Virginia Gov. Kaine to head DNC
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine was named the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee, replacing current chairman Howard Dean.
Kaine, who was one of the earliest public officials to support Obama, will work in the post while he finishes out his term as Virginia's governor, which will end in January 2010 (Virginia only allows its governors to serve one term.)
Kaine was widely speculated as a potential vice president for Pres.-elect Barack Obama, who named him to the post, but took a role that will keep him in the national spotlight for the foreseeable future.
The role carries a big role in the Democrats electoral plans. Dean's controversial "50 State Strategy", a tactic that involved putting Democratic operatives on the ground in every state, including heavily Republican states such as Utah and Idaho, was praised as a success in the 2008 elections by some Democratic officials.
Meanwhile, the race for the head of the Republican National Committee is much more competitive, as there are as many as six different candidates for the job, including former chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party Chip Saltsman, who was subject of recent controversy when he distributed a CD with a song titled "Barack the Magic Negro."