"I would describe his leadership as Rumsfeldian in its competence."

-- James Carville, quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, on DNC Chairman Howard Dean. Carville "likened the Democratic takeover of Congress to the civil war battle at Gettysburg, which the Union army won but failed to pursue the Confederate army when it retreated."

We have now almost entirely restocked our bench following the 1994 elections. Our list of potential candidates for higher office at every level is now much longer than it was only six years ago. We also are in a position to favorably remake electoral maps (sic) than we were six years ago. Also, by taking a substantial lead in trifectas, now we can govern for the first time in a long time, shifting the national policy debate decidedly in our favor. The trend for us at the state level has been pretty much straight upward from 2004-2006. As the backbone of our national coalition, this makes our majorities and influence in Washington, D.C. all the greater.

DEAN: I have to say I get a laugh out of that one. Here we have — let's leave the federal races aside. The DCCC and the DSCC did do a wonderful job. The truth is we got six governors. We got nine additional legislative chambers. New Hampshire now has a democratic House and senate for the first time in a century. We did great. I think the time really has come now, now that we're in power, at least in the Congress, to pull together, to be unified. We've got a lot to do in two years. We have a elect a democratic president.

Q. Do you have any intention of stepping down?

DEAN: No, I talked to Harold [Ford Jr.] last night. He doesn't want the job. This is some kind inside the beltway silliness.