Inside the Beltway

Unlikely leader

Last month, a Republican lawyer in Mississippi who previously lived here in Washington, infiltrated a Howard Dean for President “meet-up” in Jackson. He took charge of more than the meeting.

“I’m basically now head of Central Mississippians for Dean,” J. Kevin Broughton tells Inside the Beltway.

The handful of Dean supporters on hand included a political consultant who was state chairman of Al Gore’s 1988 presidential campaign, a retired Army colonel, a local broadcaster and a pair of middle-aged women.

Honest lawyer he is, and feeling a bit guilty, Mr. Broughton decided to come clean.

“I disclosed that I was a Republican, interested in seeing Dean take Mississippi’s delegates and win the nomination. I had to take charge of the meeting,” he explains. “They were all talking about how [President] Bush lied about WMDs [weapons of mass destruction] and how sick it was that Arnold [Schwarzenegger] got elected [governor] in California.

“‘Listen,’ I said, ‘it’ll be a four-man race at most by Super Tuesday. Dean will be one … [but] we’ll have an incredibly low turnout. We need 25 percent of the black vote, and that will get us the 30 [percent] to 32 percent plurality that will take the delegates.’

“Blank stares,” Mr. Broughton recalls. “I’m trying to walk them through the mechanics of winning a primary. ‘Look, let’s divide up the counties in the middle third of Mississippi. Each of us can contact the Democrat county chairs, and get the voter and donor lists.’

“The retired colonel said, ‘Kevin, tell us what it is that has disaffected you with the current administration.’

“‘Not a darn thing,’ I said, finally getting through. ‘My motivation may be different than yours, but our goal is the same, at least until next summer. Your guy can’t be president if he doesn’t win the nomination. I want him to get the nomination.’”

Wouldn’t you know, Mr. Broughton was crowned chairman of the Dean club. They meet again next week.

Arnold’s rep

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he’s appointed Stacy Carlson as director of his Washington office, to work with Congress and the Bush White House “to promote sound federal policy and increased funding for California.”

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