From Vietnam to the U.S. Senate, John Kerry has shown leadership, integrity and thoughtfulness, values which our country so desperately needs as each day brings news of ever-increasing entanglement in Iraq and more layoffs, plant shutdowns and outsourcing here at home.

As noted here by ex-GenDean honcho Michael Whitney, the Kerry campaign seems intent on shooting itself in the foot not just once, but with BOTH barrels of that shotgun JFK was using.

John is embarking on a campus tour of the Northeast accompanied by special guest... Jon Bon Jovi.

Despite uphill battle, Deaniacs keep fighting

Somewhere north of Fresno, a darkened Greyhound bus loaded with college students hurtles through the darkness. It's half past midnight on Monday. We've been on a bus for 13 hours and there are still three hours to go before we're home.

The mood onboard is upbeat despite the knowledge that classes start in just eight hours, and though sleep had been a hard commodity to come by in the last two days, few were napping. Instead, the talk was all politics -- we had just spent a day and a half blitzing Phoenix, knocking on doors, waving signs and telephoning Democrats, asking them to come out and vote for Howard Dean in the state's Feb. 3 primary election.

If that's true, what impact will it have on the nomination race? Will Dean or Clark grab more juice out of New York?

I posit not only that he IS playing by the rules, but that if he wasn't, it's a GOOD thing. Accepting matching funds may be this great altruistic ideal, but it's suicide against Rove.

Firstly, I believe the campaign finance rules were clearly set up to limit massively-funded insider campaigns backed by a few megadollar corporate donors who give thousands of dollars - like Bush.

The rules were NOT intended to keep a massive popular groundswell of grassroots support from resoundingly supporting a populist candidate with hundreds of thousands of small-dollar donations - like Dean.

Dean's campaign IS campaign finance reform DEFINED. Lots of average people giving small donations, swamping and overpowering the possible influence of a few large donors. That IS the little-d AND big-D democratic ideal. THAT is how we beat Bush. The power and purse of the people.

I smell fear from social conservatives, people who want a theocracy and people who want to be able to tell Americans what they can do, who they can love, what they can do with their bodies and how they can express themselves.

You're afraid because you know you're losing the national debate, and despite every effort to turn the tide (God Hates Fags, DoMA and other such demagoguery) you're still losing.

Per this SacBee story, dozens of state legislators are heading to a "budget meeting" at the swanky (and ultra-expensive) Sheraton Maui.

The punchline? It's hosted by the state's most powerful union - the prison guards.

Erm, no.

His "Bush Frightens Me, Frighten Bush Back" campaign put up real bats, and set a goal of $310,000 by Sunday at midnight.

The final tally: $354,891.48.

So much for "tapped out." Dean's just beginning to tap INTO his widening support base.

Howard Dean trotted out his detailed economic plan today - Reclaiming the American Dream - and it's got some interesting bits inside.