''Whither Dean’s Dems?'' (UPDATED)

Eleanor Clift, writing in Newsweek, has this to say about Dean and the Democrats: "Dean's chairmanship of the Democratic Party is a victory of the grassroots activists over the party establishment, which did everything to stop him and failed. One Beltway Democrat called the elevation of Dean "an office-warming gift for Rove," now that King Karl has been named deputy chief of staff and moved closer to the Oval Office. Yet unlike Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice, who hit the road and made a big splash in her first week on the job, we've heard nothing from Dean since the party chose him by acclimation a week ago. In a show of sensitivity that the Washington Democrats should appreciate, Dean appears to be deliberately lying low for a while, a concession to all the chatter over the last few weeks declaring the chairman is not a spokesman for the party, and that he won't be crafting the party's message. Knowing Dean's temperament and personality, this initial period of hibernation won't last for very long. And it shouldn't. Dean got the job as party leader because he has edge and attitude and conviction." Update: Believe it or not, even the Wall Street Journal says, ""Americans want Democrats to stand up to Bush," via Political Wire: "Just 34% want Democrats to 'work in a bipartisan way' to help pass the president's priorities." Must be "Joementum" and friends.