First the exciting news. Dr. Howard Dean, the man that could be credited with changing national Democratic party politics as we know it because of his grassroots presidential campaign in 2004, was in Park Slope this morning specifically to endorse Josh Skaller, a candidate for the City Council in the 39th district.

Dean, the former governor of Vermont, 2004 presidential candidate, and former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is currently a consultant for Democracy for America, a grassroots political organization run by his brother.

So what's the Dean/Skaller connection?

Josh Skaller worked for Howard Dean's presidential campaign and Dean felt strong about personally endorsing him. He also brought word that Democracy for America was endorsing Josh as well. That endorsement is part of a more official process as that group endorses grassroots progressive candidates all over the country.

Dean's personal endorsement is a huge boon for Skaller, who is one of the front runners in a competitive race. But there's one caveat. Brad Lander, another candidate for City Council district in the 39th also worked for Howard Dean's presidential campaign. Dean, at the press conference this morning in the temporary campaign headquarters of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats on 10th Street just off Seventh Avenue, explained it this way: 

"I was at a party for Jerrold Nadler and I met Brad Lander and told him that I would not endorse anyone in his City Council Race. Then I found out that it was the race that Josh is in. If I was more of a research oriented person and had done my homework I wouldn't have spoken so fast. It's a delicate situation. So I'm personally going to endorse both Josh and Brad. But the Democracy for American endorsement is for Josh and Josh only. They're both good progressive candidates and no one working for them was willing to say anything about the other candidate. But the DFA chapter is here is one of the most active and we want to see progressive people run for office…"

Funny non-sequiter that followed: "People say that Obama copied us with Obama for America because we were Dean for America. But the truth is they followed us in copying Bartlet for America from The West Wing."