A hatchet best buried…

…sooner rather than later. Dan Balz and Chris Cillizza report on an intramural squabble…

Democratic congressional leaders aren't happy with the way Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is spending money. At a private meeting last month, they let him know.

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) challenged the former Vermont governor during a session in Pelosi's office, according to Democratic sources. The leaders complained about Dean's priorities -- funding organizers for state parties in strongly Republican states such as Mississippi -- rather than targeting states with crucial races this fall.

There's a case to be made on either side, neatly stated in the WaPo article.

…Dean argued that his strategy is designed to rebuild the party across the country, and that he had pledged to do so when he ran for party chairman. Reid and Pelosi countered that if Democrats squander their opportunities this year, longer-term organizing efforts will not matter much.

I'm in full sympathy with Reid and Pelosi's concern about 'the prize,' Democratic Congressional majorities. There are great and growing opportunities before us, and there's no doubt that if we were to "squander" those opportunities, it would be a tremendous setback on the road to restoring Constitutional government in the United States.

On the other hand, it has to be somebody's job to build the party, to create the organizational infrastructure for long term success, not only in elections, but in governance. Dean did campaign on a promise to take on that job, and whatever doubts were raised about his potential as the DNC Chair during the campaign, I don't remember anyone arguing against building that infrastructure.

While Reid and Pelosi argue that there's only one job for the party - winning the next election - Dean's argument is that there are two jobs, and someone's got to pay attention to job two, too. Dean's right. There are (at least) two jobs for the Party, one electoral, one organizational. There's a natural tension, and it's at its hightest in federal election year. Of course, that's not new.

Here's the real problem…

One congressional Democrat complained that Dean has -- at an alarming rate -- burned through the money the DNC raised, and that Republicans may be able to swamp Democrats in close races with an infusion of RNC money.

Joe Trippi took most of the fall for the Dean primary campaign's astonishing burn rate, but whether Howard learned at Joe's knee or Joe was just doing what the boss wanted, it should be no surprise that Dean is a free spender. What made that work, for a time, was Dean For America's amazing ability to reload. No matter how bad the news, no mater how good the fortune, no matter what happened, they would throw up one of those infamous fundraising meters in the shape of a baseball bat and hit the goal in a blink or two. If the folks at headquarters were a few minutes late, the Blog For America comments would fill with demands for a bat. Over and over and over. Trust me, looking at it from the other side in those days, it was intimidating.

Sen. Reid and Rep. Pelosi have their own vehicles for fundraising and organizing on behalf of their respective caucuses. People whose main interest this year is in Congressional outcomes should direct their attention to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and/or the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Traditionally, the DCCC is the favored entity here at Upper Left, and, in this case, anyway, I'm all about tradition.

Those interested in building a national Party infrastructure via Chairman Dean's version of a 50 state strategy should be writing their checks to the DNC (of course, those who can, and are inclined, should give 'em all some cash). That, for now, is what the DNC is for. That's what Howard told us before he took the Chair. The time to debate that is over. It's time for our Congressional leaders to bury that hatchet.

And maybe it's time for Howard to break out the bat.