Dean Wants It

Dean announces his desire to be the next DNC Chair (snippet, emphasis added):

....As I have traveled across our country, I have talked to thousands of people who are working for change in their own communities about the power of politics to make a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others. Every group I have spoken to, I have encouraged them to stand up for what they believe and to get involved, by volunteering, knocking on doors, leafleting, writing letters, donating money and most important, running for office. Today, I'm announcing my candidacy for the Chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee, and I am asking for your vote. Terry McAuliffe will soon step down, leaving the Democratic Party solvent and poised for growth for the first time ever after a presidential campaign. As a result, our Party has an enormous opportunity to build on the energy and experience of the last election -- and your decision about our next leader will be critical to building a party that grows our base and creates a lasting majority. We need a party focused on more than the next election. We need to build an infrastructure now that will remain in place not only in 2008, but in 2005, 2006, 2007 and beyond. There is only one way to do this: together, we must build from the ground up. The states are a central piece of that strategy. The Democratic Party needs a vibrant, forward-thinking, long-term presence in every single state. We must give our state parties the tools and resources they need in order to be successful. We must be willing to contest every race at every level. We can only win when we show up. Another integral part of our strategy must be cultivating the party's grassroots. Our success depends on all of us taking an active role in our party and in the political process, by encouraging small donations, by taking the Democratic message into every community, and by organizing at the local level. After all, new ideas and new leaders don't come from consultants; they come from communities.....

Although Dean's a centrist, it would be a huge move to the left compared to today's DNC position, which currently is more to the right than the Republican Party of the 70's.