Dean, Obama, Emanuel – Mean Girls
By LisaB on January 9, 2009 at 4:55 PM in Current Affairs
Politico has a highly entertaining piece on “whatever happened to Howard Dean.” As anyone who has looked for the DNC party chair knows, he’s been hit by the Obama bus. Kind of unexpected, since his strategy helped win big for the Democrats, but biting the hand that feeds seems to be an Obama hallmark. Just ask Wright, Rezko, Reid, JJJ, Alice Palmer, etc.
The conspicuous absence of Howard Dean from Thursday’s press conference announcing Tim Kaine’s appointment as Democratic National Committee chair was no accident, according to Dean loyalists.
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A physician by training who devoted much of his time as Vermont governor to health care, Dean had his eye on becoming Secretary of Health and Human Services. But the post went to Obama ally and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. The fact that Dean wasn’t even included in Thursday’s ceremonial — and very public — transfer of power from him to Kaine only underscored his isolation.“The snub today was no accident,” said one Dean ally. “I guarantee you he would have rescheduled his trip if asked to attend. It’s easy to [screw] over people when you are riding high in the polls, let’s see how many people are singing his praises in six months.”
OUCH!!! “. . . Let’s see how many people are singing his praises in six months!!” You mean to work with him is NOT necessarily to LOVE him? Say it isn’t so.
Some Dean supporters think Rham Emaneul is the reason Dean is persona non grata now.
A source familiar with Emanuel’s thinking dismissed the charges.
“Anyone who thinks Rahm has the time or inclination to do anything other than focus on transitioning to the White House and passing an economic recovery package isn’t knowledgeable enough about his thinking to be commenting in a political story.”
A close friend to Emanuel insisted that the incoming chief of staff was not plotting against his old adversary.
“I talk to Rahm every day,” said this source. “Neither he nor I have mentioned the name of Howard Dean. It’s just not on his radar screen.”
In any event, the friend said, Dean would know for sure if he was being shunted aside by the new administration.
“Rahm never stabs you in the back. He stabs you in front. But I promise that this was accidental.”
Ha. “Just not on his radar screen.” Did the guy smile and look at his fingernails when he said that? And so good to know this stabbing, whether in back or in front, was accidental. That bleeds less.
You know, I think they already made a movie about the 2008-2009 Democratic party.
Yep. That’s it.
But what did Dean say about his once friends and people he helped propel to power now dissing him in public?
“I didn`t do this for the spoils,” Dean told Chris Matthews on MSNBC’s “Hardball.” “I did this for the country. I`m very happy that Barack Obama is president, and I think he`s picked a great cabinet. And I`m pretty happy. I wouldn`t trade my position for any other position right now. I`m going to go into the private sector, make a living making speeches, and do a lot of stuff on health care policy.”
But, showing a flash of the old, off-message Dean, the outgoing chairman couldn’t help but crack wise about just one of the new president’s challenges.
“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.”
THAT sounds like a warning. HA! Yep. I think there’s a lot of underground Blago respect, don’t you? Ah. Reminds me of the cheerleading squad I once coached. . .
Lest you think I feel bad for Dean, think again. He helped bring about this mess and he deserves what he gets. Democrats – still champions at eating their own.
by Ronald Scott
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