Dean manager endorses Rosenberg for chair

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's bid for national Democratic chairman was hardly out of the gate Wednesday when his ex-campaign chief endorsed someone else.

Dean '04 presidential campaign manager Joe Trippi, whose innovative organizing tactics surprisingly propelling Dean to first place in pre-primary polls, said he was backing Clintonian New Democratic Network chairman Simon Rosenberg for Democratic National Committee chairman.

"I think he is somebody ... that's going to make a big difference, pull the party together and actually is very savvy about the Internet grassroots," Trippi said on MSNBC's Hardball.

Trippi downplayed the idea this was some sort of revenge on Dean, who sacked him from the top campaign post shortly after Dean finished third in Iowa, though pre-caucus polling predicted he would win easily.

"It's not about Howard. It's not about opposing him," Trippi said. "If he asked me for advice (and) he doesn't do that these days," Trippi said, the former Democratic presidential frontrunner should run for the U.S. Senate or for president in 2008. "I think (Dean's) got a lot of assets but I think this is right now about building this party."