Validation for the left

NBC News First Read: Validation for the left: the winner of the 2000 popular vote endorses the anti-war, so-called “unelectable” candidate, and a Green could get elected mayor of San Francisco.

Gore’s blessing comes on top of Dean’s seemingly insurmountable lead over second-ranked Kerry in New Hampshire, a state the Kerry campaign is now trying to spin as no longer a must-win for him, but a must-place. The problem with that: Kerry’s success among the February 3 states has always been a question mark for him, hinging upon a win in New Hampshire.

Lieberman last night, per embed Dionne Scott: “I was surprised, but I am now more determined than ever to continue to fight for what’s right for my party and my country and to move my party and my country forward and not backward.” Scott reports Gore tried to call Lieberman last night, but because Lieberman had three fundraisers, they were unable to connect. She also notes that per aides, Lieberman has been in regular contact with Gore, frequently seeking his advice, and just this past week, Lieberman said he’d ask Gore to play a role in his administration.

The New York Times has it as Front Page. Gore: Dean Has "Best Chance" to Win.

The Boston Globe reports Dean “worked on securing the endorsement for more than a year,... a recognition that he would need to soften his profile as a rebellious outsider if he hopes to win support from centrists in the primary and convince the party’s mainstream that he can beat President Bush.”

“The other Democratic contenders and their aides lashed out at Gore, accusing him of a variety of ulterior motives. A former senior adviser to Gore who now works for a rival campaign accused him of simply looking ahead to his own political career, or perhaps trying to upstage Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, who has made news in recent days.”

The Washington Times: “Mr. Dean’s candidacy has been criticized by some rivals for drawing relatively few endorsements from congressional Democrats and other national party figures, but Mr. Gore’s political prestige as the party’s 2000 presidential nominee puts much of that criticism to rest, for now.”

The Los Angeles Times: “Gore’s endorsement - following Dean’s embrace last month by two of the nation’s most politically potent labor groups... - will drive home the point that critical segments of the party have grown comfortable with the notion of Dean challenging President Bush.”

The Wall Street Journal: “A nod from Mr. Gore strengthens the former Vermont governor’s credibility with black and Southern voters who have been suspect of his credentials. It also enhances Mr. Dean’s already formidable fund-raising strength by opening the door to Mr. Gore’s deep-pocketed backers. And it makes Mr. Dean the favorite of the party’s former standard bearer to settle the score with the Bush-Cheney ticket.”

Drowned out amidst the Gore-Dean frenzy: Clark’s tough war talk on Hardball.

USA Today reports that two activists with ties to Gephardt and Sen. Tom Harkin “are behind new political attack ads against Howard Dean airing this week in Iowa.”

New Hampshire Democratic debate tonight

The 90-minute debate starts at 7:00 pm and will be moderated by Nightline’s Ted Koppel and WMUR’s Scott Spradling. The first 45-minute segment includes three rounds of questions for all nine candidates, with 60-second responses. The second 45 minutes will be a more conversational discussion amongst the candidates with no time limit on responses. The debate will air live on WMUR and C-SPAN, ABC News Radio, ABCNEWS.com (via streaming video), and on a special one-hour excerpted re-broadcast on Nightline.