WHAT'S IN IT FOR AL:

WHAT’S IN IT FOR AL: The Washington Times’ Jack Kelly has a nice round-up of the chessboard that Al Gore examined when he decided to endore Dean:

So what’s in it for Al?

First, attention. Outside the Dean campaign, the number of Democrats thinking about Mr. Gore these last few months could be counted on fingers and toes. Now Al is back on the evening news. Fame is fleeting, but it is balm to a bruised ego.

Second, ambition. Mr. Gore would still very much like to be president. If a Democrat other than Mr. Dean wins the nomination and loses to Mr. Bush, Hillary Clinton will be the odds-on favorite for the nomination in 2008.

If Mr. Dean is nominated, he could choose Mr. Gore to replace Clinton apparatchik Terry McAuliffe as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, a post that would give Mr. Gore a platform from which to lay the groundwork for a campaign against Hillary, a campaign in which he, presumably, could have the grateful support of activists supporting Mr. Dean this time.

If Mr. Dean is routed, Mr. Gore’s near victory in 2000 will look awfully good by comparison. Mr. Gore might enjoy reminding people that he got more votes, and a higher percentage of the vote, than Bill Clinton ever did.

And if Mr. Dean should win, Mr. Gore could be secretary of state, a handsome booby prize.

Mr. Gore isn’t as smart as he imagines himself to be, but he’s no dummy. He’s no doubt noticed that real power in the Democratic Party has shifted to left-liberal special interest groups like MoveOn.Org, which can accept the big buck donations from fat cats like George Soros that the McCain-Feingold law forbids the Democratic Party from taking.

Scroll down for our previous coverage of Al and Howard.