Howard Dean: The Movement

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18808

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It has been nearly a year since Howard Dean carried the hopes of liberal Democrats with him on his astonishing rocket ride from near-anonymity to presidential front-runner, and a few months since he brought them back to earth in his equally spectacular primary plummet

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Launched less than a month ago, DFA has already exceeded its organizational fundraising goals. "We had set a goal of raising $250,000," says spokesman Walker Waugh, "and we got that in less than a week."


Ambitious and manifold, DFA plans on becoming a dynamic new central station for progressive action across the nation. It is already an innovative experiment with potentially significant implications. Take, for instance, the DFA estimate that no fewer than 600 former Dean supporters – inspired by his own campaign – are now running for public office in local, state and national races, from mayor of Salt Lake County, Utah to the Arizona Corporation Commission to the U.S. Senate. So far, two rounds of 12 candidates – dubbed the "Dean Dozen" – have received an endorsement from DFA, and more are expected to be announced again every two weeks.


"They probably won't all win," says Rick Jacobs, the former chairman of Dean's California election campaign and a current financial backer of DFA. "But the point is that they are all new to the political process, and they will win eventually."

Starting from the grassroots up. It is amazing how many local candidates are getting publicity from this, like county officials. This is so significant.