I think the coming feud between the Dean wing and the Bill/Hill wing of the Demmycrats is going to be great fun. Notice that Kedwards doesn't figure into this. At all.

Harold Ickes lives up to his name. Every time.

If the Dems were smart, they would ask Ed Rendell or Gary Locke or even John Breaux to be DNC chair.

As OJ noted in a recent post the Dems won't even put Kerry into a leadership post in the Senate (and I don't think he is the minority chairman on any meaningful committees). And Edwards will fade from view after he leaves the Senate.

That said I think Ickes is more on the ball than McAuliffe is. And if you buy into the theory that the Clintons helped sabotage Kerry in '04 you won't have that factor in '08.

Agree on Ickes. As for DNC leader is seems to be more about fundraising, strategy, and rousing the base that appearing to be reasonable politician. Rendell fits that bill but the Dems probably don't want to risk the PA governship. Breaux is too reasonable and Locke probably doen't have the national power. As for Breaux Bush should find something for him to burnish his reaching across the aisle theme and put LA more solidly into the GOP camp.

The Democrats go from "McAwful" to "Icky."

Somehow, that seems just about right.

If there is a group within the Democratic party that truly wants to purge itself of Clintonism, now is the time to stand and fight. In public, if necessary. Otherwise, just hand over the keys and walk away.

Ickes is a thuggish far Lefty, who went out of his way to alienate the Jewish establishment in NYC when he worked for Dinkins. This guy would be a great pick, if Dennis Kucinich or Michael Moore turn the job down.

Cut Ickes a break. Since he's a two-time Senate loser down in North Carolina, he needs something to occupy his time.

I'm assuming if the Clinton's do approve this change, its because they want someone who's better with a shiv in behind-the-scenes interparty fighting. McAuliffe's more of a straight money man, but comes off as a goofus when you get into the really hardball stuff or putting forward a credible public image. Ickes can take care of strangling any preemptive challenges to Hillary, while she and Bill can handle the up-front fundraising stuff themselves.

Joe,

You're thinking of Erskine Bowles.

Wasn't Ickes Grandfather an FDR aide? I could care less about who the Clinton's hand the job to. The worse, the better, confusion to the enemy.

As for Kerry, I assume he will be needing to find an appartment and move his stuff, cause he can't be long for Tereza's place now that he is a nobody again. Run a committee? are you kidding. the guy hasn't done a lick of work in 20 years, why would he start now?

Ickes' father, or maybe grandfather, was interior secretary under FDR. fairly controversial, hard-line anti-development, but I am too lazy to look up more details. Ickes was a main player in warring on the GOP in the Clinton era, probably a more ruthless and more effective opponent than McAwful.

Harold Ickes was the brain behind Hillary's health-care plan.

Jim,

The 'brain' behind the greatest policy disaster of the last three decades. That is certainly damning with faint praise. :)