Dean Noses AheadHoward Dean did something amazing this week. The tough, abrasive politician did a 180 and apologized for causing pain. He’s starting to sound as wimpy as those losing liberal Democrats he’s often associated with.
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None of this flap seemed to have any negative impact on the biggest prize to date in the Democratic campaign: the support of the leaders of the two biggest unions. Those two decided to show some muscle to try to short circuit the process by joining forces and backing Dean.
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The polls, which everyone likes to say mean nothing, in fact mean a heck of a lot right now. And combined with the big union endorsements, they are making it very hard for the other candidates to raise money -- something they desperately need in order to get on TV. Word is that senior Gephardt staffers have taken pay cuts and the issue of self-financing has come up again in the Kerry and Edwards camps.
With only 74 days to go until the Iowa caucuses, the pace is speeding up and the attacks are becoming increasingly shrill. Dean is now the man to beat and he has been trying to close down this process for months. The irony is that it’s now the establishment candidates who are chanting: “Let the people decide.”
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We are getting down to the nitty-gritty and it may be time for the party insiders to start making some peace with Dean.