives in Virginia.

"He doesn't tell the truth," Dean told a gathering of about 150 at Bluezette on Market Street. Dean joked that Santorum should "stay in Virginia," although he added that the senator was "too much of a right-winger for Virginia. How about Venezuela?"

Dean, whose defeat in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries was attributed to the belief that he was too liberal to defeat President Bush in the general election, appeared to be trying to reassure the party activists gathered at Bluezette that he had learned his lesson.

He called on them to use less confrontational language with those socially conservative Democrats who deserted the party last year to vote for Bush. The party chairman said Democrats need "message ."

Chairman Howard talks about humility, message discipline and appealing to the very best in America. What message do you get from Howard Dean? Have you heard the Democrat's positive agenda for balancing the budget, creating jobs or doing anything about health care or education?

Calling Republicans liars and reverse Robin Hoods may rev up the Democrat base but, we don't really see how this advances their party's cause. As far as setting the example for using " less confrontational language" we think Chairman Dean has some work to do on that lesson.