WASHINGTON -- Jockeying for the top job at the Democratic Party isunder way after Election Day losses, with former presidential hopefulHoward Dean indicating an interest in the post while other names arecirculating. Republicans may reward a GOP operative who helpedengineer President Bush's re-election.
With the presidential election over, both parties are expected topick new national committee chiefs early next year, with theDemocrats replacing Terry McAuliffe and the Republicans finding asuccessor to Ed Gillespie.
For the GOP, the choice is easy: whomever President Bushrecommends. Republican activists said a likely candidate is KenMehlman, the former White House political director who served ascampaign manager for the Bush-Cheney team.
Democrats face a much tougher challenge. The next leader of theDemocratic National Committee will be responsible for rebuilding aparty battered by two straight presidential election losses, findinga way to stanch the flow of voters away from its ranks and picking upseats in congressional elections in 2006.
Democrats agree that the party needs an aggressive activist toreplace McAuliffe, whose term is ending. But finding the party's nextleader could trigger another internal battle about the futuredirection of the party, which has now lost seven of the last 10presidential elections and is the minority party in both the Houseand the Senate.
"The most important thing we can do is get our message right,"said Al From, head of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.
Dean, the former Vermont governor who waged an unsuccessful bidfor the Democratic nomination, told associates earlier this week thathe is considering running for the job. Although his own campaignfizzled, Dean's Internet-fueled campaign and his willingness to takeon the president on the Iraq war tapped into a deep anger among manyvoters.
His activism would help energize the party's liberal base, butsome Democrats question whether he is the right person to broaden theparty's appeal to mainstream voters.
Also mentioned for the DNC post are Govs. Tom Vilsack of Iowa andMark Warner of Virginia, and former Gov. Roy Barnes of Georgia.
Harold Ickes, a New York lawyer who was a White House aide in theClinton administration and has close ties to Sen. Hillary RodhamClinton, D-N.Y., has a large following, especially in the Clintonwing of the party. Ickes is a passionate advocate and successful fund-raiser, but his Clinton ties might work against him among Democratsbacking other candidates.
Other names being circulated: Inez Tenenbaum, South Carolina'seducation superintendent and unsuccessful Senate candidate; and SimonRosenberg, founder and president of the centrist New DemocratNetwork.
Of course, the party's real boss will be chosen in 2008 when anominee is selected.
But the next party leader will be responsible for trying to buildsupport for Democratic candidates in the midterm elections.
Some Democratic activists would like a black party chief, such asDonna Brazile, who ran Al Gore's campaign in 2000; former DallasMayor Ron Kirk, former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and former DenverMayor Wellington Webb.
It's a job that nobody at this point wants to say they areseeking.
Dean said he still hadn't made up his mind and Brazile saidTuesday, "I haven't tossed my hat in the ring for that job. It shouldbe somebody from outside Washington. I'm not ready to take on thattask, but I want to help whoever will."
Among Hispanics, Antonio Villaraigosa, former speaker of theCalifornia Assembly and now a Los Angeles city councilman, is gettingsome attention.
Several party activists suggested Sen. John Edwards of NorthCarolina, the Democratic vice presidential nominee who decided not toseek another term in the Senate. Edwards seems like an ideal choice:telegenic, son of the South and in need of a platform if he's tolaunch a bid for the 2008 presidential nomination. However, Edwards'representatives discouraged the notion.
Still to be decided is whether there should be a single partychief to run the day-to-day operation and be the party's public face,as McAuliffe has done, or whether the job should be split between achairman and chief operating officer, a model also used in the past.
The tenure of the post also remains to be decided -- two years orfour, with a possible promise not to seek the presidency.
Although the job won't be filled until early February, campaigningis expected to begin in earnest when several preliminary meetings areheld in December.
Among Republicans, Gillespie is widely admired and has Bush'ssupport, but he has indicated he does not intend to serve anotherterm.
Tom Rath, New Hampshire National Republican committeeman, said,"there is no way we will not take who the White House suggests."
Charles Black, a longtime GOP consultant, said the new party chief"needs to focus on the races for '06," noting that historically theparty holding the White House loses seats in midterm elections.
Contributing: Will Lester.
