Hotline Blog covers Obama's announcement of Tim Kaine as chairman tomorrow.

[madfloridian]

And also there is a squib from Huffington Post about it. There are concerns about why it is happening while Dean is on a trip and not able to attend. There are surprisingly concerns expressed at the National Journal Hot Line blog about the exclusion of Howard Dean completely after an impressive term as chairman.

Obama Tomorrow -- Raising Kaine

Pres.-elect Barack Obama has two big events tomorrow; he'll give what the transition is billing as a major speech on the economy during a morning event at George Mason University, and he and VA governor Tim Kaine, the next party chairman, will do a press event at the Democratic National Committee.

.."Meanwhile, Kaine will replace Howard Dean at the DNC. Dean leaves having spurred the creation of the once ridiculed 50-state plan. And while Kaine, who loyally endorsed Obama during the Democratic primary and before VA's critical contest, has landed in a position key to the party's future and allowing him a direct line to the soon-to-be administration, Dean has been left out to pasture.

Dean. Passed over for any of the Cabinet or govt. posts -- HHS or surgeon general -- that might have been suitable for the Vermont doctor. Or those positions that would've been perhaps less fitting but equally hard-earned. Obama has been meticulous in wrapping former adversaries into his orbit, but Dean seems the one person who has gotten truly shafted by Obama's team. It seems unfortunate -- unfair even -- because outside of Obama's immediate campaign crew, one could argue Dean did the most -- especially as the Democratic primary appeared stalemated last spring --to keep the party from imploding over the superdelegate counting frenzy. And to allow Obama to emerge victorious, even after Hillary Clinton won several critical contests -- read PA, among others -- and made strong and many believed valid play for the nomination.

Howard Dean will be out of town for the event. He is completing his promise to visit all 50 state and territories. But according to Sam Stein at Huffington Post he was not invited at all.

Howard Dean Left Out Of Obama/DNC Affair

Barack Obama is set to host a press conference with incoming Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine on Thursday in what will ostensibly mark the beginning of a new era for the party and the committee.

Noticeably absent from the affair will be the individual who symbolized the old regime.

Former Gov. Howard Dean is not on the list of attendees for the event, a noticeable nonattendance for someone largely credited with revitalizing the Democratic Party ranks and contributing - whether politically or through his 50-State Strategy - to major electoral gains.

It is not known if Dean's absence reflects a snub or a scheduling conflict. The Obama transition office did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

But a source close to the outgoing DNC chair said that Dean was not asked to attend and is not scheduled to be at the presser.

Odd things.

[madfloridian]

1. Update from Huff Post

"An Obama transition official said it was their understanding that Dean was traveling. But a DNC source said that Dean was never asked to attend and would have changed any prior plans."

[madfloridian]

2. That sounds about right from what I have heard.

He would not have turned that down.

[madfloridian]

3. First Read comments on this omission.

"*** Snubbing Dean? After delivering his speech on the stimulus today, Obama will head to Democratic National Committee to hold a press conference with the man he has selected to lead his party, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine. But there will be one notable absence -- Howard Dean, the current DNC chair. Dean is reportedly traveling today to American Samoa, but had he been invited to participate at today’s event, those travel plans could always be rescheduled. Why wasn’t Dean invited? Your guess is as good as ours. While it would be wrong to suggest that Obama’s victory in November was somehow directly tied to Dean, the former Vermont governor did provide Obama with a roadmap he used (internet fundraising, 50-state strategy, a people-powered campaign). Perhaps more important, as head of the DNC, Dean was a pretty even-handed referee during the contentious Obama-Clinton fight. Does anyone not think that the decisions on the disputed Florida and Michigan primaries would have turned out differently had a Terry McAuliffe or Harold Ickes been DNC chairman instead? No doubt that Obama will have some nice words about Dean, and Obama’s transition office insists they aren’t snubbing Dean here. But the current chairman’s absence is hard to explain away."

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/08/1736885.aspx