When we set this event up, I had absolutely no idea that we were going to have the elected president of the United States here with us today.
- Howard Dean
I'm not yet convinced that this was anything but an early-morning feel-good event designed to get Howard Dean some positive press, but it was nice to see Al Gore taking a positive role. It's still too early to read the tea leaves, but one could certainly argue that Howard Dean is carrying some serious momentum as the Iowa Caucuses approach.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Al Gore endorsed Howard Dean's bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Tuesday, substantially deepening Dean's fast-developing drive for dominance in the nine-candidate field of would-be challengers to President Bush....
"We need to remake the Democratic Party, we need to remake America," Gore said.
"This nation cannot afford to have four more years of a Bush-Cheney administration," he said....
Gore said part of the reason he chose to endorse Dean was his ability to appeal to the nation's "grassroots" elements, a reference to Dean's success in organizing and raising funds on the Internet and in small voter gatherings.
Gore also praised Dean's opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The former vice president called the Iraq war a "catastrophic mistake" by the Bush administration, a move that leaves the United States less effective in the nation's battle against terrorism. He said the United States is now in a "quagmire" in Iraq.
"He was the only major candidate who made the correct judgment about the Iraq war," Gore said. "And he had the insight and the courage to say and do the right thing. And that's important because those judgments -- that basic common sense -- is what you want in a president."
"Whether it is inspiring enthusiasm at the grassroots, and promising to remake the Democratic Party as a force for justice and progress and good in America, whether it is a domestic agenda that gets our nation back on track, or whether it is protecting us against terrorists and strengthening our nation in the world, I have come to the conclusion that one candidate clearly now stands out," Gore said.
It would be nice to see Democrats coalesce behind one candidate. I still believe that the best and most electable Democrat is Gen. Wesley Clark, but if the man on the ballot come November is Howard Dean, we will still have made an excellent choice.
In the end, I am less concerned with who comes out on top than in removing the current illegitimate occupant of the White House. The efforts of all Democrats should be focused on that goal- regardless of who the nominated candidate is this summer.
