While the press is focusing on Al Gore's endorsement as a slap in the face to the ever-so-loyal Joe Lieberman, the real story is about Gore's real target: Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Gore is expected to endorse Dean in Harlem, of all places, the adopted home of Hillary and Bill, where the former president's office is situated.
Clearly, Gore knows that Bill and Hillary are trying to stop Howard Dean.
And Dean has made no bones that he'll fire DNC Chief Terry McAuliffe, handpicked by the Clintons.
It's also no secret that the Clintons urged Wesley Clark to run in an effort to stop Dean's momentum, and helped raise his initial funds. Top Clinton aides run Clark's campaign.
And the Clintonistas who don't work for Clark, like Hillary strategist Harold Ickes and former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta, have begun trashing Dean as unelectable in published interviews.
Apparently, Gore would have none of it. He is backing Dean, and early, before a clear front-runner emerges after New Hampshire.
Gore has several reasons for rolling the dice with Dean and slamming the Clintons.
First, it's payback to the Clintons.
Gore has quietly blamed Bill Clinton's scandal baggage as the main reason he lost to Bush in a razor-thin electoral margin in 2000.
Gore and his wife, Tipper, have little love for Hillary, who started the Clinton presidency by demanding she get the office traditionally reserved for the VP in the West Wing.
Things went downhill from there.
There was Hillary's Senate bid in 2000, which Gore believes drained national Democratic Party resources, not to mention publicity, from his presidential campaign.
To add insult to injury, Gore wanted to run in 2004 and views Bush as vulnerable. But Hillary's political machine told top Democratic donors in New York and Hollywood not to back him.
In November 2002 Hillary pointedly pulled the rug out from under Gore when Chris Matthews asked "when" she was going to make a formal endorsement. She declined to say anything nice about her husband's loyal VP, let alone offer an endorsement, much to the chagrin of a stunned Matthews.
A month later, Gore dropped out of the race.
Gore no doubt sees Dean as just desserts for Bill and Hillary.
He may also see Dean as a path for his own return to power.
As NewsMax reported, Gore shares Hillary's view that the Democratic convention next summer may not offer a candidate in the first round of balloting.
While Dean may have the most delegates, he may not have enough to win.
In that case, Hillary envisions a presidential draft that would hand her the nomination at the last minute.
Gore sees the same possibility himself. By aligning himself with Dean, the ex-VP will have the first dibs on any deal cut at the convention. A Gore-Dean ticket may sound crazy now, but it could be a real possibility by next summer.
