Burden on Dean to bring harmony; Set to mediate Fla., Mich. issue - Boston Globe

[Eugene]

Source: Boston Globe

Burden on Dean to bring harmony
Set to mediate Fla., Mich. issue

By Lisa Wangsness
Globe Staff / May 27, 2008

-snip-

These are challenging days for Dean, the former family
physician and Vermont governor who has run the national
committee with a strong hand, helping his party win both
houses of Congress during his 3 1/2 years as chairman.
Now he finds himself in a familiar position - the center
of a controversy - though in an unfamiliar role: peacemaker.

On Saturday, the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee will
meet to decide whether to seat the delegations from
Florida and Michigan at the party's August national
convention in Denver. The two states were barred from
representation because they moved their primaries ahead
of a DNC-imposed timetable; but now their votes are
crucial to Clinton's dwindling chances at the presidential
nomination.

Whether Dean can broker a compromise and amicably resolve
the Florida and Michigan crisis - and then stitch together
his party after this year's bruising nomination battle -
could go a long way toward determining who is the next
president. Some are skeptical about his ability to finesse
such a delicate, high-stakes situation.

-snip-

Dean today is a more refined version of the presidential
candidate of 2004, a man who relished blunt, off-the-cuff
repartee with voters and reporters. (His "scream" speech
after the 2004 Iowa caucuses is still the top video that
comes up after a Google search of his name.) Even a few
years ago, prudence was not his specialty.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/05/27/burden_on_dean_to_bring_harmony

[MaineDem]

1. But it's not really up to Dean

The R&B Committee is charged with this, not the Chairman. I'm pretty sure he won't even be there. And I don't think he'd want to influence the committee in any way.