Howard Dean calls Brian Schweitzer a "heavy hitter" and a "national figure"

DNC Chair Howard Dean offered this description of Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer recently.

From KXLF television station comes this portion of the on-line article:

Washington, DC

Montana Senate race ready for primetime

June 5, 2006

On Tuesday, Montanans will decide who the final candidates will be for Montana's seat in the U-S Senate. Republican Conrad Burns is expected to win his party's primary, while polls show Democrats John Morrison and Jon Tester in a close race to be their party's nominee.

Montana's News Station went to Washington D-C recently and asked party leaders there about the Montana race. We wanted to know a couple of things. First...what party leaders see as the dominant theme in Montana's Senate race. And how they plan to support their respective nominees.The rhetoric is predictable.

GOP Spokesman Tucker Bounds told Montana's News Station, "This race is going to be largely about Senator Burns and how popular he is in the state.

Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean counters, "He hasn't done anything. He's been really a Washington-oriented politician over the last 18 years. He's forgotten about the people of Montana."

But the national Republican and Democratic parties are approaching Montana's U. S. Senate race very differently. Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean will support his party's nominee with star power. Led by Montana's new homegrown star.

Dean: "Brian Schweitzer is a pretty heavy hitter on his own. He's become a national figure. There'll be some national figures coming out, but since you've got one right there in Montana, my guess is that Governor Schweitzer will be a big help to those candidates."