The Washington Way: Howard Dean Feels Snubbed?

by Deb Cupples | Thursday, Politico reported:

"The conspicuous absence of Howard Dean from Thursday’s press conference announcing Tim Kaine’s appointment as Democratic National Committee chairman was no accident, according to Dean loyalists.

"Rather, they say, it was a reflection of the lack of respect accorded to the outgoing party chairman by the Obama team. 

"Despite leading the party in consecutive triumphant election cycles — as well as through off-year races such as when Kaine was elected Virginia governor in 2005 — Dean has become all but invisible since Election Day, passed over for the Cabinet position he coveted and apparently not in line for another administration post.

"Indeed, when President-elect Barack Obama introduced Kaine at party headquarters Thursday afternoon, Dean was 7,023 miles and seven time zones away, closer to French Polynesia than to Washington, doing party grunt work in American Samoa....

"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."  (Politico)

I didn't realize that Mr. Dean had "coveted" a cabinet position.  Oh well.  Politico continues:

"A third Dean ally compared the outgoing chairman to two other high-profile Democrats who would seem to have given Obamaland more heartburn in the recent past.

“If we can forgive Joe Lieberman for actively campaigning against Obama, this seems crazy to me. And Hillary Clinton did OK, and lots of her people are getting plum assignments,” noted the ally. “I really think [Dean] has rehabilitated himself. He showed he can be team player. It just seems so odd, and I don’t know what the reasons are.”

A fourth Dean admirer found some gallows humor in the doctor’s disappearing act: 'He said he wanted to be in the Cabinet,' joked the source. 'So they stuffed him in the Cabinet and locked the door.'”

During the Democratic primaries, Mr. Dean showed strong aptitude for playing politics without any thought of loyalty to others -- even rank-and-file members of his own party organization.  Lack of loyalty seems to be the Washington Way.

Surely, Mr. Dean understood that he might, one day, not be able to count on loyalty from others.

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