<b>Lynch:</b> Dean Noses Ahead

Dotty Lynch is the Senior Political Editor for CBS News. E-mail your questions and comments to Political Points

But what did he get in return? The support of two powerful labor unions; likely permission from his troops to eschew a good government icon -- public campaign financing -- and spend through the roof; and the shock and awe of the chattering class wondering, "Is it going to be over before it begins?"

Dean's wild ride started last Friday when he let John Kerry's attacks on gun control rattle him. In an effort to support low income white voters in the South, Dean said in an interview with the Des Moines Register that he wanted to be "for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks."

Kerry, who has been going nuts trying to show upscale Democrats that Dean is not the right-thinking liberal they think he is, thought he had found an opening and accused Dean of "falling in line with the most extreme elements of the NRA."

In Boston, where the Democrats gathered to "Rock the Vote," Al Sharpton and John Edwards decided to join the battle shouting at Dean and pointing fingers. Sharpton, who has been pouting since Jesse Jackson Jr. endorsed Dean, called him insensitive and Edwards, a.k.a Mr. Nice, accused him of being one of those uppity Northerners who tell Southerners what to do. The debate had all the earmarks of a rumble between the Sharks and Jets.

Dean responded characteristically, defending the concept and refusing to back down (although one former Dean advisor told me that Dean himself dropped the line months ago because it didn't seen to be getting any traction). But with some very liberal endorsements at stake and his big money story ready to be rolled out, Dean decided now was the time to cower and cut his losses and issued what may have been his first semi-sincere mea culpa.

None of this flap seemed to have any negative impact on the biggest prize to date in the Democratic campaign: the support of the leaders of the two biggest unions. Those two decided to show some muscle to try to short circuit the process by joining forces and backing Dean.

SEIU President Andy Stern and his political director (and former Bill Bradley campaign manager) Gina Glanz have been attracted to Dean for a long time -- and he has worked hard to get the endorsement of the SEIU.

Dean spoke bluntly to the union about his need for minority support. "You have what I need," he told them at one meeting and they liked his "let's make a deal" attitude and grassroots campaign.

AFSCME President McEntee, a pragmatist who's never been seen in Birkenstocks sandals, has made it clear from the get-go that he wanted a winner and that Dick Gephardt never looked like one to him. After flirting with Kerry and then Clark, he decided Dean was his best bet. He's been a bit closemouthed about why he settled on Dean, other than the fact that Kerry has stalled and Clark decided to bypass Iowa where AFSCME is very strong. McEntee knows he's taking a risk on Dean. But his options, especially if he wanted to play in Iowa, became very limited. And Dean's support from younger labor activists may help McEntee down the road.

There continues to be an uneasy feeling among Democratic insiders about Dean and one AFL official suggested this week there's a worry in the building that the Dean campaign could turn out to be a "fiasco." The party professionals are particularly worried about his record on civil unions and McGovernesque campaign. But as Democrats search for that winner they so sorely want, only Dean has generated enthusiasm, intense supporters and broad-based financial backing.

The polls, which everyone likes to say mean nothing, in fact mean a heck of a lot right now. And combined with the big union endorsements, they are making it very hard for the other candidates to raise money -- something they desperately need in order to get on TV. Word is that senior Gephardt staffers have taken pay cuts and the issue of self-financing has come up again in the Kerry and Edwards camps.

With only 74 days to go until the Iowa caucuses, the pace is speeding up and the attacks are becoming increasingly shrill. Dean is now the man to beat and he has been trying to close down this process for months. The irony is that it's now the establishment candidates who are chanting: "Let the people decide."

By Dotty Lynch