Littwin: Howard Dean: baffling, irksome - and inspiring

[dkf]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_86_2557151,00.html

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Bill Bradley is no Al Gore. And I mean that, of course, in the -nicest way.

When Gore endorsed Howard Dean last month, the conspiracy theorists theorized that this wasn't about Dean at all, but rather a backhanded slap by a still-angry-from-2000 Gore at the Clintons - because, apparently, it's always the Clintons - who are supposedly backing Wesley Clark.

Or, others reasoned, Gore had made his endorsement because he wanted to be a kingmaker and was promised by the Dean campaign no one from the Supreme Court would show up.

In any case, with Gore, the words "political" and "calculation" always seem to make their way into the conversation. Bradley, though, is harder to explain away. Bradley, who endorsed Dean on Tuesday, is, after all, that rare politician who can use the word "idealist" without making you flinch.

[slinkerwink]

1. heh, the Bradley endorsement probably baffled the stupid pundits

[Atlant]

2. Now, if we can just get Tom Harkin on board...

After all, he's the guy I backed for President in '92.

(We'd have Paul Tsongas too, but he's sort of dead.)

What other former contenders are we missing (who aren't
currently contending)?

Atlant