Howard Dean saved the Democratic Party. He freaking saved it. Lets take a short trip back to the run-up to the Iraq war. Do you remember how sh*tty it was to be an anti-war Democrat back then? Freedom fries. The Dixie Chicks banned from country radio. Michael Moore booed off the stage. Tom Daschle giving the keys to George W. Bush.

Howard Dean was the lone voice in the wilderness that progressive Democrats could look to. He bravely took the stage at the 2003 DNC meeting, at a time, I might add, when many people were too scared to stand up to the Bush Administration. In true form, Dean kicked ass:

"What I want to know is why in the world the Democratic party leadership is supporting the president's unilateral attack on Iraq."

It was on. With those words, Howard Dean pushed those spineless Demo-wimps aside. Finally, here was a Democrat with balls.

Most relevant to this unique moment in time, in his iconic speech, is this hopefully prophetic passage:

"In our state virtually every child under the age of 18 has health insurance.  [cheers].  We made Medicaid into a middle class entitlement.  If I become president with your help, the first item of business on our agenda is to do something that Harry Truman put in the Democratic platform in 1948.  We're going to bring health insurance to every man, woman and child in America.  [cheers, applause].  I'm the only doctor in this race, and I've done it."

You know the rest of the story --- Howard Dean deserves to be secretary of health and human services. YA HEARD.

Today, President Elect Obama anointed Tim Kaine as the new DNC chief. Someone was missing.

The New York Times asked "Where was Howard Dean?"

MSNBC's First Read says "Obama's transition office insists they aren't snubbing Dean here. But the current chairman's absence is hard to explain away."

At the ceremony, Obama called Dean a "visionary and effective leader" but to me, it felt like a completely empty gesture.