WASHINGTON: The Democratic Party, long cowered by the popular appeal of Republican wartime US President George W. Bush, has found a new, angry voice.

Howard Dean, 54, the former governor of Vermont, has emerged from relative obscurity as an outspoken left-wing populist who vows to take the 2004 fight for the White House to the conservative president.

One of only a few prominent Democrats to oppose the Iraq war, he has invigorated the left wing of the Democrats with fiery speeches, railing against Bush’s “radical right-wing wacko” administration. In the early days of the summer campaign, Dean — a fast-talking, native New Yorker and medical doctor from a moneyed family — has emerged, for the moment at least, as the party’s candidate to watch.

Although both party pre-selection contests are still months away, for now he has created buzz as an insurgent who has raised more money — 7.5 million dollars — than his opponents during the three-month period that ended on June 30.

The first “Internet primary”, organized by left-wing group moveon.org, recently placed Dean first with 44 per cent of the vote out of a field of nine Democrats who have declared or taken steps toward candidacies.

“We are the great grassroots campaign of the modern era, built from mousepads, shoe leather and hope,” Dean says on www.meetup.com, where his followers are organizing meetings nationwide.

While many admire the “e-candidate” for his campaign’s Internet- savvy, Dean says it is his message, not the medium, that has lifted him from an unknown long shot in the second-tier of Democratic candidates to an intriguing dark horse who is building momentum.

The man dubbed “the Democrats’ angry Everyman” by The Washington Post has captured the hopes of party faithful frustrated by their Congressional leadership’s failure to challenge Bush on key foreign policy and security issues.

More prominent candidates with national reputations, such as Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and Representative Richard Gephardt of Missouri, all supported the Iraq war. Howard — like the Republicans’ “straight-talking” Senator John McCain of Arizona, who lost to Bush in the 2000 primaries — has not been afraid to rock the boat in his own party.—dpa