According to the Washington Post's Dan Balz and Chris Cillizza, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Sentate Minority Leader Harry Reid had a come-to-Jesus meeting with DNC Chair Howard Dean last month over Dean's 50 State Strategy. This gets at something that bothered me about Ann Richards' speech on Friday, so here goes:
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.
Neither side was willing to give ground, according to several accounts of the meeting. 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.
