UPDATED: McCaskill replacing Dean as DNC chair?
McCaskill, left, and Dean
The Huffington Post has an intriguing report this morning which says that U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., is the front runner to be the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
She would replace former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who is stepping down in January.
According to the report, the plan would call for McCaskill to be the public face of the party, but for Democratic president-elect Barack Obama’s deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand, to be the “operational chair” (in other words, handle the day-to-day stuff).
UPDATE, 4:30 p.m.:
McCaskill spokeswoman Maria Speiser played down the speculation. “It’s all just a rumor. We’re not sure who started it,” Speiser said. “Claire has not had any conversation with the Obama team about the position, or with the president-elect Obama himself.”
Speiser emphasized that McCaskill earlier has made it clear, even before the election, that she had no plans to quit her Senate seat for a Cabinet position. “She’s pretty happy being a senator and representing Missouri,” Speiser said.
— McCain couldn’t do it 6:12 pm November 10th, 2008
I like your question Tim, the one about anyone having experience. How many people do you know on any level that could start almost from scratch and organize something that would lead to more than $100,000,000 in donations in one month and result in the election of someone to the highest office in the political world? It takes a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge to run a successful political campaign.
Yes, Obama does have a lot of experience running campaigns. Too bad that’s really all the experience he has.
Just a general comment directed to all the Obama critics: The people have spoken, so deal with it. This isn’t a stolen election (like 2000) or a suspicious one like 2004 (exit polls at odds with results in OHIO–where the owner of Diebold–manufacturer of the electronic voting machines–said that he would “deliver” OH to Bush). Obama won the popular vote AND the electoral one. He also garnered a higher percentage of white votes than Kerry did in 2004, so this isn’t a “black thing.”
You lost. Deal with it. Now you know how many of us felt for the past 8 years. Bush has almost RUINED this country and Obama has his work cut out for him…
Howard Dean had ZILCH input winning the Presidency for the party. Elections are won by great campaign committees, not by the candidates. Obama’s team gets a A for its organization, McCain’s gets a C- … FTR, I voted for McCain. And Dean had nothing to do with the election. Obama and his team didn’t like him, didn’t want him around. As someone on the radio said last week, they want to know what basement in Nebraska has Dean been hiding?
Missouri citizens delivered for Obama. We did not win the electoral votes, but we were pretty damn close. McCaskill knows this, and Obama knows this.
Also, Obama is not going to reward political supporters with Cabinet positions. That’s a dumb assertion. Cabinet jobs are not like commissions and honorable appointees. They are real-run the country-can you govern-jobs. It’s not a popularity contest. Now, with that said, Claire could absolutely do a cabinet job–but she does not want it. She’s a Senator–and a good one at that.
Now, in addition to being Missouri’s Senator, she’d be great as the Chair of the DNC. She’s not really a party faithful, she’s a moderate in the Senate, and votes on both sides of the isle. She’s fairly independent, and would be an excellent person to bring the DNC more towards the center. Americans are tired of extreme partisans and ready for someone like her to lead.
Take our Senator… PLEASE!
Let’s face it, Claire has solidified her loyalty to the far left. This should make it easier to beat her in 2012, assuming she does not get that cabinet post. Those decisions are not yet completed. If she does, Jay Nixon will get to select the replacement. Will he pick someone that far to the left? I doubt it.
If the Gov. Elect picks a lefty he could lose outstate votes he needs in 2012. That makes 4 years from now VERY interesting.