''Democrats must stop 'speaking down to voters,' Dean says''

"WASHINGTON — Since he was elected Democratic national chairman in February, Howard Dean has done the unexpected: He mostly disappeared from national view. Dean went from long shot to near-nominee in the 2004 Democratic presidential campaign by being outspoken, confrontational and indefatigable. But since taking over the demoralized Democrats, he has concentrated on nitty-gritty work in out-of-the-way places. Now the former Vermont governor says he's ready to begin speaking out more. In a cell phone interview with USA TODAY late Wednesday, while stuck in traffic in San Francisco, he talked about his prescription for the party. It was his first interview with a national news outlet since being elected."-from another story in USA Today.