Montgomery, AL – The chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean, is attending party fundraisers today in Birmingham and Montgomery. Dean shocked some in his party during his race for the chairmanship in 2005 when he kept citing Alabama as a state that Democrats could no longer write off.
Dean said today the Democratic Party has made a lot of progress in Alabama in the last few years. He said the national party has pumped about $450,000 in Alabama.
State Party Chairman Joe Turnham says that money has helped the state party hire staff, develop voter lists and build networks of volunteers.
Dean has also invested himself in his 50-state strategy. This is at least his third trip to Alabama since becoming party chairman.
Alabama's Republican Party chairman, Mike Hubbard, says he's glad to have Dean visit Alabama. Hubbard says it helps the Republican cause when a liberal like Dean visits Alabama.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)