Via Reuters: Dean Poised to Be New Democratic Party Chief

One week before the Democratic National Committee votes on a new leader, the outspoken former Vermont governor has more than 250 public pledges from DNC supporters, according to the political newsletter Hotline — well more than the 214 needed to win.

One of Dean’s last rivals, Simon Rosenberg, head of the centrist New Democrat Network, dropped his bid on Friday and endorsed Dean. Former Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer and party strategist Donnie Fowler are Dean’s last official rivals in what was once a seven-person field to succeed DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe.

“Howard Dean has enough votes to win this thing,” Rosenberg said. “It’s really now just a question of how this all comes to an end.”

And the producers of talk show and bloggers all cheered.