ABCNEWS.com : Dean Urges His Delegates to Support Kerry

Howard Dean formally released the 201 delegates who supported his failed presidential bid and urged them on Monday to vote for John Kerry at this week's Democratic National Convention.

He said the ultimate decision rests with the delegates, but that he asked them at a private meeting to drop any rogue campaigns on his behalf.

...There was a short-lived effort to draft Dean from the floor of the convention[!] for vice president. Organizers of that campaign disbanded it a couple of weeks ago, but Dean addressed it in his delegate meeting.

"I've told them I don't think there's anything to be gained by trying to put in a vote for me for vice president or president and I hope they won't do that," he said. "This is a very independent minded group of people but a very enthusiastic group of people and I don't expect there to be any votes to the contrary on the floor."

Now, all those rabid Dean-haters who loudly proclaimed he was a loose cannon who would put himself above the party and instigate a floor fight can, simply, shove it.