HAROLD ICKES ENDORSES DEAN FOR DNC CHAIR

Former Clinton aide backs Dean for party chair

While Ickes would not comment on the Clintons' preferences, he is a close ally and would not be endorsing Dean against their strong objections. No one was immediately available in Sen. Clinton's office to comment.

Ickes said Dean "has a real ability to communicate with people in leadership, but also to grass-roots and average Americans. He understands the need for party building."

Ickes' endorsement comes at a critical time in the chairman's race and gives Dean almost 50 of the more than 215 votes he would need to win the post.

I'm just waiting to hear the usual cacophony from the right-wing yahoos that this only means that Hillary wants to put Dean out of competition for the '08 presidential race because he has said that if he becomes DNC Chair, he will not run for president in 2008.