I hear Howard Dean is stepping down as Chairman of the DNC. Good! Although he'll probably be promoted to something else he can control, like HHS, where he really would have a say over important regulations affecting women. 

After hearing about Dean I got to thinking about all the people and groups I really, really hope and pray to see and hear less from -- in varying degrees from "ever" to "conditional" -- in 2009 and beyond.

Ready? Here's my list:

1. Howard Dean - (ever). No. I DON'T support his nomination for HHS Secretary, either...

2.  Donna Brazile (infrequently);

3.  Rep. James Clyburn (until he loses the 'tude and apologizes to Bill Clinton);

4.  Rev. Al Sharpton (ever);

5.  Keith Olbermann (ever);

6.  Chris Matthews (ever);

7.  MSNBC executives who believe there is/was no "sexism" in the election campaigns (ditto);

8.  CNN "pundit" Amy Holmes (until she grows up);

9.   Any and all female GOP (CNN, MSNBC, FOX) pundits who can't get over their Hillary hatred and their self-hatred;

10.  Barbara Ehrenreich (until she takes back the false, nasty articles she wrote about Hillary Clinton);

11.  Katarina Vandenheuvel (ever);

12.  David Sirota (ever);

13.  Rep. Jim Boehner (ever);

14.  Rush Limbaugh (ever);

15 .  The Mormon Church (ever);

16.  The Catholic Church (ditto);

17.  Anybody who opposed gay marriage rights, no matter how "liberal" they think they are otherwise...and they know who I mean!

18.  George W. Bush (ever, ever, ever).

Feel free to add your own personal favorites. I find it's a great way to get over the remnants of anger from this election season, imagining a new year and a new presidency without these people and groups to proselytize, wax philosophically about nothing, and basically act more important than they really are.