Reason to be hopeful about Howard Dean's term at the head of the Democratic National Committee: Unlike many in the party, he seems to have learned the right lesson from the Clinton years:

Howard Dean, the man Democrats are poised to name their new party chair, admires Newt Gingrich more than he does Bill Clinton. We learn this from Fox television's Major Garrett, who penned The Enduring Revolution: How the Contract With America Continues to Shape the Nation . Garrett interviewed Dean for the book on the GOP revolution that occurred during Clinton's first term. Dean says Gingrich and former Christian Coalition strategist Ralph Reed "created a real success for the right wing." Clinton, meanwhile, led the Dems into complacency and defeat.

Here's hoping Howard Dean gets to work organizing around a Democratic Contract With America - or even better, a democratic social contract for America.