The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

John Kerry . /p>

Dean had been looking at the Green Party long before his campaign caught fire. As early as late last summer, Dean was considering the Greens as an option, particularly because at the time Ralph Nader, the Green nominee in 2000, appeared less interested in a run.

"This isn't a ploy to get Democrats to pay attention to us," says a Deaniac in Washington. "This is about ensuring that our man's views and this supporters' views get carried into the fall campaign. A Green Party bid puts him in the debates with Bush and whomever the Democrats nominate. It keeps us viable."

It would also, as the Deaniac pointed out, get the attention of Terry McAuliffe and the DNC pretty quick. Dean is first to brag he's brought in hundreds of thousands of new voters to the party -- voters who most likely would follow Dean to the Greens. He probably would generate more votes than Nader himself pulled in 2000, again dooming Democrats to another loss.

Nader has not yet indicated what he will do in the 2004 campaign. In the past three months he has twice pushed back a decision on whether he's running.

p> SEEING THE LIGHT br> Even before AFSCME president Gerald McEntee broke the news to Howie Dean that the union was taking its toys and going home, McEntee had talked extensively to both the Kerry and Edwards campaigns in the past ten days. /p>

Months ago, McEntee had boosted John Kerry as a viable candidate, long before he played political footsies with Dean and Wesley Clark. Now it appears that AFSCME, after an acceptable period of mourning over the loss of their candidate -- say seven days -- is poised once again to crown the man it feels will bring it to the holy land.

"Kerry would have to be it," says an AFSCME staffer in Washington. "The relationship is already there. The only way we don't do Kerry is if somehow Edwards just blinds Gerry and the board. But he was already was blinded once

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