Gettin' Ugly

DNC Chairman Howard Dean had a testy conversation with NBC's David Gregory, highlighted by this exchange:

DAVID GREGORY: Governor, are you worried at this point about the perception for the Democratic party? You've got Florida, Michigan whose delegates may be decided by the state party, the elite of the party, the insiders of the party, and it could come down in this nomination fight to the super-delegates, also the elite and the insiders of the party, deciding this. Is this democracy in the Democratic party?

HOWARD DEAN: David, this argument you're making is complete nonsense. There are a set of rules that everybody knew about when we started this out.

Dean went on to claim he'd be "happy" even if the super-delegates were to decide the nominee, just so long as the rules are followed.

Sure. If Obama goes to the convention with an elected-delegate lead, but Hillary walks away with the nomination thanks to the super-delegates, Dean could be presiding over a fractured Dem party. There might even be some retro-1968 convention action.