According to several reports (the AP, C-SPAN, the NY Times), Barack Obama is keeping Howard Dean on as Chairman of the DNC. While many people will have problems with this move, especially as fundraising at the DNC has not been what it should be, I think it's an excellent move, for two reasons.

The first reason is that, as I wrote in February, Obama owes his success in large part to Howard Dean. The movement that lifted Obama to the nomination began five years ago with the Dean campaign. It should not end with this election, and keeping Howard Dean on is both a symbolic and a practical statement to that effect.

The second reason is that Howard Dean's 50-state strategy is working, both short-term and long-term. It not only provided a tremendous boost to the effort that led to Democratic control of both houses of Congress, but it has also engaged and energized many people nationwide who will be the next generation of political leaders in America.

There are those who will claim that Dean's work with the rules committee last weekend to give Obama a "victory" with regard to the Florida and Michigan delegates was a quid pro quo for today's announcement. To those who would make that claim, I say "Puh-leeze!" The rules committee had far more Clinton supporters than Obama supporters; they simply made the best choice for the party, as they were supposed to do. Seriously, do you think Harold Ickes would have stood still for such a quid pro quo?

To those who say Dean has been too weak during this long primary process, I suggest you take a look at both the full situation and the outcome. Hillary "take no prisoners" Clinton wasn't about to stand still for any attempt, by Dean or anyone else, to shove her aside until the entire process was over. Even when it was over, she wasn't willing to make the gracious exit. Given those facts, nobody could have done anything other than what Dean did (well, they could have done worse...). Because Dean didn't screw things up, we have a real chance for a united Democratic Party, and that's the best anyone could have expected.

I applaud Obama's decision to keep Dean on, and so should all Democrats.

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