Dean Day Four News

Beltway insider David Broder of the Washington Post renders the first verdict in his column for the Washington Post, syndicated all over: "To everyone's surprise, Dr. Howard Dean's first treatment for the ailing Democratic Party was a dose of tranquilizers." If he isn't screaming he's putting them to sleep, I guess. I have developed a somewhat warped fascination with the mendacious traitor named Robert Novack, who bestows his wisdom about Dean upon us and makes a specific prediction: "The conventional wisdom in Washington is that the flamboyant Dean will overpower newly installed Republican Chairman Ken Mehlman, the understated 2004 Bush campaign manager. Old Democratic hands are not so optimistic about the coming Mehlman vs. Dean televised face-offs — cool and disciplined vs. emotional and unpredictable. “Dean will have a circus on Sunday, and we’ll clean up the elephant droppings on Monday,” a Democratic veteran told me. On those Sunday programs, Dean will be asked what to do about Iraq. He will not imitate Joe Biden’s nuanced analysis, but instead will serve up red meat. It is unlikely Dean would or could adjust to the new atmosphere observed by sophisticated Democratic strategists since the Iraqi elections. Bashing George W. Bush and his war policy, Dean’s specialty, no longer seems so suitable." In a moral and just world, Novack would be in prison, but we'll just have to wait and see if he is any good as a soothsayer. For another point of view, try Rick Holmes in the Boston Herald: "Republicans and the commentators in their corner are aghast at the prospect of Howard Dean elected to run the Democratic National Committee. Don't the Democrats know they should be moving to the center? Haven't they learned they need to talk like Republicans on values and national security? Don't they get it? Well, no, maybe they don't. Or at least I hope they don't."