Senator Harry Reid admits Howard Dean was not his first choice to be the new chairman of the national Democratic Party.

And he says he told the Vermont governor so much. But the Nevada Democrat told reporters in Reno Wednesday he's impressed with how Dean has, "taken the darts that were thrown at him" during the primary election.

Reid says Dean has proven himself to be a great political organizers who will help win Democrats seats in Congress in the 2006 election.

He says Dean is going to spend the next year concentrating on the West and the South and that he plans a visit to Nevada on Monday.

Reid says, Dean is "not some wild-eyed, left-wing nut."

He says Dean balanced the budgets of the state of Vermont, won the backing of the National Rifle Association in eight straight elections and has done a good job of handling the controversial matter of same-sex marriages by helping to legalize civil unions.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)