Howard Dean, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, sees an upside to a looming government shutdown - at least politically.

"If I was head of DNC, I would be quietly rooting for it," said Dean, speaking on a National Journal Insider's Conference panel Tuesday morning. "I know who's going to get blamed - we've been down this road before."

The former Vermont governor and presidential candidate was alluding to 1995 and 1996, when two government shutdowns under a Republican Congress helped improve President Clinton's reelection chances. The scenario could repeat this year as budget negotiations continue to falter, and Dean said he thinks the public will blame Republicans again.