Wayne's letter featured at Daily Kos

Last week, former Clinton adviser and "Democratic strategist" Paul Begala had some unkind words for Gov. Dean and his 50-state strategy (CNN):

He — yes, he's in trouble, in that campaign managers, candidates, are really angry with him. He has raised $74 million and spent $64 million. He says it's a long-term strategy. But what he has spent it on, apparently, is just hiring a bunch of staff people to wander around Utah and Mississippi and pick their nose.

Utah Democratic Party chairman Wayne Holland wrote a response to Begala, and it ended up on the front page of Daily Kos:

This statement hitting on the eve of our convention, where we are about to nominate Congressman Jim Matheson for re-election, is not helpful. And, the "pick their nose" comment is hurtful to Democrats who are truly on the frontline. An apology to my hardworking staff is in order.

By leaving the GOP unopposed in places like Utah, it frees them up to concentrate on making inroads in marginal districts. Congressmen in tough places deserve support, too. Jim Matheson, Stephanie Herseth (keynote speaker at tonight's pre-convention dinner) and even a potential pick-up like Gary Trauner in Wyoming deserve the support they are getting from the DNC.

"Win for today" as a long-term strategy has left many areas of the country without a healthy dialogue. The April 29 canvass where we put the DNC message on 15,000 registered Democrats' doorsteps was a first for Utahns. They have never heard from the DNC. When Clinton was in the White House, he never made a public address to the people of Utah. Democrats have become outsiders who do things to us, not insiders who do things for us. The 50-state strategy is one way to turn it around. [...]

Chairman Dean is not going to change what he has started. Too many DNC members appreciate it. (And, they are Dean's electorate.)

The issue is whether the DNC's role is to raise money for a few high-profile candidates (and their campaign consultants, such as Paul Begala) or to build a strong national party. All the whining about Dean is coming from the consultants who aren't getting fat checks from the DNC anymore or the big-money donors who aren't being wined and dined by the DNC anymore. Dean is being true to his roots — relying on small donations and building up Democratic infrastructure across the country.