James Carville: Democrats Should Fire Howard Dean

Democratic political strategist James Carville said Howard Dean should be fired as chairman of the Democratic Party, comparing him to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in his level of incompetence.

Carville, meeting with political reporters Wednesday morning, said Democrats could have picked up as many as 50 House seats, instead of the nearly 30 they have so far.

But Dean’s Democratic National Committee did not spend some $6 million it could have used in so-called "third tier” House races against vulnerable Republicans, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

Carville said he tried to meet with Dean to push for additional spending for Democrats in the last days of the campaign, but Dean declined.

Asked by a reporter whether Dean should be fired, Carville replied, "In a word, do I think? Yes.

"I think he should be held accountable. I would describe his leadership as Rumsfeldian in its competence.”

There was no immediate response from Dean.