Howard Dean, head
of the Democratic Party, said the group needs to
look beyond the goal of getting gays and minorities a place
at the table and instead work toward getting them on
the ballot.
''We've got to
share power, not just responsibility, from now on,'' Dean
told about 200 people Saturday in Houston at the
International Gay and Lesbian Leadership Conference,
an annual gathering of gay public officials.
Dean, the
chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said little
about issues such as same-sex marriage or civil rights and
instead addressed broader Democratic agendas such as
raising the minimum wage.
Flush from big
Democratic gains in the midterm election, Dean emphasized
that the ''new Democratic Party'' reaches out to all
citizens, even those less likely to vote for them.
The downfall of
the ''old Democratic Party,'' he said, had been its
acceptance of representing half the nation.
''We've got to
take the attitude 'Everyone's our boss,''' Dean said.
He then outlined
the issues he believes the party should focus on now
that Democrats control Congress, including increasing
college financial assistance and passing an energy
independence bill. (AP)