Dean Urges Appeal to Moral Values

Belcher said his "faith voters" are among the most economically anxious voters in the entire electorate. "They are not out of reach for us," he said. "They're not the crazy, right-winger extremist voters. They're the moms and pops." Belcher, founder of Brilliant-Corners Research and Strategies, titled his presentation "A Mosaic of a Presidency in Decline."

Dean, 56, a physician and former Vermont governor, briefly was the front-runner in last year's race for the Democratic presidential nomination by stoking a narrow but intense passion for "people-powered Howard" and relying heavily on Web organizing and fundraising. Many prominent Democrats in Washington had publicly opposed his selection as DNC chairman in February. Lawmakers have complained that he does not consult them enough, and major donors have asserted that he does not schmooze them as his predecessor, Terence R. McAuliffe, did. Dean had been criticized within his own party for comments that included the observation that the Republicans "all look the same" and are "pretty much a white Christian party." An undaunted Dean, noting some "catty articles in the press this week about fundraising," said the party had raised "over $100,000 in 24 hours on the Web, unsolicited."

"People don't know where we stand on a lot of issues," he said. "I believe this country's a Democratic country, with a big 'D.' If we got 48 percent of the vote, with their machine and our 30 years behind theirs, then this is a country that if voters vote and if they understand what we believe in, we're going to win. Now, that's why Republicans like to suppress the vote."

Donald L. Fowler, DNC chairman from 1995 to 1997, said Dean did a good job of "putting to rest some of the unrest of the last week" by focusing on issues and values rather than personalities. Fowler's son, Donnie, ran against Dean for chairman.

The executive committee is Dean's core of support, and no dissent came up publicly during the two-hour meeting. Chris Gallaway, 28, president of Young Democrats of America, said Dean had invigorated the party. "We knew who Howard Dean was when we elected him," Gallaway said.

Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a state representative from South Carolina, said most of the griping originated within the Beltway. "I just hope they don't convince him to be more reticent," she said.

Urging that health insurance be made available for every American, Dean said the party will "stand up for what only Democrats have done in the last 40 years in this country -- we're going to have a balanced budget." He called for "a strong defense, based on international cooperation," and said Democrats will equip soldiers "properly before we send them anywhere and we will treat them with dignity, without cutting their benefits when they get home."

Dean derided the attempted congressional intervention in the case of Terri Schiavo, whose feeding tube was removed in March. "Do we think the American people want to have those kinds of decisions made by families, or should they be made by Tom DeLay and the politicians in Washington?" Dean asked. "A moral value is personal responsibility and individual freedom. And that is what Democrats are going to start to stand for -- moral values."