What's up, Doc?

As I've said, I have no particular objection to the idea of Howard Dean as Chair of the DNC, although I suspect some of his more strenuous advocates overestimate the impact he - or anyone - will have in that role. The DNC Chair is the manager, not the leader, of the Democratic Party. Still, Dr. Dean would be an entertaining, perhaps compelling, presence on the Sunday shows and would be able to get the Party some headlines we might otherwise miss. He'd do fine.

Well, he would if he wanted the job, and that's not clear at all. On the one hand, we get reports like this...

WASHINGTON - A former presidential candidate, Governor Dean, is stepping up his lobbying effort to succeed Terence McAuliffe as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and is canvassing for support on Capitol Hill, House members said.

His focus has been on lawmakers who endorsed his White House bid, but the former Vermont governor is also lobbying members of Congress who backed Democratic primary rivals Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Senator Kerry. Dr. Dean has touted his success at grassroots politics and his fund-raising prowess as reasons why he should be elected to the post, arguing that he can lift the party out of the doldrums.

Fair enough. Of course, if he's arguing that his "success at grassroots politics and his fund-raising prowess" are the best reasons to elect him, maybe he'd better reassess his strengths. His "success at grassroots politics" led him to crushing defeats in every contest he entered in 2004 and his "fund-raising prowess" was virtually non-existant until Joe Trippi showed up on his doorstep with a fundraising vehicle that Dean had never imagined and never fully understood. (Of course, in judging the veracity of the NY Sun piece, it should be noted that they're still measuring the prospects of Alexis Herman and Tom Vilsack, both of whom have withdrawn their names from consideration.)

Still, he'd do fine as Chair, if he could just get his story straight. While the media that's supposed to have been so hostile to his Presidential aspirations touts him for Chair, Tom McMahon, the Executive Director of Democracy for America, which serves as the public voice of Howard Dean for whatever he wants to be tells another tale...

Let me begin by saying Governor Dean has not made a decision whether to pursue the job...

...Whatever the Governor ultimately decides, the DFA community will be the first to hear because you continue to be the foundation of our success. Thanks again for everything you all do and stay tuned!

So come on Howard! Where's a little of that famous spine? Do you want the job or not?

And are you going to let the "DFA community" in on those backroom converations in D.C.?

Or are you waiting for us to beg? Because, really, we have options...