CAMPAIGN 2004 Democratic chairman stays out of battles

Some say rivals' attacks on Howard Dean would hurt him in the general election.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Democratic Party National Chairman Terry McAuliffe said Monday he would not referee what has become a vitriolic presidential primary, suggesting that voters would decide for themselves whether the negative campaigning was good politics.
His comments came a day after Howard Dean, the Democratic front-runner, criticized McAuliffe for not stepping in to stem the ever-growing attacks on him by other candidates -- in particular Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri.
Dean's call for a cease-fire to campaign hostilities sparked a new round of assaults from opponents.
"I've got news for Howard Dean: The primaries are a warm-up compared to what George Bush and Karl Rove have waiting for the Democratic nominee," Lieberman said. "If Howard Dean can't stand the heat in the Democratic kitchen, he's going to melt in a minute once the Republicans start going after him."
Monday's political wrangling focused mostly on Dean's suggestion, made while campaigning Sunday in Iowa, that McAuliffe needed to intervene to stop the public attacks by Dean rivals. "If we had strong leadership in the Democratic Party, they would be calling those other candidates and saying 'Hey, look, somebody's going to have to win here,'" Dean said.
Impact on general vote
Experts say continued attacks by fellow Democrats could weaken Dean in the general election even if he emerges as the Democratic nominee -- by revealing his potential weaknesses to Republicans and essentially giving them a road map to campaign against him.
"The rhetoric used against him is right on that fine line between legitimate criticism and what many may feel is overly harsh personal attacks," campaign strategist Anita Dunn said.
"What these candidates need to know is that the Republicans are watching. And they may be opening a can of worms that can be used against the eventual Democratic candidate."
Another fallout of the attacks, Dean said, is that they could dissuade his growing legion of followers from supporting another candidate if he lost the nomination.
With Iowa caucuses less than three weeks away, many candidates are making a concerted effort to derail Dean and bolster their own chances for the nomination. Gephardt's campaign, for example, sees winning Iowa as a must. And Kerry is hoping a strong showing in Iowa will boost his prospects in New Hampshire.
Some characterized Dean's call for the national party's intervention as an unrealistic expectation that failed to take into account the nature of high-stakes politics.